Senior Staff Nurse - HDU - Savannah Surgery, Spinal and Orthopaedics in London

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our surgical team. Our 26 bedded unit offers a dynamic environment to widen your surgical skill set in caring for spinal, orthopaedic and general surgical patients. We pride ourselves in supporting a range of children and families on their journey through surgical interventions.

As a well-established surgical centre, we care for patients across the South East of England. The post holder will work alongside our clinical educator to enhance their nursing skills, knowledge and develop leadership. We will encourage you to explore the specialities further through a range of training and development, for example participating in internal and external courses such as Advanced Paediatric Life Support and Evelina Paediatric Acute Nursing in Critical Care.

With the advent of Children's Cancer Services and realignment of existing services, there are plans for expansion. The post holder will be responsible for the assessment, planning and provision of specialist nursing advice and carrying out specialist nursing procedures. They will assess care needs of patients, plan programmes of care, implement and evaluate these programmes without direct supervision.

At times, they will have management responsibility for being in charge of the ward and supervising junior members of staff, as part of their own development and career progression. The post holder will be a key member in relation to the development of practice on the ward, working independently/autonomously and at times without direct supervision, accountable for their own professional actions.

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of service users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person-centred care principles is essential. Self-development should be a priority for the post holder, with multiple educational opportunities within the trust available. Post qualification experience is required for this role and they are not currently open to newly qualified nurses or nurses in the process of registering with the NMC from abroad.

There is also an opportunity for an experienced band 5 nurse to seek a development pathway towards a band 6 role. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best-known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high-quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.

At Evelina, we are committed to supporting flexible working; we want to support you to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients, and for you. Part-time working is available. We are committed to diversity and inclusion, and creating a sense of belonging and fun for all our teams caring for women, children and families.

The post holder will be responsible for assessing and recognising emergencies in the specialty, interpreting information and taking appropriate action, and leading others to do the same. They will act as an advocate for patients within the department, ensuring a patient-orientated approach to the delivery of care and meeting standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines.

Ensure that patients receive high-quality clinical care and a good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines. Be an effective communicator with patients/carers/families regarding disease treatment and management. Facilitate a high-quality, cost-effective specialist service through monitoring and audit and other quality initiatives agreed by the Trust.

Set, monitor and review standards of care on a regular basis and initiate corrective action plans. Identify and intervene where circumstances contribute to an unsafe environment for patients and staff, bringing instances to the attention of the Sister/Charge Nurse for the area.

Ensure that the learning environment and specialist training is appropriate for both pre and post-registration learners and participate in the development of appropriate programmes. The post holder will provide clinical supervision to other staff, students and may undertake research, leading clinical audits in their own specialist area.

To assist the Sister/Charge Nurse in developing a culture that is challenging, stimulating, rewarding and supportive. Provide a leadership role model and demonstrate specialist knowledge and high standards of clinical practice, providing support or advice when necessary. Promote and undertake nursing research, updating own knowledge to promote excellence in clinical practice.

Take an active role in risk assessment, supporting implementation of strategies to minimise risk, ensuring incidents and near misses are reported, through promoting a no blame culture. Ensure all staff act in accordance with Local, Hospital and Statutory Guidelines & Policies including Health and Safety initiatives.