Sexual Health Nurse

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in the UK is seeking a Sexual Health Nurse to provide high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare in prison environments. The role involves clinical assessments, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and supporting patient care initiatives. Candidates should have relevant nursing qualifications and experience in sexual health services, with a focus on maintaining patient dignity and confidentiality. This position offers an opportunity to positively impact healthcare delivery within the prison system.

Qualifications

• Must be fluent in spoken and written English.
• Strong IT literacy is essential for accessing clinical information.
• Recent experience working at Band 6 or above in an integrated sexual health service.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical triage and expert advice on sexual health.
• Act as a senior clinical lead for sexual health services within the prison.
• Collaborate with prison healthcare teams and external services.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Education

UK NMC Registered Nurse (Adult)

Post-registration training in Genitourinary Medicine

Independent Nurse Prescriber or working towards this qualification

Job description

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Sexual Health Nurse

The closing date is 17 October 2025

The post holder will serve as a senior, autonomous clinician within a multidisciplinary team, responsible for the delivery of high-quality, integrated sexual and reproductive healthcare across male and female prison settings. This includes the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and broader genitourinary conditions, in accordance with national guidelines and local protocols.

Where appropriately trained and qualified, the post holder will also assess contraceptive needs and support reproductive healthcare. They will apply a trauma-informed approach and uphold patient dignity and confidentiality within the constraints of the secure environment.

The role involves close collaboration with prison healthcare teams, security staff, safeguarding leads, external sexual health services, and public health agencies to ensure continuity of care, safety, and best practice in managing vulnerable and complex patients.

In addition to direct clinical duties, the post holder will:

Act as a role model for best practice in sexual health care and professional conduct

Contribute to staff development through education, mentoring, and clinical supervision

Lead on clinical operations such as results management, follow-up planning, contact tracing, and outbreak response

Support service improvement initiatives and development of clinical guidelines, pathways, and patient group directions

Main duties of the job

For staff not directly managing HIV caseloads, there must be a clear understanding of when urgent referral to HIV specialist services is required and the ability to act swiftly and appropriately. Must be able to autonomously assess contraceptive needs, offer evidence-based counselling, and supply and/or insert the chosen method. Should also be competent to perform cervical cytology if indicated. Must have a solid understanding of confidentiality principles, particularly within secure environments, including when and how to share sensitive information appropriately for safeguarding, clinical care, or legal purposes. Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with a wide range of service users, including those who may present with emotional distress, trauma history, mental health needs, cognitive impairments, or language barriers. Capable of delivering and receiving highly sensitive or complex information in a professional, supportive, and non-judgemental manner. Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands. Demonstrates excellent analytical skills, including the ability to gather, assess, and interpret clinical findings, laboratory results, and relevant public health data to inform safe and effective decision-making. Able to present information in a clear, structured, and meaningful way, whether to patients, staff, stakeholders, or for education, audit, and governance purposes.

About us

Must be fluent in both spoken and written English, with the ability to conduct complex history-taking, often involving sensitive or challenging information, and to communicate clearly with patients and colleagues across multidisciplinary teams.

Must be able to document information accurately and legibly, including within electronic patient record systems. Strong IT literacy is essential for accessing, inputting, and retrieving clinical information and contributing to digital reporting and audit.

Possesses the clinical knowledge and decision-making ability to independently manage a diverse caseload of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients presenting with issues related to Genitourinary Medicine, contraception, reproductive health, and HIV. Care delivery should align with UK national guidance.

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Job responsibilities

• Demonstrates professional conduct and leadership within multidisciplinary teams.
• Maintains clinical competence through ongoing CPD, training, and awareness of security/safeguarding in secure settings.
• Engages in regular clinical supervision and annual appraisal for continuous development.
• Uses empathy, active listening, and professionalism in managing complex or high-risk patient interactions.
• Communicates effectively and respectfully with individuals facing mental health issues, learning disabilities, or behavioural challenges.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, managing emotional responses when working with vulnerable and high-risk populations.
• Actively supports Trust and prison healthcare initiatives
• Collaborates with service leads and prison healthcare managers to enhance service delivery.
• Leads the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care aligned with national and local health strategies.
• Supports, mentors, and supervises nursing and non-clinical staff, promoting a learning culture. Coordinates nurse-led clinics and contributes to the development and use of PGDs and prescribing practices (if qualified).
• Oversees results management, clinical follow-up, and ensures smooth patient flow.
• Maintains patient privacy, dignity, and safety despite environmental constraints. Works closely with prison officers and safeguarding teams to manage complex presentations.
• Promotes peer learning and shares clinical expertise across multidisciplinary teams.
• Participates in clinical supervision, appraisal, audit, and quality improvement processes.
• Acts as the senior clinical lead for sexual health services within the prison setting.
• Provides clinical triage and expert advice on sexual health, contraception (if trained), and safeguarding issues.
• Oversees partner notification, contact tracing, and public health duties in line with national standards.
• Monitors service quality using KPIs, audits, and clinical safety data.
• Contributes to staff training and sexual health education in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
• Leads on sexual health-related infection control within the prison environment.
• Balances governance and security responsibilities with compassionate, patient-centred care.
• Open to developing advanced competencies in HIV care where required.
• Collaborates with HIV, GUM, and reproductive health specialists to enhance prison-based sexual health services.
• Participates in the development of new models of care in line with national strategy and local prison healthcare objectives.
• Leads or contributes to audits, evaluations, and service transformation projects.
• Updates and implements evidence-based protocols for clinical care and nursing standards.
• Supports research initiatives and quality improvement.
• Demonstrates flexibility and resilience in a changing environment shaped by both healthcare and prison service priorities
• Active participation in clinical governance, including safeguarding processes, clinical audit, service evaluation, and risk management. Demonstrates a commitment to continuous service improvement and evidence-based practice.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• UK NMC Registered Nurse (Adult)
• Post-registration training in Genitourinary Medicine and/or Contraceptive and Reproductive Health/HIV (UK-based)
• Completion of recognised management training or demonstrable experience managing staff.
• STIF Intermediate Competency training (or willing to complete)
• Independent Nurse Prescriber or working towards this qualification
• FSRH accreditation for subdermal implant insertion/removal
• FSRH accreditation (or working towards) for intrauterine techniques

Knowledge and experience

• Recent experience (within 2 years) working at Band 6 or above in an integrated sexual health service
• Competent in examination, diagnosis, treatment, and management of symptomatic and asymptomatic male and female patients presenting with STI or contraceptive needs
• Experience writing and working under Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
• Experience supporting, mentoring, or teaching junior staff
• Understanding of prison healthcare systems and trauma-informed care
• Previous experience in prison or secure setting

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.

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust