Job overview

Are you a compassionate and experienced Nurse ready to take the next step in your career? Join Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust as a Band 6 Charge Nurse in one of our Community Hospitals. You’ll play a vital role in delivering high-quality, holistic care to patients, while leading and supporting a dedicated team of healthcare professionals. Working under the direction of the Matron, you’ll take charge of the ward and hospital in their absence, represent the team at Trust forums, and contribute to service development.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment that values kindness, professionalism, and excellence. If you’re passionate about making a difference and ready to lead with care, we’d love to hear from you.

We have opportunities at the following locations,

•  Faversham Cottage Hospital, ME13 8PS
• Hawkhurst Community Hospital, TN18 4PU
• Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Herne Bay, CT6 6EB
• Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, TN11 0NE
• Victoria Hospital, Deal, CT14 9UA
• West View Hospital, Tenterden TN30 6TX
• Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital, CT5 2HN 

You will be asked as part of your application form to confirm your preference of base, please include your 1st, 2nd and 3rd preferences. 

Driving may be required for these roles as you may be asked to travel to other sites to provide support to your community hospital colleagues if and when needed.

Main duties of the job

As Charge Nurse, you’ll be responsible for the clinical and managerial leadership of a team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and compassionate care. You’ll manage patient assessments, develop rehabilitation programmes, and monitor outcomes. You’ll also support staff development through supervision, appraisals, and in-house teaching.

You’ll work closely with the Matron to maintain high standards of care, manage resources efficiently, and ensure compliance with governance and safety protocols. Your role will involve attending multidisciplinary meetings, liaising with internal and external partners, and responding to patient and family concerns. You’ll also contribute to service improvement initiatives and uphold the Trust’s CARE values—Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive, and Excellent—in everything you do.

Working for our organisation

Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent

We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences

We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn’t visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission

The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both

See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways