Our ICU is a busy, dynamic quarternary referral unit, with many state-wide clinical responsibilities and a catchment area covering most of northern New South Wales (NSW).
RNS is a major teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Sydney.
We offer exceptional clinical exposure, being the only ICU in NSW with all the medical and surgical sub-specialities:
- Major trauma centre
- Burns
- Spinal cord injury
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Acute interventional neuroradiology
- Interventional cardiology
- Haematology
- Obstetric & gynaecology
- Complex head and neck surgery
- Vascular surgery
- ECMO
Roster and staffing
- 12 hours shifts for all levels
- Week-on, week-off model for all levels
- Enough staff to accommodate annual leave and study leave
- Fellow positions available for advanced trainees, post fellowship exam to promote development to level of Specialist in a gradual and supportive fashion
Education
The ICU at RNS prides itself on the multifaceted and varied teaching programs on offer. We aim to develop your technical and non-technical skills, covering the CICM curriculum, augmented by dedicated teaching in the basic sciences. All teaching sessions will be held in our dedicated lecture theatre and teaching rooms.
Registrar teaching
- Weekly trainee-led teaching for all registrars on core ICU topics
- Weekly Critical Care Teaching
- Daily X-Ray teaching supervised by a consultant radiologist
- Monthly journal club and morbidity and mortality meetings
- Twice weekly clinical handover meeting where all patients are openly discussed, focusing on complex medical and ethical issues
- Weekly simulation training
- Regular Specialist-led practical study days
- Weekly evidence based medicine course
Primary Exam Teaching
- Weekly teaching sessions run by Prof Richard Lee and Dr Naomi Diel
- Excellent exam success results
- For candidates planning to sit the CICM or ANZCA primary exams
- Didactic sessions are supplemented by viva and short-answer practice sessions
Fellowship Exam Teaching
- College examiners and several previous Fellowship Exam medal winners
- Extensive written question sessions for those preparing for the CICM fellowship exam
- Weekly face-to-face exam preparation sessions
- Viva and hot-case preparation
- Excellent exam results, as a result of our dedicated exam preparation and varied patient case-mix exposure
Fellowship Exam Teaching
- College examiners and several previous Fellowship Exam medal winners
- Extensive written question sessions for those preparing for the CICM fellowship exam
- Weekly face-to-face exam preparation sessions
- Viva and hot-case preparation
- Excellent exam results, as a result of our dedicated exam preparation and varied patient case-mix exposure
Echocardiography Training
- Weekly basic transthoracic echo teaching available to all residents and registrars
- Weekly 2 hour echocardiography training sessions supervised by a dedicated echo-sonographer, available to all Advanced Trainees
- Log-book review, didactic teaching sessions, and regular echo review sessions
- Echo reporting software and dedicated echo reporting room
Courses and Conferences
The Specialists at RNSH are involved with several different courses which you’ll have the opportunity to get involved with:
- The BASIC Course
- The CCAM Course
- Previously SMACC and now Coda
- The SLICE course (in situ multi-disciplinary simulation training for non-technical skills)
- Bedside Critical Care
- CICM New Fellow’s Conference
- EMST courses
- CCRISP courses
Anaesthetics, Medicine and Emergency
- Close links with all three departments
- Rotations to these departments routinely organised for ICU trainees
Support
We want your time with us to be enjoyable, rewarding & productive
- You will be mentored and looked after
- By working within a varied team, you will have the opportunity to transition through increasing levels of responsibility as your experience increases
- We want your time with us to be enjoyable, rewarding & productive
- You will be mentored and looked after
- With experience comes the opportunity for increased responsibility
