Job overview

• The Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Surveillance Nurse plays a key role in supporting the Trust's commitment to preventing and reducing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and achieving zero tolerance to avoidable infections. Working as part of the Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT), the post holder will provide expert advice, education, and visible leadership across clinical and non-clinical areas to promote best practice in the prevention of surgical site infections.
• This role involves clinical review, surveillance, audit, and staff education, with a particular focus on SSI surveillance across the neurosurgical specialties. The post holder will be responsible for collecting, analysing, and presenting SSI data, conducting patient follow-ups, and producing regular reports to inform service improvement and enhance patient safety and surgical outcomes. Acting as a key link between the IPCT, surgical teams, and other stakeholders, the post holder will ensure timely escalation of concerns, contribute to post-infection reviews, and support the implementation of action plans to reduce infection risks. They will actively participate in Trust-wide IPC audits and initiatives, helping to embed a culture of continuous improvement and high standards of infection prevention across the organisation.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties and Responsibilities

•  To undertake SSI Surveillance (SSIS) for neurosurgery and to ensure data is validated.  
• To work autonomously managing a case load of defined group of patients ensuring close surveillance is undertaken to identify wound infections and determine incidence and prevalence of infections.
• To promote a patient focused approach to care ensuring high standards of surgical care are followed and in collaboration with all relevant health professionals. 
•  To act as an advisor who select and initiate appropriate action to enable all grades and disciplines of staff to prevent SSI.
• To use wound analysis using clinical guidelines to assess surgical patients to identify signs of infection.
•  Collaborate, direct, support and advise (as required) staff on the prevention and management of patients who have developed an SSI.
•  Oversee and participate in SSI data validation.
•  Oversee and participate in telephone, ward and provide/undertake post discharge follow up surveillance.
• To provide information to patients and their carers as required where a need has been identified in relation to infection surveillance.
• To provide specialist input in the identification, prevention and monitoring of SSI.
•    To ensure practice is evidence based and is in line with local and national policies and procedures.
• To provide comprehensive patient information & patient timelines to the IPC data analyst for the provision of a robust surgical site surveillance programme.  

Working for our organisation

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in Southeast London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.

 King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

 The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King’s to another level