Work with Justice Health NSW

At Justice Health NSW, we deliver quality healthcare to those who need it most. If you want to make a real difference, we've got just the place for you.

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Want to develop and grow in a supportive environment? We've got just the place.

A great place to work

At Justice Health NSW, you'll join a network of people who chose healthcare for the same reasons as you.

We celebrate diversity and inclusion - everyone has a place here and we support each other. Learn about our team culture, the benefits of joining us and what sets Justice Health NSW apart.

 

 

Safe and rewarding

We offer a rewarding environment where you can feel safe to do your best work. We offer:

  • the highest industry safety standards
  • a comprehensive induction process
  • incentives for certain roles.
Breadth of skills

Develop diverse skills to broaden your treatment capabilities. You can access:

  • on-the-job training
  • TAFE NSW training partnerships
  • a custodial GP certificate
  • cultural training.
Complex health needs

Gain a deeper patient understanding that you won't get elsewhere through our:

  • high level of patient care and service
  • nurse-led model of care.
Greatest impact

Improve the lives of those who need it most by:

  • seeing the impact on patient health over time
  • advocating for healthcare access by treating society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

Justice Health NSW

Just the place for you

Our initiatives

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Justice Health NSW staff member

Incentives to join us

Did you know that we offer financial and other incentives to come and work with us? Our attractive staff benefits include salary packaging, additional paid holiday leave, learning and development leave and discounted gym membership. Find out what opportunities are available.

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Aboriginal artwork

Supporting Aboriginal candidates

If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, we have tailored First Nations support available to support your recruitment, development and retention as a valued member of Justice Health NSW. Find out what support is available.

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Justice Health NSW professional development

Professional pathways

We're committed to supporting your professional development at every stage of your career. Our staff can access a range of internal and external learning and development opportunities including Clinical Supervision, our Graduate Nurse Program and Masters Programs.

Meet our people

3:55

Custodial Nursing at Justice Health NSW

Meet some of our team and find out what it's like to be a custodial nurse in a correctional centre.

Read transcript
Video transcript

Custodial Nursing at Justice Health NSW

[On-screen text]

We acknowledge and pay respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders - past, present and emerging - of the lands and water on which Justice Health NSW members and staff live, learn and work.

[Alice - Registered Nurse, Lithgow Correctional Centre]

I didn't even realize that nurses worked in prisons, I I hadn't really thought about it before.

[Michelle - Enrolled Nurse, Mid North Coast Correctional Centre]

So, primary healthcare in a correctional center looks a bit like A to Z of nursing, so we do a little bit of everything. We look after wounds, we look after infections, immunizations, we look after emergency responses, drug and alcohol assessments, primary health assessments for people coming into custody. So, you might get anything from a toothache to like a spider bite to a stub wound.

I think apart from having cells associated with our clinic, it's not unlike a hospital environment in the clinical setting. They are really nice places to be.

[Abdullah - Registered Nurse, Drug and Alcohol John Morony Correctional Centre]

A lot of people don't really realize that it's more like a GP Clinic than anything else.

[Michelle - Enrolled Nurse, Mid North Coast Correctional Centre]

We do have a lot of chronic disease, people with chronic diseases which we manage, but it's general everyday things that you would go and see your GP or the chemist for that our patients come to us for.

[Phil - Endorsed Enrolled Nurse Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre]

Well, you tend to be a bit more autonomous than what you would be in any other health setting. Yeah, you're given the opportunity to make more decisions. You wouldn't get that working in any other health setting that I've worked in personally.

[Michelle - Enrolled Nurse, Mid North Coast Correctional Centre]

So, we work with a team of approximately 5 to 7 nurses a day in primary health, we do clinical work but also the more monotonous chores of nursing, it's like medication and methadone and all the things that you know our patients need. So on an average day you have so much autonomy over how your day runs, you choose your list, you choose who, what patients are coming up.

[Phil - Endorsed Enrolled Nurse Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre]

While we work all together as a team you are expected to perform on your own at certain time. When things go beyond what you're comfortable doing there's always people around you to help, always people with, you know, more experience in a certain situation than you.

[Alice - Registered Nurse, Lithgow Correctional Centre]

I found coming from the hospital to Justice Health, I was often required to use skills that I rarely used in the hospital and to develop new ones as well. I've never worked in an area where I've been as encouraged to develop my career as Justice Health. The training opportunities are amazing.

[Abdullah - Registered Nurse, Drug and Alcohol John Morony Correctional Centre]

So I started, I've been working with Justice Health for around five years now. So what, the good thing about Justice Health is, you get a wide range of opportunities.

[Michelle - Enrolled Nurse, Mid North Coast Correctional Centre]

We work really hard for the patients and we're all driven by the same goals.

[Phil - Endorsed Enrolled Nurse Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre]

You're not going to find such a varied amount of people in one place coming from all different walks of life and just wonderful, wonderful people to work with. Best I've had in 20 years of nursing.

[Alice - Registered Nurse, Lithgow Correctional Centre]

So a common misconception, I think, of people that don't work in a prison is that we're constantly involved in really scary situations but it's not actually true I feel very safe in the gaol, probably more safe than in a emergency department. Corrective Services do such a great job of keeping us safe and I think oftentimes our patients they haven't been looked after and they do have health needs and when they feel like someone's actually trying to help them, often, it really does mean a lot to them. So what I found is you don't actually have to be really tough or really, really, really assertive or aggressive to work in a prison, you can be trustworthy and you can be kind and that's actually a good fit for a nurse in a prison I think.

[Michelle - Enrolled Nurse, Mid North Coast Correctional Centre]

The clinical skills that you'll gain from working in an environment like this are second to none. The interpersonal skills that you'll gain from working with the clientele that we work with is second to none and I just think the, the experience is so rewarding.

1:54

Forensic Hospital - Working With Us

Meet our team and find out what it's like working in the Forensic Hospital.

“Every day is different, which means I am developing new skills.”Justice Health NSW Forensic Mental Health Nurse.
Our environment and patients ensure that there is never a dull moment and every day presents a new challenge and experience.”Justice Health NSW Allied Health Physiotherapist.

Our careers

Explore our unique roles available at Justice Health NSW. 

 

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Justice Health Banga-ma-la-nha sudy

Aboriginal health

Our Aboriginal health workers assist in meeting the physical, social and emotional and cultural needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients whilst in custody. We support Aboriginal peoples and communities to be healthy and access culturally safe services that meet their needs. 

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Allied health

Our allied health professionals provide specialised support to patients. Opportunities are available in a diverse number of fields including physiotherapy, pharmacy, radiology, allied health assistants, occupational therapy, psychology, diversional therapy, art therapy and rehabilitation.

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Health professional with an inmate

Drug and alcohol

Our drug and alcohol staff offer assistance and support for patients dealing with substance use problems. We provide treatment and support for people experiencing problems related to various substances. This involves health promotional activities, pharmacotherapy treatment, specialist court diversion programs, and many more.

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mental health team group shot

Mental health

Our custodial and forensic mental health clinicians have an opportunity to provide crisis service, clinical management, and psychiatry services for people with acute or serious mental health conditions. We conduct various assessments and treatments and work closely with multidisciplinary teams to address risk and support patients on their recovery journey.

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Medical

Our visiting medical officers deliver general and specialised medical services in the correctional centre environment. They work collaboratively with the nursing unit manager as part of a multi-disciplinary team. This includes general practitioners, drug and alcohol, psychiatry and oral health staff.

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Nursing

Nurses working in custodial health and forensic mental health are responsible for the day to day health care requirements of patients within NSW correctional centres and police cells. We have various positions in different clinical streams such as chronic care, primary care, drug and alcohol, population health, cancer care, mental health, and many more.

Our facilities

We provide health care to over 30,000 patients each year in over 100 community, inpatient, and custodial settings throughout NSW, including urban, rural, and regional areas.
 

Forensic hospital building

About us

Find out more about Justice Health NSW. Read our story, meet our leadership team and explore our organisational vision, values, strategic priorities and publications.

 

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Contact Justice Health NSW Recruitment

More options to contact us.

Email: JHFMHN-Talent@health.nsw.gov.au

Post: PO Box 150, Matraville NSW 2036

Phone:(02) 9700 3000

Follow Justice Health NSW

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