Behaviour Support Mentor Registered Nurse

Number of Positions Available

1

ABOUT US

The Salvation Army is a Christian movement and one of Australia's largest and most-loved charities. We believe in doing good that transforms lives and futures for the better. It is this belief which drives us to find new ways and places where we can make a difference. From times of personal crisis to moments of national grief, we are always here — providing support, safety, community, and opportunity.

Bethany Aged Care Centre, Port Macquarie

Permanent part-time – two days per week

Flexible weekdays and office-hour arrangements

Use your clinical experience to shape better dementia and behaviour support

Are you an experienced Registered Nurse who understands that changed behaviour is often a form of communication—and that the best response begins with understanding the whole person?

Bethany Aged Care Centre is seeking an experienced and thoughtful clinician to join us as a Behaviour Support Mentor .

This is a specialist capacity-building role in which you will help our care and clinical teams strengthen the way they understand and support residents experiencing changed behaviours. Rather than taking over responsibility for every assessment or behaviour support plan, you will coach, guide and develop our people so they become increasingly skilled and confident in responding effectively.

You will help employees look beyond the immediate behaviour and consider the resident’s health, history, environment, communication, preferences and possible unmet needs. Through practical mentoring and evidence-based guidance, you will influence everyday practice and support better outcomes for residents.

A flexible senior clinical opportunity.

This permanent part-time position is based at our 60-bed Bethany Aged Care Centre in Port Macquarie and initially offers two days per week.

Your working days can be negotiated across Monday to Friday, with the flexibility to work predominantly during office hours. There may also be scope for the role to increase to three days per week in the future, depending on operational requirements.

This could be an ideal opportunity for an experienced RN seeking to

• Continue making a valued clinical contribution through manageable part-time hours
• Return to the workforce in a flexible senior role
• Use their depth of experience to mentor and develop others
• Move away from a traditional clinical or people-management workload
• Develop further expertise in dementia and positive behaviour support

What you’ll be doing

Working alongside our Centre Manager, Care Manager, Registered Nurses and Care Service Employees, you will

• Provide leadership and expert guidance in understanding changed behaviours within the context of each resident’s overall care needs
• Coach employees to analyse situations objectively, recognise patterns and identify what a resident may be communicating
• Build staff knowledge, confidence and capability in person-centred behaviour support
• Guide teams in developing, implementing and reviewing effective behaviour support plans
• Help employees translate clinical information and evidence into practical care strategies
• Promote a culture in which residents are respected as individuals with their own needs, history and preferences
• Monitor the use of restrictive practices and support strategies that seek to minimise or cease their use wherever possible
• Review complex situations when existing strategies are not achieving the intended outcome
• Deliver practical education, coaching and feedback to strengthen performance across the care team
• Liaise with specialist services such as Dementia Support Australia and Older Persons Mental Health when additional expertise is required
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in care practices, systems and the resident environment

• Your success will be reflected not only in individual resident outcomes, but in the broader capability and confidence you build throughout the Bethany care team.
• What will make you successful
• First and foremost, you will bring a genuine interest in understanding changed behaviours and improving the lives of older people.

You will also have

• A tertiary qualification in nursing and current unrestricted registration as a Registered Nurse with AHPRA
• At least five years’ clinical practice experience in aged care , preferably supporting people living with dementia, mental illness or acquired brain injury
• Sound understanding of the emotional, physical, cognitive and psychological needs of older people
• Broad clinical knowledge and the professional credibility to guide and influence others
• Experience coaching, mentoring, educating or developing employees in a care environment
• The ability to examine information objectively, apply critical thinking and consider the person holistically
• Confidence providing constructive feedback and influencing improvements in practice
• Effective problem-solving, organisational and time-management skills
• High-level verbal and written communication skills
• The ability to work independently while building collaborative relationships across the centre

An understanding of the Aged Care Quality Standards, relevant aged-care legislation and continuous quality improvement principles will also be highly regarded.

You do not need to have previously held the title of Behaviour Support Mentor. If you have strong aged-care clinical experience, sound dementia knowledge and the ability to engage, influence and develop others, we would welcome your application.

Why work with us?

At The Salvation Army, you will be part of an organisation that values integrity, compassion, respect, diversity and collaboration.

You will also have access to

• A flexible permanent part-time arrangement
• A role where your experience can directly influence resident wellbeing and quality of care
• The opportunity to develop specialist capability in positive behaviour support
• Salary packaging benefits that can increase your take-home pay
• Ongoing learning and professional development
• Employee assistance and wellbeing support

How to apply

If you are ready to use your clinical experience in a different way—building the capability of others and improving support for residents living with changed behaviours—we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your résumé and a brief covering letter outlining your interest in the opportunity and your experience supporting older people living with dementia or changed behaviours.

Appointment is subject to the relevant pre-employment checks, including a national police check and NDIS Worker Screening Check.

The Salvation Army is an Equal Opportunity Employer who provides an inclusive work environment and embraces the diverse talent of its people. We value people of all cultures, languages, capacities, sexual orientations, gender identities and/or expressions. W e are committed to achieving a diverse workforce and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Salvation Army is a child safe organisation and is committed to protecting children and young people from harm. All child facing roles will require the successful completion of a Working with Children Check. Applicants for all roles require a mandatory Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

We value Integrity, Compassion, Respect, Diversity, and Collaboration