Senior Nurse - Neonatal Discharge Planning and Transitional Care

North Bristol NHS Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated and enthusiastic Senior Nurse to join a forward-thinking team within a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This role involves leading a small team focused on ensuring smooth discharge processes for neonates and their families. The ideal candidate will have significant clinical experience in a NICU setting and demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills. You will be integral in supporting staff development and improving care quality, all while working in a collaborative environment that emphasizes family-integrated care. If you are passionate about making a difference in neonatal care, this position is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with Band 6 experience in NICU setting required.
• Degree level education and neonatal life support training essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team in discharge planning and transitional care for neonates.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless discharge.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Team Management

Clinical Decision-Making

Problem-Solving

Neonatal Care Knowledge

IT Skills

Change Management

Education

Registered Nurse/Midwife

Degree Level Education

Neonatal/Paediatric Life Support Course

Child Protection Training Level 3

Job description

Senior Nurse - Neonatal Discharge Planning and Transitional Care

Band 7

Main area: Neonatal Nursing

Grade: Band 7

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Minimum 34.5hrs over 4 working days considered)

Job ref: 339-ANJ5404

Site: Southmead Hospital

Town: Bristol

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 06/01/2025 23:59

An exciting new role of NICU Discharge coordinator and Transitional care Senior Sister/Charge Nurse has arisen for an enthusiastic, forward-thinking nurse/midwife with previous Band 6 experience in a clinical NICU setting. The job will play an integral role in supporting a seamless patient pathway from admission to discharge, leading a small team of Transitional care nurses, nursery nurses, and midwives, whilst also maintaining clinical band 7 competence working one day per week clinically, supporting the NICU roster.

Job overview

The post is open to candidates with suitable experience and a commitment to supporting staff and improving care. The role will require an individual with good leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. They must be able to demonstrate an understanding of change management, team dynamics, and appreciate the demands of delivering an efficient and effective service which meets the requirements of neonates and their families.

You will be part of an MDT working within a level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit within the Southwest Neonatal Network serving the northern part of the network. The unit has 34 cots comprising of 8 intensive care, 8 high dependency, and 18 special care cots. The team is committed to providing quality care; highly motivated to learn and be part of a dedicated team with a strong focus on family integrated care which extends the care to the home environment.

Main duties of the job

• Support development of new initiatives that support timely discharge
• Support the wider team in identifying barriers to discharge and problem-solving to overcome them to achieve positive results for the patient and their family
• Work closely with the community outreach team to ensure seamless discharge to home for babies meeting community criteria
• Work closely with all internal and external partners and agencies to ensure a seamless service, including working to reduce delayed discharges
• Actively participate as a key member of the MDT and have a leading role in discharge planning

Transitional Care

• Lead the Transitional Care team of nursery nurses, nurses, midwives, and maternity support workers with support from the NICU and Postnatal matron
• Identify barriers to service provision and develop strategies to improve the transitional care service provision in accordance with the BAPM transitional care service specification
• Demonstrate well-informed clinical decision-making in order to provide support and advice to patients, carers, and other members of the MDT

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work closely with the neonatal nursing, medical, Clinical Psychology (CP), and AHP team along with other disciplines in the hospital, community, and wider Network who provide services for the baby and family during their neonatal stay.
• Collaborate with Discharge Coordinators, repatriation link nurses, and Outreach teams to promote and enable early discharge and timely repatriation
• Build and maintain relationships with Network, local neonatal psychology and community-based services to help facilitate timely and appropriate referrals for individuals and families
• Lead on developing clear guidelines, signposting documents, and referral pathways
• Support the development of parent engagement in the service
• Proactively participate in relevant groups and meetings to advocate for Transitional Care and discharge
• Act as a strong advocate embedding the ethos of ‘parents as partners in care’

Person specification

Education/Training/Qualifications

• Registered Nurse/midwife (RN/RGN/RNC/RM)
• Teaching and assessing in clinical practice qualifications, e.g., ENB 998/7/FLAP
• Educated to Degree Level or equivalent
• Approved Neonatal/Paediatric Life support Course
• Child Protection Training Level 3

Work Experience

• Significant clinical experience within a Neonatal clinical setting
• Evidence of acute skills within NICU clinical setting
• Experience of managing resources and staff within a multidisciplinary team
• Experience and evidence of leading change and development within a multidisciplinary team
• Commitment to staff/team development and enabling individuals to reach their full potential

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Evidence of ability to plan, organise and prioritise own and work of others
• Self-motivated, ability to motivate others
• Excellent communication and ability to support others with emotive and sensitive communication
• Ability to work for and as part of a team
• Good IT skills and expectation to develop these in line with the needs of the service
• Sound knowledge of health promotion issues to ensure junior staff, patients, and carers are provided with education, support, and advice as required
• Knowledge of Neonatal Specialism including key legislation/documents relating to key standards in Neonatal Care and Neonatal Research
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in a changing environment

Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances

• Good problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage under pressure and manage competing priorities

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name: Amy Purnell

Job title: Matron

Email address: [e-mail]

Telephone number: 01174146940

Alternative contact: Fiona Buckley - [e-mail]