Nutrition Sister / Charge Nurse – Enteral Nutrition

Work Learn Live Blmk; Luton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time Band 6 Nutrition Sister / Charge Nurse at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This role involves providing specialist care in artificial nutrition, educating patients and their families, and collaborating with a diverse team to support individuals with complex feeding needs. Join a supportive environment committed to professional development and delivering high-quality patient care.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience in head & neck, stroke, cancer, palliative care.
• Experience of caring for patients with enteral feeding tubes.

Responsibilities

• Promote highest standards of care for patients receiving artificial nutrition.
• Communicate with patients and families regarding artificial feeding.

Skills

Communication

Patient Advocacy

Attention to Detail

Flexibility

Education

Current Registered Nurse with the NMC

Evidence of professional development in artificial nutrition

Job description

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Nutrition Sister / Charge Nurse - Enteral Nutrition

The closing date is 07 June 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a full time Band 6 Nutrition Sister / Charge Nurse into an established nutrition nursing team working across the adult wards supporting patients who may need artificial nutrition.

After a supported period of training you will provide specialist care for those referred for and receiving enteral tube feeding such as PEG, gastrostomy, balloon gastrostomy, jejunostomy, nasogastric, nasal bridles and naso-jejunal feeding).

The role also requires the candidate to teach patients; carers and families how to care for their feeding tubes after discharge but also included in the training are: social care staff and classroom teaching of student nurses and qualified nurses, junior Drs and health care support staff.

This role will offer candidates the opportunity to develop themselves professionally and gain specific clinical skills in this field of nursing in a small, supportive specialist team.

Main duties of the job

You will be required to promote the highest possible standards of care for patients receiving artificial nutrition by assessing; developing, implementing and evaluating their care and acting as a role model to others.

The post holder will be required to assist in the support of a case load of home enterally fed patients by providing open access appointments and troubleshooting for those admitted as in-patients.

The job requires working and communicating with various multi-disciplinary teams; community staff and those in other trusts, the wider nutrition team, and patients and their families /carers.

We seek a post holder who is highly motivated to work with patients with complex feeding needs and be enthusiastic with knowledge and experience caring for these patients.

They must be confident and display enhanced communication and listening skills using all methods of communication (verbal; non-verbal, email and be able to communicate with vulnerable groups using non verbal methods such as lip reading, body language and gestures).

The role requires attention to detail; autonomous working; ability to prioritise workload, being flexible in how they manage their day with the possibilities of changing demands and in future be open to the possibility of learning to care for Parenteral Nutrition patients.

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.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are 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 first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

Alongside the other nutrition sister you will accept verbal and ICE referrals and assess those patients referred to the nutrition team for acute; medium to long-term artificial feeding with regard to the appropriateness and safety of invasive nutritional support

Communicate with patients and families to assess the impact of artificial feeding, providing education and support. Demonstrate the skills required to overcome communication difficulties

Act as the patients advocate in decision making regarding artificial feeding and oral feeding and provide support and information as appropriate

To participate and deputise in the Complex Feeding Issues Multi-disciplinary meetings

Please see detailed Job Description attached

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Current Registered Nurse with the NMC
• Able to evidence recent and continuing professional development relevant to artificial nutrition
• Relevant experience in head & neck, stroke, cancer, palliative care, gastrointestinal, surgical or critical care nursing

Experience

• Experience of caring for patients with enteral feeding tubes (Gastrostomy, jejunostomy and nasogastric/jejunal)
• Post registration experience of working in an acute hospital setting
• Experience of managing a team and staff performance

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the complications and risks / side effects of nasogastric and gastrostomy feeding and enteral feeding
• Awareness of psychological issues around feeding, cancer, neurological conditions, stroke and in bariatric patients
• Has been involved in the management of change and complaints within the department

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