RECRUITMENT GUIDE
Aged Care Nurse
An aged care nurse is a registered nurse who provides care to the elderly. They may work in varying environments, such as hospitals, medical clinics, aged care homes, and other community centres.
Aged care nurses are the healthcare professionals that the patients will interact with most frequently. They are responsible for taking care of the patient, including administering medications, checking vital signs, keeping track of and recording any changes in health, providing care for chronic health conditions such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and educating the patient and their families about any health conditions.
Aged care nurses must be quick thinking, be able to recognise sudden declines in patient health and be able to respond quickly to changing patient needs. They must also have strong communication and relationship management skills, as they will be required to work closely with doctors, and other specialists.
Day-to-day tasks of this role:
- Administer medication daily to patients.
- Educate and update patients and their families.
- Observe patients throughout the day, and record changes.
- Liaise with other health professionals involving patient care plans.
- Discuss and implement healthcare plans and pain management techniques.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for an Aged Care Nurse
In order to become an aged care nurse, you will have to complete a Bachelor of Nursing, or a Bachelor of Science, majoring in nursing to become a registered nurse. Typically, after gaining experience as a registered nurse, you are able to work as an aged care nurse. There are some common skills required for this role.
Being an aged care nurse requires extensive medical knowledge and clinical skills. An aged care nurse will require strong clinical skills in geriatrics, be well versed in medication administration and understand medication interactions. They must also have experience and knowledge that enables them to work with patients and tailor their approach depending on the needs of the individual.
An aged care nurse must also be compassionate. They must create relationships with their patients, and their patients’ families in order to foster trust and transparency. They must understand their patients’ situations and display a high level of sensitivity and empathy, as well as foster motivation and a safe environment for residents to be active and take part in their care plan.
Aged care nurses must also have exceptional communication skills. They must have the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including patients, staff, family members, and other medical professionals. They must clearly communicate with multidisciplinary teams about patient care, and importantly always ensure patients and their families understand medical terms and patient care plans.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Aged Care Nurse Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
As this role can be very confronting, and both physically and mentally demanding, it is important to outline the kinds of situations the applicant may be faced with, as well as what is expected of them in these situations. This may include the duties they may have with specific clients, their daily tasks and hours, and protocol in emergency and high stress situations. The role also involves witnessing patient death frequently, which can be distressing and therefore should be forewarned to applicants in the job description.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Communication
Question Type: Document
How do you ensure your patients and their families understand patient care routines?
Question 2
Compassion
Question Type: Text
How do you display sensitivity in your work? Why do you think this is important in an aged care facility?
Question 3
Clinical Skills
Question Type: Video
Tell me about the most difficult patient you have had to work with. How did you handle this patient?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for an Aged Care Nurse
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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