Deputy Director of Nursing - Critical Care

Integrated Care System; Bristol; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Bristol is seeking a Deputy Director of Nursing for Critical Care. This role involves overseeing critical care units, driving service development, and ensuring high-quality care for patients. Candidates should have extensive experience in critical care, leadership skills, and a relevant health-related degree. Join us and make a significant impact on patient care in a supportive healthcare environment.

Benefits

Opportunities for professional growth

Supportive working environment

Impactful role in patient care

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of critical care services.
• Proven leadership and management experience.
• Experience with change projects and clinical delivery.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all adult critical care units and promote quality care.
• Lead service development projects and improve patient outcomes.
• Act as Director of Nursing in their absence.

Skills

Verbal communication

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Education

Health related higher degree (MSc/MA)

Current professional registration

Teaching qualification

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Deputy Director of Nursing - Critical Care

The closing date is 13 August 2025

Are you a dynamic critical care nurse ready to advance your career? Join UHBW as Deputy Director of Nursing (DDoN) for Critical Care and help shape the future of high-acuity care. Critical care at UHBW includes a 4-bed ICU at Weston General Hospital, a 32-bed general ICU at Bristol Royal Infirmary, and a 23-bed cardiac ICU at Bristol Heart Institute. As DDoN, you'll oversee all adult critical care units, driving service development, continuous improvement, and innovation. You'll use your clinical and leadership expertise to champion quality care across the Trust, network, region, and beyond. Working closely with the Director of Nursing, you'll be part of the divisional leadership team with line management and professional accountability for critical care matrons and acute pain lead nurses. You'll inspire excellence in patient care, lead diverse teams, and craft a clear, ambitious vision for the service. A deep understanding of critical care and its systems is essential for meaningful engagement with staff, patients, and families.

Main duties of the job

As a lead clinician, the post holder will work across Critical care UHBW (Bristol and Weston sites), to strengthen the input into improving clinical care and outcomes for critical care patients in a variety of clinical settings. The post holder will support the Director of Nursing, in ensuring that patients receive high quality, compassionate patient centred care within the resources available within critical care services. Working closely with the Clinical Director, Assistant General Manager and Deputy Divisional Director for Critical Care Services, the post holder will support and, where appropriate, lead service development. The post holder will lead cross divisional projects that enhance both patient and staff experience. They will provide clinical expertise and be a health educator, teacher and resource for multi-disciplinary teams. They will work across organisation and professional boundaries to bring about improvements in care and treatment outcomes. The post holder will line manage the Critical Care Matrons for General Intensive Care at Bristol, Intensive Care Unit Matron for Weston ICU, and Acute Pain Lead Nurses at Bristol and Weston, with professional leadership for the Cardiac Intensive Care Matron.

The post holder will act as the Director of Nursing in the absence of the Director of Nursing and will support in ensuring that patients receive high quality, compassionate patient centred care within the resources available.

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

In addition to the leadership role in the specialist area, the clinical lead will support and work with the Divisional Management Team and Chief Nurse team, focusing on the corporate strategic professional agenda. This may involve working on corporate professional issues and will involve acting as a clinical expert and senior role model. Depending upon experience and interests, it is anticipated that the post holder will spend part of the week working directly with clinical teams in a critical care services patient facing role.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive knowledge and experience of caring for critical care services patients in a variety of settings
• Extensive leadership and clinical operational management experience within a complex service provider organisation
• Experience of managing/supporting major change projects and of delivering clinical services operationally during periods of change
• Demonstrable understanding of quality and risk management
• Familiar with relevant clinical guidelines (e.g. NICE, National/international professional bodies)
• Experience of developing business cases

Skills and Abilities

• Expert verbal and written communication skills - individual, departmental and multidisciplinary levels
• Able to build rapport and clinical credibility with senior clinical and management teams
• Excellent team, interpersonal, leadership and organisational skills
• Able to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create conditions for successful partnership working
• Demonstrable evidence of problem solving, strategic leadership and decision-making skills
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team as required
• Confident, assertive and self-aware
• Able to inspire and motivate colleagues
• Strong report writing and presentation skills

Qualifications and Training

• Current professional registration
• Health related higher degree (MSc/MA) or working towards
• Evidence of advanced specialist education in relevant field
• Teaching qualification

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 Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)