Pre-op Assessment Deputy Sister Kettering
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Job summary
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a motivated Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse/ODP to join the Pre-Operative Assessment Team. You will lead clinics, undertake pre-operative assessments and document histories to determine fitness for surgery.
The role offers leadership, supervision of junior staff, and involvement in audits and service development to improve patient experience and reduce day-of-surgery cancellations.
Qualifications
- Experience undertaking comprehensive patient assessment.
- Experience with complex co-morbidities and autonomous practice.
- Experience interpreting diagnostic investigations and escalating abnormal findings appropriately.
- Experience supervising and supporting staff.
- Understanding of perioperative pathways and patient optimisation.
Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate Pre-Operative Assessment clinics.
- Undertake comprehensive pre-operative assessments via face-to-face, telephone and digital pathways.
- Obtain and document medical, surgical and anaesthetic histories, assessing health status and fitness for surgery.
- Perform complex assessments and exercise clinical judgement for surgical readiness.
- Identify patients requiring optimisation and initiate referrals and escalation.
- Maintain accurate patient records and utilise electronic systems (Careflow, MyPreOp, EPRs).
- Work with multidisciplinary teams to support efficient patient pathways.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
This vacancy is open to internal applicants only
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse/Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) to join the Pre-Operative Assessment Team at Kettering General Hospital.
The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring patients are safely prepared for elective surgery through the delivery of high-quality pre-operative assessments. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will support the optimisation of patients prior to surgery, helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce day-of-surgery cancellations.
This is a dynamic and evolving service that offers opportunities to further develop advanced clinical assessment, decision-making and leadership skills. You will provide professional leadership within the team, support the development of junior staff and students, and contribute to service improvement initiatives that enhance the patient experience and perioperative pathway.
- Lead and coordinate Pre-Operative Assessment clinics, delivering safe, effective, patient-centred care.
- Undertake comprehensive pre-operative assessments via face-to-face, telephone and digital pathways.
- Obtain and document medical, surgical and anaesthetic histories, assessing health status, co-morbidities and fitness for surgery.
- Perform complex assessments, exercise clinical judgement and make autonomous decisions regarding surgical readiness.
- Identify patients requiring optimisation, initiating referrals, interventions and appropriate escalation.
- Complete perioperative risk assessments, including airway and STOP-BANG screening.
- Request, review and interpret pre-operative investigations, escalating abnormal results as required.
- Undertake MRSA/MSSA screening and manage results in line with Trust policies.
- Maintain accurate patient records and utilise electronic systems including Careflow, MyPreOp and EPRs.
- Work collaboratively with surgical, anaesthetic, theatre and multidisciplinary teams to support efficient patient pathways.
- Supervise, support and develop junior staff, learners and students.
- Contribute to audit, quality improvement, service development and innovation initiatives.
- Support the reduction of day-of-surgery cancellations through effective assessment and pathway management.
We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.
Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Date posted: 08 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 264-8208241-SUR
Job locations: Kettering General Hospital, Rothwell Road, Kettering, NN16 8UZ, United Kingdom
Interviews have provisionally been scheduled to take place on the 22nd September, however this is subject to change and may be brought forward should the vacancy close early due to a sufficient amount of applications being received.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of all Roles and Responsibilities.
- Experience undertaking comprehensive patient assessment
- Experience assessing patients with complex needs and multiple co-morbidities
- Experience working autonomously and exercising professional judgement
- Experience interpreting diagnostic investigations and escalating abnormal findings appropriately
- Experience supporting and supervising junior staff and students
- Understanding of perioperative pathways and patient optimisation
- Knowledge of current national and local guidance related to pre-operative assessment
- Previous Band 6 experience
- Registered Nurse/ ODP with current registration.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Significant post-registration experience in Pre-Assessment, Perioperative, Surgical or Acute Care Nursing
- Experience managing patients with complex co-morbidities.
- Experience of supervising and supporting staff
- Degree level study or equivalent experience or working towards
- Competency in pre-operative assessment practice
- Teaching, mentoring or assessor qualification
- Ability to assess, prioritise and manage patients with complex co-morbidities
- Ability to provide complex information and education to patients and relatives.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a busy clinical environment
- Compassionate, caring and patient-centred approach
- Ability to build rapport and alleviate patient anxiety
- Flexible and adaptable approach to service needs
- Confident decision-maker who remains calm under pressure
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer name: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Kettering General Hospital, Rothwell Road, Kettering, NN16 8UZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/working-for-us
For questions about the job, contact: Senior Sister Karen Horner, karen.horner4@nhs.net, 01536491306
Privacy notice: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)
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.
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