Bladder and Bowel Nurse

Gateshead Health; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is inviting applications for a Registered Adult Nurse in the Bladder and Bowel Service based at Bensham Hospital. The role involves delivering high-quality continence assessments and treatment, in line with NICE guidelines, across Gateshead with a strong emphasis on patient-centred care.

Working Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm, you will contribute to education, support for staff, and development of care pathways while maintaining excellent patient safety and

Qualifications

• Registered Adult Nurse with Diploma or Degree in Adult Nursing.
• Current NMC registration.
• Commitment to CPD and specialist continence training.
• Strong IT and digital literacy.
• Interest in continence promotion and bladder/bowel management.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Willingness to travel around Gateshead.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive continence assessments and provide evidence-based advice and treatment.
• Deliver care in homes, residential/nursing homes, clinics, and via telephone.
• Assess requests for continence products and determine appropriate products.
• Deliver education and training to care home staff on continence promotion and management.
• Support TWOC procedures and catheter removal when appropriate.
• Participate in review/management of complex catheter-related needs.

Skills

NMC Registered

Adult Nursing

Continence care

IT literacy

Communication skills

Teamworking

Mobility/Travel

Education

Nursing degree or diploma

Job description

We are delighted to offer an exciting permanent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Bladder and Bowel Service. We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Registered Adult Nurse with an interest in continence care and improving patient outcomes to become part of our specialist team.

Based at Bensham Hospital, the Bladder and Bowel Service is a small, specialist team providing care and support across the Gateshead area. The service operates Monday to Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm, offering an excellent work-life balance.

The purpose of this Band 5 role is to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for patients experiencing bladder and bowel problems by delivering high-quality continence assessments and treatment in line with NICE guidelines.

This is an excellent opportunity for a nurse who is passionate about delivering person-centred care, developing specialist knowledge, and making a real difference to patients' health, wellbeing, and independence.

Main duties of the job

As a valued member of the Bladder and Bowel Service, you will work collaboratively with colleagues, patients, carers, and partner organisations to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care and achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and their families.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating individualised care plans to meet the needs of patients with bladder and bowel conditions.
• Delivering hands-on clinical care to patients registered with a Gateshead GP in a range of community settings.
• Supporting and contributing to innovative models of care to improve patient pathways and experiences.
• Promoting and maintaining a culture of patient safety by ensuring effective systems, processes, and clinical practices are in place.
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of a positive learning environment
• Encouraging health promotion, self-management, and informed patient choice
• Supporting the continuous improvement of clinical practice
• Working collaboratively with colleagues
• Facilitating safe, efficient, and effective patient pathways, ensuring timely access to assessment and treatment
• Assisting in the education, supervision, and development of new staff members andstudents

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities

Working closely with our experienced specialist nurses, the successful candidate will contribute to a wide range of clinical activities, including:

• Undertaking comprehensive continence assessments and providing evidence-based advice and treatment for bladder and bowel conditions.
• Delivering care in a variety of settings, including patients' homes, residential and nursing care homes, face-to-face clinics, and telephone consultations.
• Assessing requests for continence products from residential and nursing homes and determining the most appropriate products to meet individual patient needs.
• Delivering education and training sessions for care home staff, covering continence promotion, assessment, and management.
• Undertaking Trial Without Catheter (TWOC) procedures and supporting patients discharged from hospital with catheters in situ, facilitating safe catheter removal where appropriate.
• Participating in the review and management of patients with complex catheter-related needs, with the aim of reducing complications such as recurrent catheter blockages and catheter-associated issues.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate the following:

• Registered Adult Nurse with a Diploma or Degree in Nursing.
• Current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) and a commitment to undertaking further specialist training to support safe, effective, and evidence-based practice.
• Strong IT and digital literacy skills.
• A genuine interest in continence promotion and the assessment and management of bladder and bowel dysfunction.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills.
• A commitment to demonstrating and upholding the values and behaviours of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.
• Access to a vehicle and the ability to travel independently throughout Gateshead to meet service requirements.

Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates who can demonstrate:

• Experience of working within community healthcare services.
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledge and experience in continence care, bladder and bowel services, urology, or colorectal nursing.
• Leadership or management experience, either formal or informal.
• Experience of caring for frail older people and those with complex healthcare needs.
• Involvement in service development, quality improvement initiatives, and change management projects.
• Experience of supporting or participating in clinical audit activities.
• Experience of clinical supervision, mentorship, or staff development.
• Excellent team-working skills with the ability to build effective professional relationships.
• A flexible and adaptable approach to service delivery and changing service needs.
• Evidence of proactive collaboration across professional and organisational boundaries to improve patient care.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to positively influence practice.
• Completion of the Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor programme.

This role would suit an enthusiastic nurse who is passionate about delivering high-quality patient care, developing specialist expertise, and contributing to the ongoing improvement of bladder and bowel services across Gateshead.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NMC Registered Nurse and Degree/diploma in Adult Nursing

Experience

• Experience of working in an NHS provider Service as part of a team
• Experience of working in Bladder and Bowel Service, Continence Service, Gynaecology, Colorectal or Urology

Experience

• 2 years post NMC registration experience
• Experience of working with patients to support continence

Skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.