Critical Care Practice Development - Senior Sister/Charge Nurse in Cambridge

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a Critical Care Education band 7 Lead to shape, inspire and deliver excellence across two high-acuity critical care units. This is a pivotal leadership role for an experienced critical care educator who thrives in complex clinical environments and is passionate about developing the next generation of critical care professionals.

Working across a diverse portfolio of specialist services including Transplant, Oncology, Vascular, Neuro, Neurosurgical and Major Trauma, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for critical care education. You will lead and support a large, highly skilled team of Band 6 educators, driving high-quality pre- and post-registration education, workforce development and career progression.

You will be instrumental in ensuring education delivery aligns with the National Framework for Critical Care Education Standards, embedding evidence-based practice, innovation and continuous improvement. Beyond the organisation, you will act as a key ambassador for critical care education—building strong networks regionally and nationally, influencing practice, sharing expertise and contributing to the wider critical care education agenda.

If you are an inspiring leader with vision and a passion for critical care education we would like to hear from you.

• To work across all critical care areas as a practice development nurse to facilitate education, training and professional development for all staff through formal and informal teaching.
• Lead the delivery of education and training programmes to meet the learning needs critical care.
• To promote the work-based and academic learning of nursing staff through education and research initiatives.
• Promote the development and implementation of evidence-based nursing practice.
• To work in the clinical environment across critical care, to facilitate at clinical, directorate and corporate level, a continuous process of critically evaluating and improving service provision, ensuring effective patient focused care.
• Act as a link with staff from other areas to share knowledge, best practice and clinical expertise.
• Facilitate induction, orientation and supervision of newly employed nursing staff in critical care.
• Responsible for meeting Trust requirements with regard to the delivery and compliance recording of mandatory training to all staff.
• Assist in the management of critical care practice development nurse post holders.
• This post carries a requirement to teach within a clinical setting and contribute to clinical care as service needs require.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It’s a great place to nurse, work and live.

You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practise your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together – Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health-care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:

• applied for a Graduate visa
• or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
• or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 15 February 2026. Interviews are due to be held on 25 February 2026.

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Qualifications:

• RGN – degree or diploma
• Degree
• PGCEMSc

Experience:

• Relevant and significant post registration experience at Band 6 in critical care PD team.
• Experience leading and developing staff within PD team.
• Experience teaching, training and mentoring staff within PD team.
• Quality improvement Project management experience
• Audit / research experience

Knowledge:

• Expert clinical knowledge in critical care.
• Ability to integrate education and professional needs with the needs of the service
• Understanding current issues in critical care nursing and delivery of service.

Skills:

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Leadership and team working skills
• Able to motivate
• Good organisational skills
• Ability to integrate educational/professional needs of the service
• Able to adapt to the changing needs of the critical care unit
• Able to prioritise workload

Additional Requirements:

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
• Willingness to undertake additional roles.
• Willingness to accept alternative shift times.
• Understanding of current issues in critical care
• Interest in teaching.
• Representation of unit/organisation in broader initiatives.

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.