Deputy Ward Sister / Charge Nurse

NUH; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) are seeking a Neonatal Deputy Ward Sister/Charge Nurse to lead a state‑of‑the‑art NICU across QMC and City sites. The role ensures high standards of care for fragile newborns while overseeing governance, clinical practices and staff development.

The post requires NMC registration, leadership experience in critical care neonatal settings, and flexible long day, night and weekend working. Salary ranges £39,959–£48,117 pro rata per year.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with current NMC registration and evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Post-registration neonatal specialism or equivalent qualification is desirable.
• Mentor/assessor experience or qualification is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Deputise to Ward Manager, leading the neonatal unit to maintain high standards of care.
• Provide direct clinical care and support clinical/governance across two nursery sites.
• Lead, supervise and develop a designated team of nurses with a focus on family centred care.
• Ensure adherence to professional standards, policies and patient safety.

Education

1st level registered nurse

Current Nursing & Midwifery Council registration

Mentor/assessor qualification

Post registration qualification relevant to neonatal specialty

NLS provider

Medicines Management competence

Job description

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) is the biggest employer in Nottingham with over 19,000 staff

Main area Neonatal Services Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent: Long days, nights and weekends, bank holidays Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Long days, nights and weekends) Job ref 164-8236710

Site Neonatal Unit QMC/ City Hospital Town Nottingham Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 18/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

Neonatal Deputy Ward Sister/ Charge Nurse.

Are you ready to be part of something extraordinary? The Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, in partnership with the City Neonatal Unit, has opened a state-of-the-art £32 million Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), now the largest in the East Midlands. Spanning 2,000 square meters—four times the size of the previous facility. The brand-new NICU is designed to deliver world-class care for premature and critically ill newborns, offering advanced medical technology, expanded capacity from 17 to 38 cots, and an environment centered on family support.

With purpose-built family accommodations, private cot bays with glass screening, play areas for siblings, and a dedicated bereavement suite, our new unit sets a new standard in neonatal care. We are seeking passionate, skilled professionals to join our team and make a real difference in the lives of our tiniest patients and their families. Working cross sites between QMC and City neonatal units as part of the role will help expand your professional and critical care skill set.

If you’re looking for a role in a cutting-edge unit with exceptional resources, collaboration, and opportunities for professional growth, we’d love to hear from you!

Join us in shaping the future of neonatal care.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will act as Deputy to the Ward Manager regularly taking charge of the unit and ensuring that the standards and quality of care given to babies, together with the environment in which care is delivered, are maintained at a high standard.

The post holder will be expected to be an effective leader and role model and will be expected to provide regular direct clinical care and use experience to support the implementation of both clinical and non‑clinical governance. You will be required to work flexibly as a member of the unit team and in support of the Ward Manager to ensure standards are being maintained, evaluated, and where necessary improved.

The post holder is required to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

We will expect you to take managerial, clinical and professional responsibility for unit co-ordination and the development of a designated team of nurses. The Neonatal Service delivers care across two sites at the City and QMC Campuses. As a lead centre for the North Hub of the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNODN), we offer medical and surgical intensive care for extremely premature and very sick infants. Our aim is for babies to be treated in the right place at the right time by a skilled and knowledgeable multi-disciplinary team with the family at the centre of this care.

You will need to familiarize yourself with full Job Description and Person Specification documents attached to this advert.

Working for our organisation

With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.

Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH

A dedicated Institute of Nursing and Midwifery Care Excellence, offering continuing professional education and career development opportunities including: a well-established preceptorship programme, a seven day acute care skills foundation course, bespoke rotational programmes, resilience-focused clinical supervision, an international OSCE programme and clinical academic careers.

Access to the biggest established Shared Governance programme in the UK, with 85 staff councils at ward level and growing, giving our workforce a voice and supporting a culture of innovation.

Our nursing teams are leading Patient Experience Network National Award winning initiatives (PENNA 2018) and have opportunities to work on improvement initiatives that are co-produced with those who use our services

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This role is to deputise to the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse and to maintain the high standards of the Neonatal Unit and the quality of care given to babies and the environment of the unit, regularly taking charge to ensure the highest level of care.

Effective Leadership skills and the ability to be a positive role model is expected from this post at all times.

The post holder, will be expected to provide regular direct clinical care and through experience and knowledge be able to support the implementation of both clinical and non‑clinical governance.

Working flexibly as a member of the unit team and in support of the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse is expected in order to ensure standards are being maintained, evaluated, and where necessary improved.

The post holder is required to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Person specification

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s “We are here for you” behavioural standards

Training & Qualifications

• 1st level registered nurse
• Current registration with Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Mentor/assessor qualification and/or Mentorship course and relevant teaching qualification
• Post registration qualification relevant to specialty
• NLS provider
• Competent in Medicines Management

Experience

• Current critical care experience caring for Level 2/Level 3 patients
• Demonstrate experience teaching one to one and small groups
• Evidence of performance reviews
• Evidence of change management

Communication and relationship skills

• Effective communicator with patients, carers, all members of the multidisciplinary team
• Can produce timely, accurate written/ electronic records/documents
• Evidence of presentation skills, use of PowerPoint or similar software
• Can minimise interpersonal conflict and barriers to communication

Analytical and Judgement skills

• Able to lead a team, prioritise and respond to planned and unplanned situations
• Ability to assess staff competence and confidence in clinical practice
• Make judgements and decisions regarding care planning and delivery

Planning and organisation skills

• Can prioritise and manage own time and workload and that of the team
• Able to action and appropriately disseminate Trust and NHS policies in the absence of the ward manager

Physical skills

• Able to walk or stand for extended periods of time, e.g. throughout a shift
• Ability to frequently manoeuvre patients and medical equipment in confined/ awkward spaces

Other requirements specific to the role (e.g. be able to drive or work shifts

• Demonstrate flexibility in working patterns and practices
• Ability to recognise and acknowledge stress in self and others and initiate appropriate support mechanisms

___________________________________________________________________________________

Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at the NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Applicants are kindly requested to refrain from using AI at any stage during the recruitment process.

Communication: All communication related to your application will be via the email address you have provided. Please ensure you check your email account including your junk email regularly.

Easy read application: If you have a disability and find online job applications difficult, you can use an easy read application form instead.

If you are aged 16 or 17 and applying for a role that is more than 20 hours a week, please be aware that you will be asked to commence an Apprenticeship within the Trust alongside your role, as long as there is a suitable apprenticeship standard available. This is in line with the current guidance in England that whilst young people under the age of 18 can leave school (on the last Friday in June) they must then do one of the following:

• Stay in full-time education, for example at a college
• Start an Apprenticeship
• Spend 20 hours of more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

Salary: The quoted salary will be on a pro rata basis for part time workers.

Disability Confidence: All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.

At Risk of redundancy: NHS employees within the East Midlands who are ‘at risk’ of redundancy will be given a preferential interview where they meet the essential criteria of the person specification.

ID and Right to work checks : NUH authenticate ID and right to work documentation including passports and driving licenses through a system called Trust ID. NUH will scan your ID and right to work documentation in to the Trust ID system at your face to face ID appointment. The system will run a check against the key security features within your documentation. The system will provide us with an outcome of your check which will be stored securely on your personal file along with all other pre-employment check documentation.

Consent:

• Transfer of information: If I have previous NHS service - I consent to the transfer of my Electronic Staff Record (ESR) data between this and other NHS Trusts. I also consent to the Occupational Health Departmentconfidentially accessing my occupational health records from my current or previous employer in order to check the status of my vaccinations, immunisations s and screening tests as relevant to the post. I understand this is an automated process and the information will only be used for these purposes prior to me taking up the position at NUH.
• Disclosure and Barring Service: Your post maybe subject to a DBS check which incur a cost dependent on the level of check required (£49.50 for enhanced and £21.50 for standard). I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if it is required (by deduction from first month’s pay). Should I decide to withdraw from my job offer, I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of the DBS check undertaken by cheque or other agreed method.

For more information about our organisation and the career opportunities available, please visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.