Pre-Operative Assessment Nurse - Band 6

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Poole; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS trust in Poole is seeking a Band 6 Health Professional to assess patients before surgery. The ideal candidate will possess strong surgical pathway knowledge and excellent communication skills. Responsibilities include assessing patient health histories, coordinating departmental workflows, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Enjoy a supportive team environment in a beautiful coastal location with ample opportunities for work-life balance.

Qualifications

• Experience and knowledge of surgical pathways is essential.
• A formal qualification in advanced history taking would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients undergoing surgical procedures, taking health history and records.
• Coordinate daily department flow to ensure optimal use of staff.
• Order investigations as per guidelines.
• Refer to multidisciplinary teams when appropriate.
• Communicate with admissions teams for patient coordination.

Skills

Experience in surgical procedures

Decision-making skills

Communication skills

Education

Formal qualification in advanced history taking

Job description

Overview

The post involves screening and pre-operative assessment of a diverse group of patients undergoing a wide range of elective surgical and orthopaedic procedures. The role requires an inquisitive nature and provides a varied workload where two days are never the same. With advanced training, the band 6 role includes physical assessment of patients.

Responsibilities

• Assessment of patients undergoing surgical procedures, including taking full health history, utilising GP records and historic notes, to ensure optimal pathway through to safe surgery.
• Coordination of the department on a daily basis to ensure flow of patients through the department and best utilisation of staff.
• Ordering of investigations to include, but not restricted to, blood tests, ECGs, swabs and urine samples as per NICE guidelines and UHD protocols.
• Referral to MDT where appropriate, to include anaesthetist, Anticoagulant clinic, Respiratory function team.
• Communication with MDT to include admissions teams.
• Coordination of patient follow up as an integral part of the role.

Candidate profile

It is expected that candidates for the band 6 post will have experience and knowledge of surgical procedures and pathways, good decision-making skills and communication skills. A formal qualification in advanced history taking would be advantageous.

Team and environment

We pride ourselves on being a close and supportive team that consists of anaesthetists, a clinical lead nurse, specialist nurses, staff nurses, health care assistants, and administrative staff, who would provide the successful candidate with the support required to become an integral member of our close team.

Organisation context

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with 'university hospital' status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m. We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

Location and lifestyle

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you\'ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we\'re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work. We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce. At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women\'s Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group. As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Recruitment notes

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Values and mobility

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues. UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme. This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

Travel and relocation

Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the postholder\'s home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions. Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

Application periods

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

Vaccination policy

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal candidates

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.