Sister/ Charge Nurse

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol seeks an experienced Registered Nurse with orthopaedic expertise to join Gate 25A as a Sister/Charge Nurse. The ward is a busy 33-bed regional Major Trauma unit with 24 singles and 2 four-bed bays.

You will provide clinical leadership, coordinate teams, and work with the multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, efficient patient flow and timely discharge, with night duty/weekend rotation.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with active NMC registration and orthopaedic experience in an acute setting.
• Flexible and willing to undertake night duty and weekends.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Willingness to undertake teaching and assessment responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate nursing teams in delivering high standards of care when ward sister is unavailable.
• Provide clinical leadership and accountability for the nursing service.
• Respond quickly to significant changes in patient condition.
• Coordinate discharge planning with the multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, timely discharge.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team and support junior staff.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

IT skills (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Interpersonal skills

Adaptability

Education

RGN with live registration

Teaching & assessing qualification (998)

Desirable: specialist post-graduate training

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Education/Training/Qualifications

Essential criteria

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Registered Nurse with orthopaedic experience to join our committed nursing team on Gate 25A as a Sister/ Charge Nurse!

This ward is a busy 33 bedded regional Major Trauma ward with 24 single rooms and 2 four bedded bays.

The Successful Candidate Will Be

• A Registered Nurse with active NMC registration and orthopaedic experience in an acute setting
• Flexible and willing to undertake internal rotation to night duty and weekends
• An effective team leader
• Hardworking with the drive to go the extra mile

Main duties of the job

Key Duties Will Include

• In the absence of the ward sister lead and coordinate teams of nursing staff in the delivery of high standards of nursing care
• Take responsibility for providing effective clinical leadership and accountability for the nursing service .
• To act efficiently and effectively upon any significant changes in the patients’ condition or circumstances
• To be responsible for coordinating discharge planning in partnership with the multidisciplinary team to ensure arrangement of efficient, safe and timely discharge for effective patient flow
• Work closely with members of the multidisciplinary team
• To be actively involved in their own development and supporting junior members of the team in their development
• Supporting patients and their families during their stay
• To strictly adhere to local and trust wide Infection Control policy and procedures

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• In the absence of the ward sister lead and coordinate teams of nursing staff in the delivery of high standards of nursing care
• Take responsibility for providing effective clinical leadership and accountability for the nursing service .
• To act efficiently and effectively upon any significant changes in the patients’ condition or circumstances
• To be responsible for coordinating discharge planning in partnership with the multidisciplinary team to ensure arrangement of efficient, safe and timely discharge for effective patient flow
• Work closely with members of the multidisciplinary team
• To be actively involved in their own development and supporting junior members of the team in their development
• Supporting patients and their families during their stay
• To strictly adhere to local and trust wide Infection Control policy and procedures

Person specification

Education/Training/Qualifications

Essential criteria

• RGN, with current live Registration
• Teaching and assessing qualification (998 or equivalent) or willing to undertake

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of a specialist course study or willing to undertake
• Speciality specific post graduate training
• Trauma experience

Work Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience in an acute setting
• Experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Proven experience of teaching and assessing

Desirable criteria

• Knowledgeable experience of audit

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Essential criteria

• Good organisational and personal effectiveness skills
• Awareness of professional responsibilities to self and others
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in a changing environment
• Good interpersonal and communication skills at all levels including clinical staff.
• I.T skills to include Microsoft Word, Excel, Microsoft Outlook Email.
• Ability to work for and as part of a team

Desirable criteria

• Assertive and confident in their approach to managing at this level

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Important

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.