Nursery Nurse- SCBU/Transitional Care/Post Natal

NHS; Dunstable; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable healthcare organization in Dunstable seeks a Nursery Nurse to ensure quality neonatal care to infants in their new facility. Responsibilities include direct patient care, supporting mothers, and monitoring feeding. Candidates should have NVQ 3 or equivalent in child care and a passion for infant care. This role involves teamwork with registered nurses and midwives to promote health in a supportive environment.

Benefits

High-quality training and development

Friendly work environment

Qualifications

• Experience with care of newborns in a hospital setting.
• Understanding of infant hygiene, nutritional care, and thermoregulatory care.

Responsibilities

• Responsibility for individual patient care under supervision.
• Prepare and monitor babies' feeds accurately.
• Assist in breast-feeding and support mothers.

Skills

Communication

Parent craft teaching

Assessment skills

Education

NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification in early years child care

Basic life support

Job description

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Nursery Nurse - SCBU/Transitional Care/Post Natal

The closing date is 23 November 2025

This is an exciting opportunity for Nursery Nurses to join the team in our brand new purpose built building. The post holder will be responsible for implementation of effective quality neonatal care to infants requiring transitional care and special care and post natal ward, under the supervision of the registered nurse/Midwife, following a holistic family‑centred model of practice.

The post holder carries out assigned tasks involving direct care in support of a Registered Nurse to ensure care of babies and children within the unit to promote their health and development and contribute to the effective and efficient day‑to‑day running of the unit. To successfully complete nursery nurse competencies to gain neonatal specific knowledge and skills.

Main duties of the job

• Responsibility for individual patient care under the supervision of a trained nurse as allocated by the nurse in charge.
• Undertake the following procedures/ activities for babies and families requiring transitional care/post‑natal and/or special care, including implementing and evaluating the agreed plan of care, reviewing and updating it accordingly.
• Demonstrate an understanding of, assess, evaluate care in relation to infant hygiene, nutritional care, thermoregulatory care, monitoring.
• Carry out daily checks and cleaning of specialised equipment.
• Prepare babies' feeds accurately and monitor and record their feeding, including management of naso/oro gastric tube feeding.
• Support and assist mothers in care.
• Check temperatures and cleanliness of milk fridges and freezers.
• Care for stable infants receiving low‑flow oxygen including associated monitoring, recording of observations and correct use of equipment.
• Care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
• Assist in meeting the care and development needs of the babies and children.
• Report any changes in the infant's condition to relevant personnel, and implement changes and evaluate care as directed.
• Participate in ward rounds.
• Ensure nurseries are adequately stocked.
• Act as an advocate, liaise, report and document any relevant nursing or social issues to the registered nurse.
• Work effectively and efficiently alongside Midwives in transitional care.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding and practice of child protection.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, obstetrics‑led maternity and paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high‑performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high‑quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trust's core values. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering the first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

• Following a programme of training and assessment take responsibility for individual patient care under the supervision of a trained nurse as allocated by the nurse in charge.
• Undertake the following procedures/ activities for babies and families requiring transitional care/post‑natal and/or special care, including implementing and evaluating the agreed plan of care, reviewing and updating it accordingly.
• Demonstrate an understanding of, assess, evaluate care in relation to infant hygiene, nutritional care, thermoregulatory care, monitoring and undertake associated practical aspects within sphere of responsibility.
• Carry out daily checks and cleaning of specialised equipment used for infant feeding.
• Prepare babies' feeds accurately and monitor and record their feeding. Management of naso/oro gastric tube feeding for which competency is mandatory.
• Support and assist mothers in breast‑feeding/expressing.
• Maintain cleanliness of the milk fridges/freezers and milk expressing equipment. Check temperatures and cleanliness of milk fridges and freezers.
• Care for stable infants receiving low flow oxygen including associated monitoring, recording of observations and correct use of equipment.
• Care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
• Assist in meeting the care and development needs of the babies and children.
• Report any changes in the infants' condition to relevant personnel, and implement changes and evaluate care as directed.
• Participate in ward rounds.
• Ensure nurseries are adequately stocked.
• Act as an advocate, liaise, report and document any relevant nursing or social issues to the registered nurse.
• Work effectively and efficiently alongside Midwives in transitional care.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding and practice of child protection, including legislation and procedures and attend social care meetings as required.
• Engage and interact effectively with carers, encouraging them to be actively involved in planning and delivering care to their infant, facilitating complete transfer of care.
• Teach parent craft education in preparation for the families discharge to home.
• Undertake parent IBLS training.
• Maintain accurate patient records and charts up to date.
• Undertake transfer of infants' care to other wards, the neonatal outreach team and discharge to the community.
• Accept guidance and supervision of the senior nursing staff in order to learn and develop.
• Ensure a high degree of safety at all times.

Education and Training

• Completion of transitional care training programme.
• Personal Development Review Plan.
• Practical application of knowledge gained.
• Sharing of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
• Keep up to date with changing practices and make full use of relevant training opportunities.
• Practical application of knowledge gained through in‑house and formal training opportunities.
• Contribute to the learning environment.
• Participate in research as requested by registered nurse within own sphere of competency.
• Contribute to the dissemination and implementation of evidence‑based care in the writing of shared guidelines and protocols for care.
• Attend all required mandatory updates.

Communication

• Liaise and negotiate effectively with all professional disciplines and ancillary departments concerned with the care of children and babies.
• Attend and contribute to staff meetings.
• Give concise verbal accounts of child's care to nurse in charge.

Legal and Professional Requirements

• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Familiar with unit/hospital emergency procedures.
• Keep nurse in charge aware of any difficulties arising from patient treatment or accident to child, relative or staff.
• Assist in filling out relevant forms.
• Be aware of local policies, taking active steps to keep updated: health and safety, data protection and access to health records, disciplinary and grievance procedure, complaints by parents/children, uniform, security, study/annual and maternity leave, equal opportunity, individual performance review (IPR).
• Use and store equipment correctly and safely.
• Share knowledge of babies/children with other members of staff.
• Enhance own knowledge through private study and organised study days as appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification in early years child care or equivalent.
• Recent and relevant evidence of practice.
• Basic life support.
• NNEB advanced practice.

Communication Skills

• Able to work and communicate with multidisciplinary team.
• Legible, accurate and concise handwriting skills and IT skills.
• Knowledge of SBAR.

Experience

• Care of the newborn.
• Recognition of the healthy baby and deteriorating baby.
• Recent experience of care of the newborn in hospital setting.

Skills

• Able to assess a situation, identify any risk or potential problem and act appropriately.
• Parent craft teaching.

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust