Paediatric Practice Development Lead Nurse (Critical Care)

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Paediatric Practice Development Lead Nurse (Critical Care) to lead education, competency development and clinical practice for Level 1 and Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care as part of the new service expansion. You will drive workforce development, embed evidence‑based practice and support senior leaders in shaping services across East Kent.

The role requires an experienced children's nurse with strong leadership and teaching

Qualifications

• Registered Children's Nurse with current NMC registration.
• Children's Critical Care Course and Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care competencies.
• Evidence of continuous professional development and ongoing engagement.
• Advanced Life Support qualification.
• Master's degree or postgraduate study relevant to paediatric critical care.
• Level 3 Paediatric Intensive Care competencies or PICU course.

Responsibilities

• Lead education, competency development and clinical practice for Level 1 and Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care in East Kent.
• Drive workforce development and quality improvement initiatives across AKH units.
• Embed evidence-based practice and guide service development at strategic level.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and regional networks to implement the new service.
• Provide coaching and education to nursing staff and lead care improvement projects.

Skills

Leadership in PCC

Education delivery

Clinical governance

Audit/quality improvement

Communication

Education

NMC registered Children's Nurse

Children's Critical Care Course & Level 2 competencies

Advanced Life Support

Master's degree in paediatric critical care

Level 3 Paediatric Intensive Care competencies

Job description

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Paediatric Practice Development Lead Nurse (Critical Care)

The closing date is 23 November 2026

Help shape the future of paediatric critical care in East Kent.

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the development of East Kent Hospitals' new Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care Service, helping more children and young people receive specialist care closer to home. As the Paediatric Practice Development Critical Care Lead, you will drive education, workforce development and clinical excellence, ensuring our teams have the skills, confidence and support needed to deliver safe, high-quality critical care.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate children's nurse who is motivated by improving patient outcomes, developing others and leading change. You will work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, regional networks and senior leaders to embed evidence-based practice, develop competencies and support the successful implementation of this exciting new service.

In return, you'll have the opportunity to influence service development at a strategic level, support the growth of future paediatric critical care services, and make a lasting difference to children, young people and their families across East Kent. If you are an inspiring clinical leader with a passion for education, innovation and excellence, we'd love to hear from you

Main duties of the job

What you'll do As the Paediatric Practice Development Critical Care Lead Nurse, you will play a key role in developing and embedding East Kent's Level 1 and Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care Service. You will lead education, competency development and clinical practice, ensuring children and young people receive safe, high-quality critical care closer to home. Working with multidisciplinary teams, regional networks and service leaders, you will support workforce development, implement best practice, lead quality improvement initiatives and help shape the future of paediatric critical care services across East Kent.

What we're looking for We’re looking for an experienced paediatric critical care nurse who is passionate about improving care, developing others and leading change. You will have strong clinical expertise, excellent leadership and communication skills, and a proven ability to educate, coach and support colleagues. You will be confident leading service improvements, building effective partnerships and influencing practice across teams and organisations. Most importantly, you will demonstrate compassion, resilience and a commitment to delivering outstanding care for children, young people and their families.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of paediatric critical care in East Kent and make a lasting difference to children, young people and their families.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates for a Skilled Worker Visa for roles that are eligible at the time of application.

Job responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in 'supporting documents'.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

• Registered Children's Nurse with current NMC registration
• Children's Critical Care Course and Level 2 Paediatric Critical Care competencies
• Evidence of continuous professional development and ongoing
• Advance Paediatric Life Support Course.
• Master's degree or postgraduate study relevant to paediatric critical care.
• Advanced Assessment/Clinical Examination qualification
• Level 3 Paediatric Intensive Care competencies or PICU course

Clinical skills and experience

• Substantial recent experience in Paediatric Critical Care Level 2 at Band 6 or equivalent
• Demonstrable experience caring for children requiring tracheostomy care, long-term ventilation and acute respiratory support (e.g. High Flow and CPAP)
• Evidence of leadership, practice development and service improvement, including audit or quality improvement work
• Experience of delivering education, training and competency assessment for nursing staff
• Previous Band 7 experience within Paediatric Critical Care L2/L3
• Evidence of presentations at local, regional/national level

Governance

• Experience of managing risk management/incident reporting and information governance
• Up-to-date knowledge of the NMC Code
• Infection prevention
• Equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Managing incidents and complaints

Personal and profesional attributes

• Experience of delivering teaching/coaching
• IT literacy
• Knowledge of national CYP Critical Care strategies/NICE guidance
• Able to travel across EKHUFT sites and willing to support cross-cover of related services.
• Recruitment and retention experience

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.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust