Lead Nurse (30hrs pwk)

NHS Jobs; Ashbourne; On-site; EUR 64,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is seeking a Lead Nurse to provide clinical leadership, governance and development across nursing teams. The role focuses on safe practice, evidence-based care and the implementation of clinical protocols, with an emphasis on consistency across sites.

You will lead on nurse-led services, oversee training, and balance clinical duties with leadership responsibilities to support high-quality patient care within the practice network.

Responsibilities

• Clinical Leadership and Oversight: act as the recognised clinical lead for the nursing team and provide day-to-day guidance on clinical practice and decision-making within scope.
• Line Management and Team Support: provide first-line support and line management for the nursing team, including appraisals, 121s and performance management.
• Service Development and Improvement: lead ongoing review of nurse-led services such as long-term condition reviews, diabetes, respiratory disease, contraception, cytology and women's health.
• Clinical Governance: support governance processes, audits and documentation to ensure safety and quality across nursing services.
• Workforce Development, Education and Training: support training for the nursing team and develop learning environments, supervision, and placement opportunities.
• Clinical Responsibilities: maintain a clinical caseload aligned with competence and service needs, including long-term condition reviews, prescribing where qualified, and women's health.

Job description

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Clinical Leadership and Oversight

   Act as the recognised clinical lead for the nursing team Provide day-to-day guidance on clinical practice and decision-making within scope Support safe, evidence-based care across all nursing clinics Lead on the development and implementation of clinical protocols and pathways Ensure alignment with current NICE guidance, local ICB requirements and best practice Act as the escalation point for nursing clinical queries where appropriate Review relevant service specifications and commissioned requirements, providing clinical input on whether nursing services are being delivered safely, consistently and in line with expectations Work with the Quality Team to identify clinical coding, template, recall or workflow issues that affect QOF achievement, patient care or commissioned service delivery

2. Line Management and Team Support

   Provide first-line support and line management for the nursing team, including Practice Nurses, Nursing Associates and HCAs. Undertake Appraisals Regular 121s Probation reviews where required Manage performance or conduct concerns in collaboration with the Operations Manager and HR processes where required. Support team wellbeing, retention, communication and consistency across both sites. Importantly, this includes supporting resolution of differing clinical opinions within the team, ensuring decisions are Evidence-based Pragmatic Consistent across sites

3. Service Development and Improvement

   Lead ongoing review of nurse-led services including long-term condition reviews, diabetes, respiratory disease, contraception, cytology and womens health. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, flow, and use of skill mix Streamline nursing processes, recalls, clinic templates and appointment use across both sites, using SystmOne and Ardens Templates consistently Support safe innovation and new ways of working Work with the Operations Manager to align workforce planning, clinic structure and skill mix with patient need and commissioned requirements. Review diabetes, respiratory, contraception, womens health and other nurse-led services to ensure capacity, competence and processes match patient need and commissioned requirements

4. Clinical Governance

   Support clinical governance processes relating to the nursing team, including Significant events Audits Protocol compliance Contribute to CQC preparedness and quality assurance Ensure appropriate documentation and consistent use of clinical systems, including SystmOne and Ardens Templates. Support accurate coding, QOF achievement and quality improvement by working closely with the Quality Team and wider clinical team

5. Workforce Development, Education and Training

   Support training and development of the nursing team, including Newly appointed staff Role progression (e.g. Band 5 to Band 6) Scope expansion (e.g. smears, contraception, chronic disease management) Development in diabetes, respiratory disease, contraception, LARC fitting and womens health, according to existing competence and service need Help identify training needs and opportunities Support supervision structures and work collaboratively with the Nurse Clinical Supervisor where applicable. The Lead Nurse will play a key role in supporting the development of the practice as a multidisciplinary training environment, including expansion of nursing and nursing associate placements. The postholder will Undertake appropriate preparation to fulfil the role of Practice Supervisor and/or Practice Assessor in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment (SSSA) Maintain competence in these roles through ongoing update training as required Support the development of the practice as an approved learning environment for Student nurses Trainee nursing associates Other relevant learners within primary care Provide supervision, support and assessment of learners in practice, appropriate to level of qualification Work with the Training Hub, university partners, and internal leadership to Establish and maintain nursing training placements Ensure appropriate supervision capacity across the team Contribute to quality assurance and learner feedback processes Promote a positive learning culture within the nursing team, supporting colleagues to take on supervision roles over time

6. Clinical Responsibilities

   The postholder will maintain a clinical caseload appropriate to their competence, experience and service needs, which may include Long-term condition reviews, including diabetes and respiratory disease, according to competence and training Independent prescribing, where already qualified and appropriate to the role Womens health, contraception and LARC fitting, where already competent or following agreed training Supporting complex or escalated patient cases Use of SystmOne and Ardens Templates to support consistent assessment, coding, recalls and follow-up Clinical time will be balanced with leadership responsibilities.

7. Cross-Organisational Working and Commissioned Services

   Work collaboratively with the Operations Manager, GP partners, Local Governance Officer, Quality Team and wider clinical team. Act as the bridge between clinical and operational decision-making for the nursing team Contribute to wider organisational planning where nursing, commissioned service or clinical delivery input is required. Act as a clinical link for commissioned nursing services, reviewing specifications and advising whether delivery, coding and clinical processes are appropriate