Sharon McDowell-Skaines

This role is responsible for the strategic leadership and advanced professional nursing support across Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).

• The primary focus of the role is to lead, develop and implement strategies to support delivery needs across GCUH and the wider health service.
• Provide strategic, technical and contextual planning advice to support decision making
• Lead, support, and collaborate with other services and stakeholders to develop and execute professional and operational recommendations.
• Planning, developing, and maintaining a professional quality improvement culture to meet relevant legislation, standards, codes, and associated budgetary accountabilities.
• Leadership and management of the Patient Access and Flow Unit and Clinical Management team in developing an improved culture within the teams, to facilitate a high-quality service that provides operational support and guidance to facilitate a safe patient journey throughout the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service and safe transfer of patients to other care facilities.
• Development of strategies within the Clinical Equipment and Resource Unit to improve processes for requesting, tracking, and auditing equipment, and improved staff support and culture.
• Introduction of business unit meetings and monthly reporting systems to support financial improvement plans and efficiencies to meet key performance indicators and deliverables across reporting lines.

• Oversee the leadership and management of two 28 bed Orthopaedic inpatient units and one 28 bed Trauma Surgical Inpatient unit at Gold Coast University (GCUH) and Robina Hospitals and a Level 1 Trauma Service that manages over 400 major trauma patients per year.
• Joint Leadership with the Clinical Director of Orthopaedics and Trauma.
• Meeting professional and financial key performance indicators, maintaining a high level of quality and safety standards across the services.
• Financial and workforce responsibility to work within the allocated budget and meet financial and workforce targets, while still delivering excellence in patient care and performance outcomes.
• Oversight and strategic management of orthopedic surgical wait lists.
• Lead continuous quality and service improvement across the Orthopaedic and Trauma inpatient units and specialty areas.
• Support ongoing Education and Research programs across the service.
• Introduction of Business Unit Meetings with key stakeholders to support business delivery, reporting and planning.

• Accountable for the overall planning, coordination, formulation, and direction of policies relating to the provision of evidence-based clinical care.
• Development of partnership models and strategies to support undergraduate and postgraduate education and research in the workplace.
• Provision of human and material resources for the Surgical, Anaesthetic, and Procedural Services nursing staff.

• Leadership and management of a large dynamic workforce incorporating the Surgical Inpatient Units at Gold Coast University (GCUH) and Robina Hospital, Endoscopy Services at GCUH and Specialty Services; Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hepatology, Gastrostomy, Stomal Therapy, Urology/ Continence, Breast Care, Queensland Bowel Screen and Nurse Navigators for Digestive Health and Head and Neck.
• This position is responsible for meeting professional and financial key performance indicators, maintaining a high level of quality and safety standards across the services.
• Financial and workforce responsibility to work within the allocated budget and meet financial and workforce targets, while still delivering excellence in patient care and performance outcomes.
• Lead continuous quality and service improvement initiatives to support service growth and delivery demands.
• Incorporate the use of innovative and contemporary leadership strategies to improve team culture across the services.
• Introduction of business unit meetings and monthly reporting systems to support financial improvement plans and efficiencies to meet key performance indicators and deliverables.