Divisional Director of Nursing - Emergency Department

Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Wirral; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in England is seeking a Divisional Director of Nursing for its Emergency Department. This pivotal role involves providing strategic leadership and ensuring high-quality patient care. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in emergency care and a proven ability to lead and motivate clinical teams. This is a unique opportunity to drive improvements and contribute significantly to patient care in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in emergency care settings is essential.
• Proven track record in nursing leadership.
• Extensive experience in clinical governance and safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the performance of the Emergency Department.
• Ensure high-quality and patient-centred care.
• Develop strategic plans for nursing within the ED.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical governance

Communication

Analytical skills

Managing teams

Education

Active NMC registration

Teaching and Assessing Qualification

Leadership and management qualification

Job description

Go back Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Divisional Director of Nursing - Emergency Department

The closing date is 12 October 2025

We are looking for an outstanding leader who is both compassionate and visionary to lead our Emergency Department. You will be an experienced ED nursing leader who thrives in complex environments and has determination and resilience to drive improvements in emergency care. You will have a proven track record of leading change in urgent or emergency care settings.

You will provide strategic nursing leadership for our busy Emergency Department, ensuring safe high-quality and patient-centred care.

We are currently undergoing a full Urgent & Emergency Care refurbishment programme in collaboration with Wirral Community Health & Care Trust. This will create a single point of access between ED and the Urgent Treatment Centre and a state of the art department. We have a dedicated team committed to delivering the best care who will support you in this role.

If you are ready to take on a demanding but rewarding leadership role and make a real difference in our Emergency Department we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• The Divisional Director of Nursing will provide senior leadership whilst working cohesively within the Divisional Triumvirate of the Emergency Department (ED).
• The postholder will support the Divisional Director (DD) to manage the operational performance of the ED.
• The post holder acts as delegated lead for safety, quality, governance and patient experience.
• The post holder will work with the division to develop the strategic direction and vision which maximises business efficiency, effectiveness, flexibility and staff morale.
• They will support the development of a culture within the ED, which is open and transparent that supports and empowers innovation, creativity and learning both at all levels. The Divisional Director of Nursing will provide strong visible and professional leadership to nursing and allied healthcare staff across the ED.
• They will be accountable for the direct delivery of safe, effective clinical care and will advise the Divisional Management Team on professional nursing and other clinical staff groups (AHPs) issues. The postholder will be the Divisional lead and link for both the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Director of Nursing on all nursing related matters.
• The Divisional Director of Nursing will work with senior managers across the organisation to ensure effective patient flow including the effective use of beds whilst maintaining quality of care. The post holder will participate in the executive on call rota.

About us

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as "competent and caring staff" by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.

We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral's only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.

We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.

The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.

Job responsibilities

• To lead on the delivery of performance of the Trust nursing quality and safety agenda for the ED. To monitor nursing performance against a range of indicators and supportimprovement where necessary through a quality and safety review and performance management process in conjunction with the clinical and operational teams e.g. CQC action plans, service metrics, high impact actions, infection control measures.
• The post holder will; work with the Divisional Management Team and with the Director of Nursing to develop and implement strategic plans for nursing within the ED. This includes both collaborative and partnership working with other health providers / organisations.
• To work with senior managers and alongside clinicians to effectively coordinate and effectively implement the Divisions business and clinical strategies. This includes facilitating the development and implementation of robust operational plans for the ED.
• To work with the Divisional Director to develop an annual strategic plan for clinical services within ED..
• To continuously review, develop and adapt working practice and staffing requirements to enable the Division to successfully change, adapt and respond to changing pressures, demands and ways of working. This includes the ability to identify the need for, and support capital planning which enables the ED to meet patient experience and quality indicators thereby improving patient flow and efficiency
• To ensure that services provided on a Divisional or corporate basis are delivered in line with professional legislative and national guidance.
• The work with the Divisional Director and the Divisional Management Team to lead a coordinated approach to reporting clinical and non-clinical key performance indicators to the Divisional Management Team (DMT).
• To actively use service redesign techniques to constantly improve service provision, patient experience and reduce waste within the organisation.

Person Specification

Qualifications, specific experience & training

• Active NMC registration
• Teaching and Assessing Qualification
• Leadership and management qualification
• qualification in quality improvement methodology
• Speciality experience within emergency care
• Extensive experience of making improvements in practice
• Excellent awareness of and experience of clinical governance, in particular, patient safety, patient experience and clinical quality.
• Experience of managing and motivating professional teams in clinically focused environments
• To be able to analyse, interpret and use analytical skills in situations that are highly complex and multifunctional
• To have the ability to plan and organise a broad range of complex activities across different professional groups and organisations which will require ongoing review and modification of plans
• To be able to manage competing demands from managerial and staff perspective across different services and geographical sites and be able to work under pressure to meet deadlines
• To hold others to account as well as being held to account for Key Performance Indicators
• To be able to influence individuals within the organisation and from external agencies
• To be able to empower others and lead change through people
• To be able to switch between significant detail and Project management experience. Identifying and leading the development of business plans and service objectives the big picture to shape a vision
• To be literate in IT skills to a level equivalent to ECDL
• Identifying and leading the development of business plans and service objectives

Personal attributes

• To be able to communicate confidently and assertively through written / verbal means to wide range of individuals e.g., Board, general public, general practitioners etc. when representing the Division in a variety of formal and informal settings
• To have a desire to know how services are being delivered and what the experience is of patients on the ground
• To be able to prioritise the demands of the post through highly developed reasoning and rationalisation skills
• To be able to deal appropriately with staff, patients and the public who may exhibit challenging behaviour
• To demonstrate high levels of seeking and networking for information
• To have the confidence to set ambitious targets which may exceed the minimum standard required and take calculated risks
• To be politically astute
• To be receptive to fresh insights and perspectives from diverse sources
• To be prepared to undertake transformational rather than incremental change
• To be self-aware, have personal integrity and the ability to self-manage
• To inspire others to be positive in their support of service improvement
• To have a 'can do' sense of confidence even in the face of opposition
• Exposure to distressing and emotional circumstances necessitates the ability to react appropriately when required to deliver such messages
• To be able to deal appropriately with staff, patients and the public who may exhibit challenging behaviour
• To adhere to the NHS Code of Conduct for managers
• To have the physical ability, stamina and manual dexterity required to undertake the post

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.

Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust