Staff Nurse - Ward 2D | Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Knowsley

The Respiratory Team within Whiston Hospital is looking for Band 5 registered nurses to deliver high quality care. Our units are both acute and fast paced environments. No two days are the same and staff are continuously facing new challenges and experiences that help them grow and develop within their role. If you join our team, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in acute respiratory nursing. We provide holistic care to the very acutely unwell and those with chronic respiratory illnesses who require frequent treatment.

The wards treat a wide range of thoracic conditions including lung cancer, asthma, COPD, TB, type 1 and type 2 respiratory failure, pleural effusions, pneumothorax, tracheostomies and PEs. The ward team has excellent support from the Consultant Respiratory physicians. We have strong relationships with our allied health professionals to provide excellent, safe care. Respiratory has a close working relationship with the Respiratory Nurse Specialists and palliative specialist nurses, to deliver high quality patient care. You will work closely with the therapy team and have fantastic input from the ward's pharmacist who will help you gain knowledge in the field of pharmaceuticals.

The wards also have ward-based discharge coordinators who support all aspects of the discharge process and provide support for ward staff to ensure effective discharge planning is achieved. As a newly qualified Nurse, we can offer you preceptorship – new starters attend a Trust Induction. Support will be given at a clinical level by a preceptor, and from a wider organisational structure including the preceptorship lead, clinical skills team, clinical practice development nurse and learning and development.

The Respiratory Directorate is an excellent environment for experienced nurses as well. They may not have previous experience within respiratory, but they would be able to bring other knowledge and skills from other specialties. Nurses who may have previous experience within respiratory would have the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge and skills. They would be able to gain experience and develop within certain aspects of respiratory care that may not have been available to them in their previous role. This includes caring for patients in our high dependent units, where our patients may require non‑invasive ventilation therapy. You will be expected to rotate to both days and nights and be flexible in your approach to caring for a group of patients.

Responsibilities

• Provides and receives complex information, communicating sensitively and confidentially information relating to patients/clients (for example, care plan discussions with patients).
• Communicates in a compassionate and empathetic manner, using persuasion and reassurance.
• Ability to recognise barriers to communication, and ability to modify communication style as and when required.
• Ability to effectively communicate whilst providing training to students.
• Demonstrate effective communications skills with the wider MDT team.

Clinical Skills

• To be responsible for planning and organising a defined caseload of patients on a continuing basis.
• To assess, plan, implement/deliver and evaluate patient care for a defined caseload and recognise signs of deterioration/change and respond according to protocol.
• Maintain appropriate levels of training for clinical skills as needed within scope of practice.
• To maintain safe custody of drugs, ensuring that checking, witnessing and administration procedures are compatible with statutory and trust requirements.
• In the absence of Sister/Charge Nurse effectively respond to complaints/concerns and escalated as required.
• To ensure clinical incident/near misses are managed and reported and escalated in a timely manner.
• To be part of the multidisciplinary team decision‑making, acting when required as the patients advocate in order to support the patients pathway.
• Work within the organisational policy, standard operating procedures and guidelines.
• To undertake risk assessments and implement risk‑reducing measures.
• To report and escalates to the Line Manager any deficiencies in the arrangements for minimizing risk.
• Ensure that privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times.

Use of Resources

• To actively participate in the effective and efficient use of the ward/departmental resources and equipment, including stock management and care and maintenance of equipment.
• Handles patient’s valuables, ensuring safe storage and transportation.
• Sign off agency timesheets in order to verify and record the hours worked.
• Liaise with the Roster Coordinator to ensure your personal roster is balanced within the roster period.
• To order and receipt goods in accordance with the Trust’s financial framework.

Team Development

• To deputise in the absence of the Sister/Charge Nurse.
• To manage own time and that of others, through delegations to ensure high quality service delivery.
• To act as assessor/supervisor for junior staff and students.
• To participate in the setting of yearly personal and professional objectives for self.
• Support the department’s appraisal process for junior staff, by providing feedback.
• To be flexible in the delivery of safe staffing across the Trust and participate in redeployment requirements within scope of practice.

Research and Audit

• To contribute to the collection of data for research and audit purposes.
• To identify audit topics relevant to the ward/department.
• To critically evaluate research before applying to clinic practice in order to enhance patient care.

Personal Development

• To identify areas for self‑development, areas of interest and training requirements within individual personal performance planning and development review.
• To maintain a professional portfolio and reflective diary for developmental purposes and revalidation.
• Support the rest of the team by recognising own and promoting self‑help and wellbeing.
• Develop a culture of learning and innovation, developing high quality learning environments.
• Adopt a reflective approach to own practice with a view to continually improve.

This advert closes on Wednesday 20 May 2026.