Registered Nurse (Emergency Department) in Parkes

Western NSW Local Health District – Parkes NSW

Employment Type: Various, Permanent/Temporary - Full Time/Part Time (Job share may be considered)

Position Classification: Registered Nurse

Remuneration: $81,748.17 – $114,771.98 pa (+ superannuation + salary packaging options are available) + NSW Health Incentives (conditions apply, may be pro-rata'd to your contracted or ordinary working hours).

Location: Parkes NSW

Hours per Week: 38

Applications close: 2 November 2026 – 11:59pm

About the role:

Broaden your clinical range. Deepen your acute-care confidence. Build a platform for senior practice. If hands-on acute care is your style, Parkes ED gives you the environment to become a highly capable rural emergency nurse — varied presentations, genuine acuity, a spacious modern resuscitation area, onsite medical support around the clock, and development pathways that can turn experience into career.

This is an Emergency Department for nurses who want to keep sharpening their clinical judgement. You will see a broad mix of presentations and work in a regional hospital where clinical versatility counts. Rural emergency nursing asks you to think broadly, respond calmly and understand the wider clinical picture. At Parkes, you have the infrastructure and professional backing to build that capability with confidence.

Parkes Hospital opened in 2015, creating a modern regional health service with contemporary clinical spaces and equipment. The ED includes five treatment beds plus a spacious resuscitation bay, within a hospital with a 27-bed inpatient facility. The department is bright, open and visually impressive for a regional hospital of its size.

When a patient deteriorates and the team needs to move quickly, the resus area gives clinicians room to assess, escalate, communicate and deliver care efficiently when every movement counts. For metropolitan nurses considering a regional move, one detail matters enormously: Parkes has onsite medical support 24 hours a day across the ED and ward. You can embrace the breadth and autonomy of rural emergency nursing without stepping away from direct medical backup.

When presentations become complex or acuity escalates, the doctor is onsite. That gives you the reassurance to make the move and the clinical environment to keep extending your practice. Parkes Health Service also has the infrastructure to support acute care, including medical imaging with CT, ultrasound and X-ray, pathology with point-of-care testing, an onsite helipad and after-hours emergency surgical cover.

The wider service includes inpatient care, maternity, chemotherapy, surgery, ambulatory care, rehabilitation and palliative care, giving the ED an important role within a well-connected regional hospital.

The professional opportunity extends beyond the next shift. Parkes has clinical nurse educators working across the ED and inpatient unit, with education embedded into the service rather than treated as an optional extra. Nurses are supported to build the evidence and experience required for progression, including opportunities to work toward personal regrading to Clinical Nurse Specialist Grade 1.

There are also pathways into education, quality improvement, research and leadership. CNS nurses can gain relieving management experience, and nurses interested in taking on greater responsibility can develop the skills required to coordinate care, contribute to service improvement and step into more senior roles over time.

The team values communication, teamwork and flexibility. Patient advocacy is central to the way the department operates: recognising what a patient needs, speaking up when it matters and making sure the person behind the presentation does not get lost in the pace of an ED shift.

The practical details are good too. Parkes Hospital offers free onsite parking and a cafe, while inpatient rooms provide a contemporary environment with their own bathrooms and televisions. These details add up to a health service designed to work well for patients, families and staff.

A regional lifestyle with room to move. Parkes is a thriving Central West town with the services and opportunities of a regional centre, while still offering the ease, affordability and connection that make a country move worthwhile. It is home to around 12,000 people and has a diverse local economy supported by mining, government, agriculture and scientific employers.

For families, there are schools, sport, community groups and the space to build a life outside work. For clinicians moving from a metropolitan area, Parkes offers something increasingly difficult to find: professional momentum without the long commute, expensive parking and constant pressure of city living.

With a median house price around $470,000, Parkes remains an achievable option for nurses who want more space, greater affordability and a regional lifestyle without stepping away from meaningful clinical work.

Relocation support may also be available through the NSW Government’s Welcome Experience, a free service helping eligible essential workers and their families settle into regional NSW. Local Connectors can assist with practical support such as housing, childcare, partner employment and community connections.

If you want a regional ED role that builds real acute-care capability, gives you direct onsite medical support, and opens a practical pathway into senior clinical practice, Parkes is ready for you. Challenge yourself. Make an impact. Shape the future. Join us!

A career with Western NSW means you can challenge yourself, make an impact and shape the future of rural health.

To explore the benefits of a career in our Local Health District, visit the WNSWLHD website.

Helping you move to Western NSW: The Welcome Experience is a free NSW Government service supporting workers (and their families) who have accepted a job with Western NSW LHD in most locations. The service helps with housing, schooling, partner work and community connections.

Role-related enquiries: Please contact Erin Warren for more information.

Additional information for applicants: All suitably qualified Aboriginal people are encouraged to apply for this position. This is a targeted position under GSE Rule 26. Where possible, affirmative action will be applied to support employment of eligible people.

This recruitment may be used to create an Eligibility List for similar roles in the future. Western NSW LHD can provide reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Western NSW LHD is committed to the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care. All staff in WNSWLHD are required to provide a safe and supportive environment for children, while working to protect them from harm and abuse.

Western NSW is committed to creating a safe and accessible workplace that promotes diversity, inclusion and belonging. As a vibrant and diverse region, rich in community and culture, we welcome applications from all people to build a respectful workplace dedicated to delivering the best health outcomes for our community.