Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist Nurse | Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in England is seeking a skilled professional to join their Cardiac Rehabilitation Service. You'll play a vital role in supporting patients recovering from major cardiac events. Responsibilities include delivering assessments, providing education, and conducting functional tests in a multifaceted care environment. This is a fixed-term contract until October 2026, offering diverse experience and the opportunity to collaborate with a dedicated team.

Benefits

Access to high-quality training and development

Inclusive recruitment practices

Qualifications

• Experience in cardiac rehabilitation and patient assessment.
• Ability to deliver education and support to patients and carers.
• Strong communication skills for individual and group settings.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality care for patients referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service.
• Provide expertise within the nurse-led Cardiac Rehabilitation assessment clinics.
• Conduct functional assessments and monitor patient progress.

Job description

This is a truly exciting opportunity to join our NACR Green accredited Cardiac Rehabilitation Service on a fixed‑term contract (December 2025 – October 2026) to cover maternity leave.

As part of our dedicated team, you’ll play a vital role in helping patients and their families rebuild confidence and quality of life after major cardiac events. Your expertise will guide individuals recovering from myocardial infarction, angina post PCI, post‑cardiac surgery, and heart failure, supporting them through Phases I to III of Cardiac Rehabilitation.

You will deliver specialist advice and education to patients, carers, and relatives, while leading rehabilitation across multiple formats including face‑to‑face programmes, telephone‑led home‑based support, and virtual programmes that make care more accessible. Alongside this, you will work closely with our Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologists to conduct functional assessments both before and after rehab, ensuring patients achieve safe and measurable progress.

Joining us means becoming part of a nationally accredited, forward‑thinking service where you can make a tangible difference in patients’ recovery journeys, gain diverse experience across in‑person, remote, and digital healthcare delivery, and collaborate with a passionate multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the delivery of professional, competent and high‑quality care for patients referred to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service.
• Ensure an approach to care which recognises the unique needs and views of individual patients and their carers, placing the patient at the centre of all activities.
• Provide expertise within the nurse‑led Cardiac Rehabilitation assessment clinics and on the Cardiac Rehabilitation programme.
• Deliver a Phase 2 initial assessment in conjunction with one of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologists prior to an appropriate Phase 3 programme which may include a home‑based exercise programme with individualised exercise recommendations and DVD/video explanation.
• Deliver, assess, plan and audit the Phase 3 home exercise programme (in conjunction with the Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologists) with subsequent regular monitoring via telephone and/or face‑to‑face contact.
• Assist the Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologists with functional testing using the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, 6‑minute Walk Test and Cycle Ergometer Test.
• Advise, support, educate and counsel patients, their relatives and carers both in person, on the telephone and in a group setting.
• Set agreed standards to enhance patient care, develop clinical practice to meet changing patient and service needs, ensuring evidence‑based practice is in place.
• Review referrals to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service and signpost them to whichever programme best meets their needs while maintaining safety.
• Conduct ward visits.

About the Trust

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics‑led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high‑performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high‑quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience – we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trust’s core values. We achieve this by using values‑based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when a sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering the first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

The advert closes on Monday 1 Dec 2025.