Registered Nurse - Older Peoples Mental Health

Make a meaningful difference in the lives of older people. Build your mental health career within a supportive community team. Employment Type: 2 x Permanent Full Time Position Classification: Registered Nurse Remuneration: $81,748.17 - $114,771.98 per annum + 12% Superannuation + Salary Packaging Hours Per Week: 38 Requisition ID: REQ695928 Located in:Newcastle Community Older Persons Mental Health Closing Date: Wednesday 21st October 2026 About the Opportunity An exciting opportunity is available for a Registered Nurse (Mental Health) to join the Newcastle or Lake Macquarie Community Older Persons Mental Health Service (OPMHS).The Community OPMHS is a specialist service providing assessment, treatment and ongoing care to older people experiencing mental illness, cognitive concerns and complex psychosocial needs. We have two opportunities available, one at Lake Macquarie Community OPMHS is based at Charlestown Health Campus and provides specialist community mental health care across the Lake Macquarie area. Newcastle Community OPMHS is based at Watt Street, Newcastle, on the former James Fletcher Hospital site and provides specialist community mental health care across Newcastle and surrounding areas. Both services are multidisciplinary teams comprising nursing, medical, psychology, social work and occupational therapy clinicians. You'll work collaboratively with consumers, families and carers, GPs, residential aged care facilities and other health and community services. Our teams are committed to person-centred, recovery-oriented care, supporting older people to remain well and independent within their own homes and communities wherever possible. This means your work will extend beyond the office, with regular opportunities to undertake home visits, residential aged care facility visits and community-based assessments, while remaining connected to a supportive multidisciplinary team. What You Will Be Doing As a Registered Nurse within the Community Older Persons Mental Health Service, you'll provide specialist nursing care across assessment, treatment, care coordination and ongoing clinical management. You will: Undertake comprehensive mental health assessments, including mental state examination, psychosocial assessment and risk assessment. Provide care coordination for consumers with complex mental health and psychosocial needs. Develop, implement and review collaborative care plans with consumers, families and carers. Monitor mental state, treatment response, medication adherence, physical health and changes in risk. Provide nursing interventions, psychoeducation, medication support and other evidence-based interventions within your scope of practice. Undertake home visits, residential aged care facility visits and assessments across community settings. Work closely with psychiatrists, medical officers, GPs, families, carers, aged care providers and other health and community services. Participate in multidisciplinary clinical reviews, case discussions and treatment planning. Support consumers experiencing deterioration in their mental health and contribute to timely assessment and escalation. Contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement and service development activities. Build therapeutic relationships that support recovery, engagement and positive outcomes for older people. The role offers a high degree of professional autonomy, balanced with ready access to experienced nursing, medical and allied health clinicians when you need advice or support. About You We're looking for a compassionate, reliable and clinically curious Registered Nurse who enjoys working with older people and is interested in supporting consumers with complex mental health, physical health, cognitive and psychosocial needs. You will bring: Current registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. A current Australian driver's licence, as the role involves community visits. Sound foundational clinical skills and professional judgement. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to build therapeutic relationships with older consumers, families and carers. The ability to recognise changes in mental state and risk and respond appropriately. Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a community caseload. The ability to work autonomously in the community while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team. Adaptability, reflective practice and a genuine willingness to learn. A commitment to person-centred, recovery-oriented and evidence-based care. Previous mental health nursing experience is highly regarded, however, specific Older Persons Mental Health experience is not essential. We welcome Registered Nurses with strong transferable clinical skills and a genuine interest in developing their practice in community and Older Persons Mental Health. With support from the team, you'll have the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and skills in mental health assessment, risk assessment and management, care coordination, cognitive assessment, mental health legislation, aged care systems and local community services. How You Will Be Supported You'll receive comprehensive orientation and ongoing support from the Team Manager, Clinical Coordinator, senior clinicians, medical staff and experienced multidisciplinary team members. Your orientation will be tailored to your previous experience and will include the OPMHS model of care, local service processes, clinical documentation, community practice, risk assessment and management, relevant legislation, referral pathways and local community services. Ongoing support includes: Regular clinical supervision. Multidisciplinary clinical review and case discussion. Joint community visits and assessments during orientation where appropriate. Access to experienced mental health clinicians for consultation. Education and professional development opportunities across the broader Hunter New England Mental Health network. We recognise that transitioning into community or Older Persons Mental Health is different for everyone. Your orientation and learning will be tailored to your experience, with increasing autonomy as your confidence and capability develop. What We Can Offer This is an opportunity to develop specialist expertise at the intersection of mental health nursing, older persons care and complex community practice. You'll enjoy: A varied role with significant professional autonomy. Community-based work across homes, residential aged care and other settings. The support and connection of an established multidisciplinary team. Access to fleet vehicles for approved community work. Regular clinical supervision and professional development. Exposure to a broad range of mental health, cognitive, physical and psychosocial presentations. Opportunities to develop advanced skills in mental health assessment, ris Click here for more details: https://www.medicaljobsaustralia.com/jobs/2723268/