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Job summary

Main area
Emergency Department
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week (Full 24hr shift pattern including nights & weekends)
Job ref
216-LH-DC7767144
Employer
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Emergency Department, Derriford Hospital
Town
Plymouth
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 £38,682 - £46,580 Per Annum, Pro Rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/03/2026 23:59

Employer heading

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust logo

Junior Sister/Charge Nurse

NHS AfC: Band 6

Job overview

Are you passionate about Emergency Care? Do you want to work in a Major Trauma Centre nestled between Dartmoor National Park and the sea? If that's you, I'd love to hear from you!

We are looking for experienced ED nurses to join our Band 6 team at Derriford Hospital, UHP NHS Trust.

We are the Major Trauma Centre for the South West Peninsula. 130,000 patients come through our doors yearly, 25,000 of these are children & 700 are major trauma patients. The very distinctive Air Ambulance can be seen flying in & out of Derriford a few times a day, bringing people from all across the region to be treated.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

  • To work effectively as a member of the ED Senior Nursing Team, responding with vision and innovation to the demands upon emergency services.
  • To provide clinical and managerial expertise in all aspects of emergency care, ensuring patients and their families/carers receive the highest possible standard of care.
  • To be the Nurse in Charge of the Department, under guidance of the Band 7 on shift. 
  • To co-ordinate each area of the department including triage, minors, majors and resus, promoting safety and quality in all aspects of patient care. 
  • To assist and manage the flow of patients throughout the department. 
  • To have knowledge and understanding of government targets/ quality indicators and actively strive toward achieving them and disseminate this knowledge to junior staff.
  • Responsible for ensuring a plan of nursing care is developed for individual patients for their time in the emergency department and continuity of care is maintained throughout the patient journey.
  • Acts as patient advocate, when relevant, providing information and education on all their treatment options, to enable them to make an informed decision.
  • Negotiate with medical team on their behalf to agree a pathway of care which is suitable for the patient, their family, their condition and prognosis.
  • Work with and support junior staff on duty and as part of the management team including undertaking appraisals. 

 

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical practice 

       Responsible for accurate assessment of new patients in the clinical area, identifying their physiological, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs in relation to their disease, injury, illness and proposed treatment.

       Ensures patients are treated according to their priority of need for care, according to the correct treatment protocol/guidelines and that the appropriate investigations and treatments are undertaken as required.

       Responsible for ensuring a plan of nursing care is developed for individual patients for their time in the emergency department and continuity of care is maintained throughout the patient journey.

       Acts as patient advocate, when relevant, providing information and education on all their treatment options, to enable them to make an informed decision. 

       Negotiate with medical team on their behalf to agree a pathway of care which is suitable for the patient, their family, their condition, and prognosis.

       Communicates highly sensitive and emotive condition related information to patients and their relatives, e.g., terminal illness, sudden death. 

  •            Provides support for distressed patients/carers and bereaved                       relatives
  •                    Formulates and organises individualised patient care               programmes in conjunction with medical/nursing team/allied  professionals.

         Independently changes management of nursing care.

  • Provides specialised advice, both verbal and written to patients and their carers

For further details please see the attach JD & PS 

Person specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant demonstrable experience of skills in all areas of the Emergency Department.
  • Current proven knowledge of nursing and emergency care issues, NHS reforms and NSF’s
  • Demonstrable experience of change management.
Desirable criteria
  • Proven evidence of competency by means of a professional portfolio.
  • Competence fulfils FHEN/ RCN outline as Emergency Nurse (Band 5)

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NMC Registered
  • Proven evidence of continued recent academic and clinical development Intravenous accreditation.
  • Mentorship/ Assessor/ Supervisor course/qualification
Desirable criteria
  • ALS
  • APLS/PILS

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels.
  • Teaching and mentoring skills.
  • Ability to prioritise own workload.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Disability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sarah-Jane Welch
Job title
Unit Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01752 437659
Additional information

Sarah Welch

Ward Manager

01752 437634