Sister/Charge Nurse

Northampton General Hospital Nhs Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is seeking a Band 7 Critical Care Practitioner on a 12-month secondment to cover maternity leave. You will provide professional and managerial leadership across the Critical Care Unit and support the development of nursing and allied health staff.

The role requires strong leadership, excellent communication, and a commitment to best practice in critical care. Applicants should be NMC registered, hold relevant qualifications, and engage in ongoing

Qualifications

• NMC registered and degree-qualified for advanced practice.
• Critical Care course and teaching/assessor qualification preferred.
• Continuing professional development evidenced.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to NMC Code of Professional Conduct and deploy unit staff effectively.
• Supervise nursing staff and coordinate Critical Care activity safely.
• Maintain best practice and continuously improve patient care standards.
• Promote learning and education within the Critical Care team.
• Lead and participate in multidisciplinary collaboration and clinical governance.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication skills

Innovator

Resilience

Work under pressure

Distress tolerance

Education

NMC registered

Degree level

Critical Care Course

Teaching/Assessor

Computer literate

First Line Management

CPD evidence

Job description

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic Critical Care team as a Band 7 Practitioner on a secondment to cover Maternity Leave for 12 months. The post holder will be expected to work alongside other Band 7 Sisters and Matrons to provide professional and managerial leadership across Critical Care. The Critical Care Practitioner will combine their passion for excellence, with their clinical expertise, in facilitating the development of our nursing and allied health professional workforce. Do you possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work confidently and collaboratively across professional boundaries? Do you have excellent leadership qualities? If so, then your skills are invaluable to us, and we would like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will need excellent interpersonal skills with a particular ability to liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team and act as an excellent role model, maintaining a positive workplace culture at all times. He/she will be responsible for the coordination of Critical Care activity, providing expertise and guidance where necessary. Ensuring best practice is maintained at all times within the Critical Care Unit and delivering safe effective care is of paramount importance.

About us

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are proud of our Pathway to Excellence redesignation. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Details

Date posted: 19 October 2026 Pay scheme: Agenda for change Band: Band 7 Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year Per annum / Pro rata Contract: Secondment Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working Reference number: 265-8293262-SUR Job locations: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Billing Road, Northampton General Hospital, Northamptonshire, NN1 5BD, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Professional

• Ensure adherence to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct at all times.
• Is accountable for the deployment of staff and the co-ordination of activity within the Critical Care Unit.
• Is responsible for the supervision of nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team within the Critical Care Unit.
• Has continuing responsibility, in the absence of the Modern Matron, for the assessment of patient needs and for the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care ensuring best practice at all times.
• Promotes a learning environment and, in consultation with the practice educator and other practitioners plans relevant education programmes to meet the needs of the Critical Care Unit and the individual.
• Maintains a contemporary knowledge of current trends in the care of the critically ill patient.
• Maintains a professional portfolio and manages own professional development independently.
• Is committed to an ethos of life long learning.
• Demonstrates insight and understanding of how own actions and behaviour can impact on other people and working environment.

Clinical

• Demonstrates expert knowledge and skills in the management of the complex and changing health care needs of the critically ill patient, integrating theory and practice.
• Acts as a credible clinical role model.
• Practices as a professional senior nurse with confidence, authority and expertise.
• Takes responsibility for all aspects of care for the patient and his/her family.
• Takes responsibility for the deployment of staff within the unit ensuring a safe environment and acceptable standards of care.
• Provides evidence based clinical nursing expertise to all staff.
• Actively investigates advanced theoretical knowledge and demonstrates research based practice.
• Takes responsibility for the management of patients nursed within the Critical Care Unit.
• Supervises the planning and delivery of patient care ensuring patient safety at all times.
• Ensures the implementation of best practice for standards of care.
• Monitors and audits agreed standards and nursing practice.
• Ensures effective communication between all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

Management

• Participates in the recruitment and appointment of staff. Is responsible for the orientation of new staff and regularly monitor staff performance.
• Acts as a team leader and ensures effective communication within that team.
• Directly supports and facilitates team project work and research and contributes to practice development.
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with all disciplines to ensure the safety of patients, their relatives, and staff.
• Facilitates feedback to individuals through performance review and clinical supervision to fulfil individual and unit needs.
• Participates in the Band 7 duty rota as Duty Sister / Charge Nurse for Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust.
• Demonstrates responsibility for the safe custody of drugs and maintains records in accordance with legal requirements.
• Actively participates in relevant Critical Care / NGH Trust initiatives / projects and takes responsibility for co-ordinating their development, implementation and evaluation within Critical Care.

Personnel

• Has a broad knowledge of the Health and Safety at Work Act, the COSHH report, Working Time Regulations, Clinical Governance, Risk Management, and the Policies of the Trust.
• Supports the Ward Manager at all times.
• Ensures all staff are conversant with emergency procedures.
• Facilitates and monitors compliance of nursing staff within own team with statutory and Trust mandatory training.
• At all times ensures that ones own actions support and promote equality, diversity and the rights of patients, public and colleagues.

Other information

The post holder may be required to carry out other relevant duties as required. The post holder will be expected to aspire to the Values of the Trust in their day to day work and behaviours in order to support the Trust in achieving its vision. The post holder will adhere to, at all times, any Professional, NHS Code of Conducts and legislation relevant for their area of work. The post holder will make themselves familiar with, and adhere to, at all times, the policies and procedures of the Trust, and their area of work. The post holder will be expected to work to any Corporate/Division/Directorate/Department objectives and standards in order to provide an acceptable level of service.

The post holder will be expected to undertake training, including mandatory and role specific training, relevant to their role and ensure it is renewed as required. Includes ALS training.

Person Specification

Education, Training & Qualifications

• NMC registered and educated to degree level
• Critical Care Course, Teaching/Assessor qualification
• Computer Literate
• First Line Management Course
• Evidence of Continuing professional Development

Knowledge & Experience

• Substantial experience in Critical Care environment at Band 6
• Substantial Evidence of Unit Coordination
• Evidence of Managerial and Leadership Experience
• Credible professional with knowledge of Critical Care Nursing

Skills

• Team leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Innovator
• Experience of dealing with challenging and difficult situations
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to cope with distressing situations

Key Competencies / Personal Qualities & Attributes

• Flexible, creative, openminded
• Demonstrates evidence of effectively managing challenge and change
• Adaptable and \"can do\" approach
• Enthusiastic, Positive and Courageous

The 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. 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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. Apply through our website.

Employer details

Employer name: Northampton General Hospital Address: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Billing Road, Northampton General Hospital, Northamptonshire, NN1 5BD, United Kingdom Employer's website: Apply through our website.

For questions about the job, contact:

Matron Soneya Joby [e-mail] 01604523742