Critical Care Sister / Charge Nurse

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Swindon; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Swindon is seeking a Critical Care Sister / Charge Nurse to lead the Critical Care Unit. This role requires strong leadership skills and clinical expertise in managing critically ill patients. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in intensive care, excellent communication abilities, and a dedication to developing staff. Attractive salary range from £38,682 to £46,580 annually, subject to qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and management experience in critical care.
• In-depth experience in a General Intensive Care unit.
• Knowledge and experience of managing resources (people and materials).

Responsibilities

• Co-ordinate the safe delivery of care to critically ill patients.
• Support staff to develop essential clinical skills and expertise.
• Ensure patient needs are met and evaluated using evidence-based practice.

Skills

Leadership ability

Ability to motivate others

Clinical expertise

Education

Intensive Care Course or equivalent

Teaching and Assessing qualification

Immediate Life Support

Advanced life support

Job description

Go back Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Critical Care Sister / Charge Nurse

The closing date is 24 September 2025

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, experienced, motivated nurse to develop leadership and management skills.

As a senior member of the Critical care unit team you will be required to co-ordinate the safe delivery of care, daily, to critically ill patients.

The CCU Band 6 sister will be a role model who acts as a clinical expert practitioner providing specialist knowledge and advises nurses, medical staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team working within the critical area. As a 24-hour service provider the post holder is expected to work autonomously, coordinating and managing a defined clinical area without direct supervision ensuring the safe delivery of specialist treatment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have overall accountability and responsibility for the clinical area when in charge of a shift.

You will have a specific interest in clinical practice development and in collaboration with the Clinical Educators; you will support staff to develop essential clinical skills and expertise within the intensive care unit.

You will ensure that fundamental needs for individual patients are met and that care is evaluated using evidenced based practice. Participate in operational and strategic development for the clinical area by attending unit and Trust wide meetings and act as a representative of CCU throughout the Trust in Trust champion roles.

Recognise the deteriorating patient and take the lead in the absence of the medical practitioner to ensure appropriate treatment and intervention is undertaken to stabilise the deteriorating patient until medical help is available.

About us

Our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.

Job responsibilities

• Use advanced communication skills to impart sensitive, complex and potentially distressing information to patients and carers providing emotional support, advice and information as appropriate. To provide support and expertise to colleagues when dealing with highly emotional or distressing clinical situations.
• In partnership with other senior grades, produce, contribute and comment on relevant policies and guidelines and implement them into our own area.
• Undertake/supervise specific projects/audits related to the professional development of nursing and the care of CCU patients. Assist in the collection of data required for local and national audit.
• Work in conjunction with external management teams to ensure that all emergency and elective patients are admitted in a timely manner, based on clinical priority so that treatment is commenced promptly. To be responsible for actively managing patient flow within CCU, resolving short-term resource conflicts as they arise.
• Review and update the live e-roster, allocation and skill mix on a daily basis and make appropriate changes to maintain adequate skill mix and unit cover.

Please see the attached job description for full information.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Intensive Care Course or equivalent
• Teaching and Assessing qualification / Mentors & Assessors course
• Immediate Life Support
• Paediatric Life Support
• Management of the critically ill child course or equivalent experience
• Leadership ability, organised, self-motivated, able to motivate others, innovative and the ability to manage change
• Management Training
• Advanced life support

Experience

• In depth experience in a General Intensive Care unit.
• Clinical expertise e.g. invasive monitoring and haemofiltration, management of critically ill child.
• Experience of being the Nurse in Charge and management of a shift on a regular basis on CCU
• Knowledge and experience of managing resources i.e., people and materials.
• Experience or sound knowledge of human resources e.g. sickness, appraisal.
• Demonstrated ability to support colleagues.
• Completion of the unit "Management Development Programme"
• Experience in writing protocols, guidelines, policies, clinical competencies
• Proven leadership and management experience in critical care

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.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum pro rata