Clinical Nursing Associate / Assistant Practitioner - Neonatal

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Southampton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Clinical Nursing Associate / Assistant Practitioner for Neonatal Transitional Care and Special Care.

You will join the Transitional Care Unit and Woodland Ward, a nurse-led unit caring for sick and preterm babies. The role requires flexibility, including night shifts, and a commitment to family-centred care within a large teaching NHS Trust.

Qualifications

• NMC Nursing Associate status or Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care
• Experience in a multi-disciplinary team with family-centred care
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate care for babies and families
• Support family-integrated care and involve parents in ward rounds
• Work under supervision of midwife/nurse and with MDT to provide education and practical support
• Support feeding progression in coordination with infant feeding and SLT teams

Education

NMC Nursing Associate

Assistant Practitioner (Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care)

Job description

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Job Title: Clinical Nursing Associate / Assistant Practitioner - Neonatal Transitional Care and Special Care

Contract Type: Permanent

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team to work across our Transitional Care Unit, and our new 'Woodland Ward' Special Care Baby Unit. We are looking for people who are dedicated to delivering high quality, family-centred care, and who strive to make a difference to babies and their families.

You will be working in both the Transitional Care Unit alongside the midwife, and Woodland Ward - a purpose built, nurse-led unit caring for sick and preterm babies which opened in October 2024.

Our New Woodland Ward Has

• 16 cots, including 4 family integrated care rooms
• A welcoming, caring and safe environment for all
• An ethos of patients and families come first; Family are at the heart of what we do
• Space for a parent to stay with their baby 24 hours a day, encouraging unrestricted access
• Family-Integrated Care where we can provide guidance, and advice to parents in a friendly and supportive environment enabling them to care for their baby. This helps them to develop close and loving relationships with their baby and values parents as partners in their care.

Applicants must be able to work a full range of shifts including nights.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

You will be a NMC registered Nursing Associate or an Assistant Practitioner with a health related foundation degree. You must have experience working within a multi-disciplinary team with a passion for family centred care.

Under the supervision of a registered midwife/nurse, and together with the Multidisciplinary Team, you will be responsible for the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of care of babies and their families, supporting the ethos of family-integrated care. You must have good communication and problem solving skills, with the ability to work autonomously as well as within the wider team.

We actively support and promote effective communication with parents during admission through their participation in ward rounds, providing continuity and consistency. You will work alongside Nurses and Allied Health Professionals to provide parent‑craft, education and practical support with empathy, kindness and understanding, empowering them to care for their baby independently. Feeding progression is supported in conjunction with the Infant feeding team and speech and language team. We actively promote and support breastfeeding but also support other parent feeding choices Parents are supported to confidently care for their baby to facilitate a safe and timely discharge and transition to community services.

Person specification

Trust Values

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Nursing Associate on the NMC register
• OR Assistant Practitioner with a health-related Foundation Degree e.g. Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care.
• Passionate about caring for families and their babies
• Evidence of numeracy and literacy – minimum national qualification level 2
• Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.
• Knowledge of nursing procedures and practices in an acute hospital setting

Desirable criteria

• Assessed as competent to administer medications
• Acute apprenticeship units as appropriate to UHS Care Group/Divisional requirements
• Experience of working with newborn babies/children
• Extended clinical skills e.g. venesection/cannulation