Critical Care Band 5 Nurse

NHS; Brighton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

An opportunity to join the critical care team at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. The position involves caring for critically unwell patients in a busy unit, facilitating professional development through structured support and training. Applicants should have NMC Registration and over a year of acute experience.

Benefits

In-house training and study days

Supportive professional development programs

Flexible working options for staff wellbeing

Qualifications

• More than a year of acute care experience is required.
• Registration with the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) must already be in place.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with tact.

Responsibilities

• Provide care for critically unwell patients.
• Participate in multidisciplinary communication and handovers.
• Support families through complex medical discussions.

Skills

Acute care experience

Effective communication

Empathy

Education

NMC Registration

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Critical Care Band 5 Nurse

The closing date is 01 July 2025

We have an exciting opportunity to join the critical care team in Brighton. The intensive care unit is based in the new part of the hospital and has excellent facilities for staff and patients. We are a very busy unit and you will gain experience in trauma, neuro surgery, cardiac and general intensive care. We currently have 31 beds open within a 55 bedded unit, so there is room for expansion.

Our sister hospital in Haywards Heath has a smaller unit and there will be times when you will be rotated to this site.

We are looking for someone who has more than a year of acute experience to join our friendly and diverse team.

Main duties of the job

You will be part of the critical care team and will be looking after critically unwell patients. The unit is a tertiary trauma centre and patients from the around the region are moved to Brighton for specialist treatment.

Your role will involve becoming proficient in critical care nursing and you will be expected to study outside of work in order to achieve your competencies within the national frame work.

We will support this professional development with a number of in house study days, a neuro and trauma course, the university based critical care course and a number of 1:1 coaching shifts with a practice educator.

You will be expected to adhere to our local guidelines and policies and join in with the unit safety and governance.

About us

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Candidate Information Pack :

Job responsibilities

• Participate in ensuring effective multidisciplinary communication links both upwards and downwards within Critical Care and the rest of the Trust. This involves all staff members, relatives and patients.Adhere to NMC guidelines on documentation; accountability and responsibility for accurate, professional record keeping either on paper and/ or the electronic system.
• Display competent use of; Trust e-mail, CIS message centre (where applicable), visitors intercom system, and telephone.
• Responsible for effective shift handovers ensuring relevant detail is communicated and identifies and challenges any unprofessional or subjective comments made about patients.
• Participate in medical ward rounds showing a thorough knowledge of the patients medical history, current condition and recent clinical events. Ability to present this concisely, at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate manner.
• Involvement in complex patient case conferences when discussing future treatments for patients which could involve withdrawal of treatment in situations of poor prognosis.
• Participate in mortality and morbidity meetings (where appropriate).Support families on a 1:1 basis using knowledge, experience and skill to explain complicated medical conditions. Provide adequate and appropriate information and education, whilst ensuring this information is understood.
• Provide and receive highly complex information on clinical conditions, which could be sensitive and occasionally contentious. Information given to patients and relatives could involve breaking bad news and may result in conflict with relatives understanding of the critically ill patient. E.g. communicating withdrawal of treatment, deterioration in condition, or sudden death. This must be done with great tact and skill.
• Ability to guide relatives through withdrawal of treatment, tissue / organ donation in conjunction with relevant personnel e.g. Trust Donation Nurse Specialist, Transplant Co-ordinator, Trust personnel available for distressed / bereaved relatives.
• Recognition of poor standards of care among MDT. Ability to highlight these to appropriate personnel, at an appropriate time, and in an appropriate manner.

Person Specification

Interview

• NMC Registration (already in place)

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

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.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)