Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS teaching trust is seeking a Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse to coordinate shifts and maintain safe care. This role involves leadership responsibilities, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring best clinical practice. Applicants must be a Registered Children Nurse with at least 3 years of acute care experience and a commitment to professional development. Join an organization dedicated to compassionate excellence in healthcare.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years acute care registered nurse experience.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Past experience of working in a children’s hospital.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate shifts and maintain safe clinical practice.
• Lead and manage the ward team.
• Act as role model for junior staff.

Skills

Leadership and management

Clinical skills

Communication skills

Mentorship

Education

Registered Children Nurse

Postgraduate qualification relevant to practice

Job description

Overview

Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse involves coordinating shifts, maintaining safe care and clinical practice, and considering skill mix on every shift. It provides an opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain a broader understanding of management. As Deputy Sister, you are expected to demonstrate and promote best clinical practice at ward level, maintain professional standards, and support decision making. In addition to the clinical role, the position includes leadership and management responsibilities such as managing the ward team, appraisals, mentorship, education, and development needs. We are looking for someone with the right qualification, experience, and expertise. Full-time and part-time hours will be considered.

Supported by the Ward Sister, you will deputise in their absence alongside other members of the Senior Nursing team. You will be a self-motivated and enthusiastic individual with excellent clinical and communication skills, with the ability to lead and motivate others. You will enjoy teaching and supporting junior staff as well as pre- and post-registration students.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate shifts while maintaining safe care and clinical practice and consider skill mix on each shift.
• Promote best clinical practice at ward level and uphold the standard of professional practice and decision making.
• Lead and manage the ward team, including appraisal, mentorship, education, and development needs.
• Act as a role model and deputise for the Ward Sister in their absence, collaborating with the Senior Nursing team.
• Demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm, with excellent clinical and communication skills, and the ability to lead, teach, and support junior staff and students (pre- and post-registration).

Qualifications and experience

• Registered Children Nurse (UK recognised qualification).
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Past experience of working in a children’s hospital.
• Minimum of 3 years acute care registered nurse experience or evidence of ongoing professional development (e.g., HDU course, Neurosciences Course).
• Desirable: postgraduate qualification relevant to an area of practice.
• Desirable: ability to manage and run the ward within the boundaries of the role through effective communication and initiatives.
• Desirable: ability to supervise registered and non-registered staff.
• Desirable: ability to lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, protocols, and guidelines relevant to area of practice.
• Desirable: previous experience of managing clinical incidents and complaints.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

About Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here: www.ouh.nhs.uk. The Trust comprises four hospitals — the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. You can watch how we deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.