Staff Nurse - Critical Care Unit

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals; Preston; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Preston is seeking registered nurses to join our Critical Care Unit. You will deliver high‑quality care to critically ill patients in a newly expanded 34‑bed unit, working a roster that includes days, nights and weekends.

We welcome both experienced and newly qualified nurses within 2 months of qualifying and offer a supportive environment with strong professional development, induction, and opportunities to grow within the Trust.

Qualifications

• NMC registration within 2 months of qualifying
• Diploma in Nursing is required
• Mentorship qualification or commitment to work towards it
• Degree held or in progress is desirable
• Evidence of continuing education or development in nursing

Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver and evaluate the care for critically ill patients
• Coordinate care with the multidisciplinary team
• Provide patient education and support to families
• Maintain patient safety and safe clinical practice
• Lead and mentor junior staff and supervise duties
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation

Skills

Clinical governance

Policies & procedures

Leadership & management

Communication

Teamwork & collaboration

Education

NMC registration

Diploma in Nursing

Mentorship qualification or development plan

Degree

Continuing professional development

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

Corporate Services Roles

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Main area Critical Care Grade Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Rostered shift pattern which would include a mixture of days, nights and weekends (Day 07:00- 19:30 and Night 19:00- 07:30) Job ref 438-PB4916

Site Royal Preston Hospital Town Preston Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 16/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

We are looking for registered nurses to join our dynamic, supportive and innovative team, working in a new state of the art Critical Care Unit!

A multi million pound project to expand to 34 beds and refurbish the existing unit was completed in 2021. This gives an improved working and patient environment along with facilities and rest areas for relatives/carers.

Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust is the specialist regional centre for a mixture of specialities:

• Maxillo-facial and plastics
• Renal and dialysis
• Respiratory
• Gynaecology
• Oncology and Radiotherapy

This provides us with a varied patient group requiring a diverse workforce and multiple skills.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for planning, delivering and evaluating the personalised health and well-being care needs of critically ill patients, in line with the Trust’s Values & Nursing & Midwifery Professional Framework.

Qualities that make an exceptional critical care nurse are as follows; strong enough to get through tough situations but have a caring heart, able to keep calm under pressure, organised, communicate effectively within a team and able to interact with patient families that are often distraught.

If you have these qualities and constant change is something you strive for then a career in critical care is right for you. We welcome applications from experienced and newly qualified nurses (within 2 months of qualifying).

Working for our organisation

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Critical care will give you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and skills and develop your career pathway. We pride ourselves on delivering excellent care with compassion within an environment that is challenging, yet immensely rewarding. We are a friendly unit that offers a flexible and comprehensive induction. All staff are provided with supernumerary time – this is flexible to be extended depending on previous experience.

Duties will include, but not be limited to:

• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care to meet patients’ needs in accordance with agreed local and national standards and evidence based guidelines
• Support and provide patient education and health promotion
• Be responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of care, through appropriate professional practice, delegation and supervision of duties carried out by junior staff
• Proactively manage risk and maintain patient safety, conforming to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Assist in setting, monitoring and maintaining standards of care to improve the patient experience and outcome of care
• Communicate all relevant information to the multidisciplinary team internally and with external organisations as required, to ensure seamless care
• Maintain accurate and complete records of all care activities, in a timely manner, adhering to local and professional standards for documentation
• Act as a role model, presenting a positive image of self, team and the organisation
• Promote equality in care and practice by recognising, respecting and meeting the needs and choices of individuals
• Ensures environment of care is safe, well equipped and compliant with standards for hygiene and cleanliness
• To participate in education and training of junior staff.
• Maintain and develop own professional competence and seek to extend the scope of personal knowledge and skills within scope of role and professional practice
• Proactively engage with Trust wide or local changes and developments in nursing practice e.g intentional rounding, alcohol screening
• Actively try to resolve issues and complaints at local level and then report the outcome to line manager

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• Appropriate NMC Registration/within 2 months of qualifying
• Diploma in Nursing
• NMC recognised Mentorship qualification or willingness to work towards following commencement in post
• Degree
• Evidence of continuing education or development for more experienced band 5 nurses

Knowledge & Experience

• Knowledge of Clinical Governance and the relevance to practice
• Knowledge of relevant policies and procedures
• Knowledge of ethical issues
• Evidence of clinical experience to date
• Clinical experience within a specialist area
• Knowledge of Leadership and Management
• Research and Development

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

NO UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING COMPANY APPROACHES

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Janet Bolton, Job title Lead Educator, Email address [e-mail], Telephone number 01772 521598, Additional information: Available Monday to Friday 08:30-16:30 hrs.

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