2026 Intensive Care Transition Year Fellow

ICU Transition Year Fellow

• Location: Sunshine
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Salary: Classification HM25 - HM30

About the role

The CICM approved ICU Transition Year (TY) Fellow position at Western Health is a clinical position somewhere between registrar and consultant, with the aim of the year to gradually enable the doctor to transition from mostly supervised clinical practice (as a registrar) to minimally supervised clinical practice (as in a junior consultant role). In addition, rostered Clinical Support Time actively supports the TY Fellow to become involved in the diverse non-clinical portfolios of the Intensive Care Department.

Western Health will also consider applications from doctors who are close to completing their training requirements (such as currently completing their fellowship exams) looking to work as a senior registrar in the unit.

Local Work Environment:

The role is based at Sunshine Hospital ICU which is a 25-minute drive from the CBD. Sunshine Hospital is a very busy metropolitan hospital, with 600 hospital beds, including medical, surgical, psychiatric, obstetric & paediatric patients. Sunshine ICU is one of two ICUs within Western Health (WH), with the other 14 bed ICU located at Footscray Hospital. The new 1.5 billion-dollar Footscray Hospital is currently in the final stages of construction and is planned to open in late 2025.

Sunshine Hospital ICU is a 13-bed mixed medical, surgical & obstetric adult ICU, admitting approximately 1100 patients per year (funded to 12 ICU equivalents). By comparison to other metropolitan ICUs, patients admitted to Sunshine ICU are relatively young, with very high severity of illness scores. We are proud to have an established Cardiogenic Shock Service and can offer Mechanical Cardiac Support in the form of Impella due to our established Impella Programme. Additionally, the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s centre (co-located with Sunshine Hospital) opened in 2019 and has allows us to manage critically unwell and complex obstetric, paediatric, and neonatal patients on site. While Sunshine ICU does admit obstetric patients it does not admit paediatric patients. ICU medical staff are not required to attend paediatric MET calls or Code Blues.

The ICU consultant group at Western Health work across both Footscray & Sunshine sites, are all FCICM qualified, and have a variety of subspecialty interests and expertise (e.g. education, mechanical cardiac supports & echocardiography, sustainability, research, mentoring, welfare, organ donation, health informatics, bioethics).

Clinical Role of the TY Fellow:

The Transition Year Fellow will be rostered to Sunshine Hospital ICU for 12 months and will report directly to the on-call Intensivist for all clinical matters. The Transition Year Fellow has an individual roster line, with a combination of day, evening, night and on call shifts. The exact shift proportions may vary to ensure the clinical needs of the unit are met. There will be 3 monthly feedback provided to the TY fellow (including the required CICM ITERs), with more frequent feedback by the CICM SOTs or ICU Director as necessary.

The Supervisors of Training and Director of Intensive Care are responsible for determining what level of clinical autonomy is recommended for an individual TY Fellow over time. The degree of clinical autonomy will also be discussed at the ICU consultant group’s regular review of junior medical staff performance. It is anticipated the level of direct clinical supervision provided by the supervising Intensivist will vary over time, and will allow for independent unit management, ward round, and first on call opportunities in preparation for junior consultant role.

Key responsibilities:

Clinical TY Fellow daily workflow:

• Receive handover; lead the morning or afternoon multidisciplinary ICU ward round and determine the clinical management of the ICU patients (in accordance with relevant WH policies & guidelines, best evidence and consultation with other health care professionals as needed)
• Supervise and guide the junior medical staff in the performance of their routine duties (e.g. ensure appropriate ward round notes are made, timely care is provided, teach and supervise the performance of relevant procedures, review results and investigations)
• Modify management and treatment of patients (as necessary) initiated by junior staff to provide the highest quality of care
• Ensure continuity of care for all patients via appropriate handover procedure in the unit, including training of the junior medical staff in these procedures
• Attend Code Blues as needed, attend MET calls (if requested by the ICU liaison nurse or the parent unit medical team) and review & manage referrals as needed.
• Manage workflow in the ICU, e.g. bed state/ admissions/ discharges/ ward or ED referrals/ intrahospital transports of ICU patients and liaise with the nursing staff regarding this.
• Liaise with the on-call consultant via phone or in person as necessary.

Non-clinical role/s of the TY Fellow:

The TY Fellow will be supported to contribute to the non-clinical functions of the ICU with an average of five hours of rostered Clinical Support Time per week. The specific non-clinical roles will be decided upon (in the first three months of the year) by mutual agreement between the TY Fellow, CICM SOTs and the relevant supervising consultant of the non-clinical portfolio. Choices of non-clinical portfolios will depend on the TY Fellow’s interests & skills, as well as the needs of the ICU department. Such activities may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Support for advanced degrees in ultrasound e.g. DDU, CCPU (e.g. examiners in house for supervising cases)
• Participation in the WH Cardiogenic Shock Service, which supports our well established Impella Programme
• Co-ordinate or participate in regular QA meeting with other hospitals from the Australia-wide CICM Ultrasound SIG
• Co-ordinate or participate in teaching junior ICU staff basic echo/ ultrasound skills
• Regular bedside teaching of junior medical and nursing staff
• Involvement in the review/ updating of relevant ICU clinical guidelines
• Assistance at CICM examinations if held at WH

About you:

Essential requirements:

• MBBS or equivalent
• AHPRA registration to practice as Medical Practitioner
• CICM trainee who has completed all prescribed CICM training requirements as per the CICM document ‘Objectives of Training: The Transition Year’:
  • Satisfactory completion of the required clinical training time and assessments for the core intensive care medicine, anaesthesia, and medicine years
  • Satisfactory completion of the Second Part Examination
  • Satisfactory completion of all prescribed courses, learning packages and WBA
  • Submission of a Formal Project in the format prescribed in the guideline.
  • Satisfactory exposure to two out of the three sub-specialities in: a) Cardiothoracic surgery intensive care b) Neurological / Neurosurgery intensive care and c) Trauma intensive care

Desirable criteria for the position:

• Excellent communication & teamwork skills
• Ability to supervise and teach junior medical staff.
• Advanced technical, non-technical and crisis resource management skills to enable safe autonomous clinical practice.
• Sufficient clinical expertise to be able to make a timely, structured, and accurate assessment of a comprehensive range of life-threatening problems in a critically ill patient and to be able to apply life-supporting therapy as appropriate.

Position Description

About Western Health

Western Health is one of the largest healthcare providers in Victoria, caring for a vibrant, diverse and rapidly growing community of one million people in Melbourne’s western suburbs. 

With more than 13,000 staff, Western Health delivers 800,000+ occasions of care every year, providing high-quality, person-centred care across every life stage.

We provide a combination of hospital, community-based, at-home and in-reach services to aged, adult and paediatric patients and newborn babies. Specialties include

oncology, renal, mental health, women’s health and maternity, chronic diseases, geriatrics and cardiology.

We have remarkable strengths in chronic disease, complex care and developing innovative and sustainable healthcare solutions. Our experience at the coalface of healthcare delivery for some of Australia’s most culturally and socioeconomically diverse and vulnerable populations provides us with unique insights into the most pressing health challenges. We have remarkable strengths in chronic disease, complex care and developing innovative and sustainable healthcare solutions.

Western Health operates four acute public hospitals: Sunshine Hospital (including Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s), Footscray Hospital, Williamstown Hospital and Bacchus Marsh Hospital. We also operate Sunbury Community Hospital, Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre, Melton Health and Community Services, Bacchus Marsh Community Health Centre, Caroline Springs Community Health Centre and Grant Lodge Residential Aged Care in Bacchus Marsh. Western Health also provides the primary healthcare service at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a women’s prison located in Ravenhall.

Why join us?

Compensation and benefits

• Competitive salary packages aligned with market standards.
• Health and wellbeing programs, including flexible work arrangements.
• Scholarships and grants to support your continuous learning journey.

Learning and development opportunities

• Access the Western Health Learning Academy (WHA) for personalised learning pathways.
• Professional growth programs, including postgraduate studies and clinical education.
• Mentorship and career support.

Community impact and inclusion

• Make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives through compassionate care.
• Join a workforce that champions diversity and inclusion.
• Engage in community wellbeing initiatives and groundbreaking healthcare research.

Organisational culture and environment

• Thrive in a collaborative, compassionate and innovative team environment.
• Be part of a culture that celebrates continuous improvement and excellence in healthcare.

Ready to make an impact?

If you’re passionate about patient care and is looking to work as a senior registrar, we’d love to hear from you. Simply click on the “apply” button and follow the prompts.

If you are currently employed at Western Health, please ensure you sign in through the 'Employee Login' via the external Careers Page or access the Careers Page via the intranet before applying.

Closing date: 12 June 2025

Enquiries: For further information about this role, contact:

Dr James Douglas

Recruitment Coordinator & Co- Supervisor of Training

Email: 

Telephone (03) 8345 6651

Dr KJ Farley
Lead Supervisor of Training & Recruitment

Email: kj.farley@wh.org.au

Telephone (03) 8345 6651

Dr Carys Lloyd Jones

Recruitment

Email: carys.jones@wh.org.au

Telephone (03) 8345 6651

Ms Jo Andress

ICU Administration Assistant

Email: joanne.andress@wh.org.au

Telephone: 0468 657 068

Western Health is an equal opportunity employer committed to attracting and retaining diversity in our workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Western Health is committed to providing a safe environment for the children and young people who are involved in our services, sites and operations. We follow and abide by all legislative requirements to keep children and young people safe.

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory Police Record Check, an Immunisation Status Clearance and a Working with Children Check (if applicable).

Western Health does not accept unsolicited resumes/applications from recruitment agencies.