County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Practice Development Educator
The closing date is 30 September 2026
An exciting opportunity hasarisen to join our Critical Care team as a Practice Development Educator. Thisrole will provide dedicated leadership for education, training and professionaldevelopment, enabling staff to develop the specialist knowledge, skills andcompetencies required to deliver high-quality care to critically ill patients.Working closely with the Ward Manager and wider Critical Care leadership team,the post holder will lead and coordinate education and clinical skillsdevelopment, support staff through critical care competency pathways andongoing professional development, and help shape a skilled, confident andsustainable critical care workforce.
We are looking for anexperienced Critical Care Nurse with in-depth specialist knowledge of intensivecare, effective leadership skills and excellent communication, organisationaland interpersonal skills. The successful candidate will hold a relevant teachingqualification or be willing to work towards a PGCE or equivalent if not alreadyachieved. The role will require a flexible approach to working, includingdifferent shift patterns where required, to meet the changing educational anddevelopment needs of the Critical Care team.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will lead and coordinate education andprofessional development within Critical Care, creating a positive andsupportive learning environment for staff at all stages of their critical carecareer. They will maintain a visible clinical presence, working alongside staffto provide teaching, coaching, simulation and practical skills development,while supporting the achievement of critical care competencies and ongoingprofessional development. The post holder will lead the planning, delivery andevaluation of educational programmes, support new starters and experiencedstaff, and work closely with the Critical Care leadership team to identifylearning needs and develop education in response to clinical practice, patientsafety learning and service priorities. At times, you will beexpected to work clinically as part of the Intensive Care senior nursing team,providing clinical leadership and supporting the safe and effective delivery ofpatient care. You will also represent the unit at Trust and regional CriticalCare education meetings and events, supporting shared learning and thedevelopment of best practice.
About us
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.
Over reliance onAI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances ofsuccess.
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will lead and coordinate education andprofessional development within Critical Care, creating a positive andsupportive learning environment for staff at all stages of their critical carecareer. They will maintain a visible clinical presence, working alongside staffto provide teaching, coaching, simulation and practical skills development,while supporting the achievement of critical care competencies and ongoingprofessional development. The post holder will lead the planning, delivery andevaluation of educational programmes, support new starters and experiencedstaff, and work closely with the Critical Care leadership team to identifylearning needs and develop education in response to clinical practice, patientsafety learning and service priorities. At times, you will beexpected to work clinically as part of the Intensive Care senior nursing team,providing clinical leadership and supporting the safe and effective delivery ofpatient care. You will also represent the unit at Trust and regional CriticalCare education meetings and events, supporting shared learning and thedevelopment of best practice.
Special Requirement
- Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
Special Skills & Knowledge
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Effective organisational skills
- Experience of change management, Quality / service improvement.
- Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact working with high levels of concentration.
- Competent IT Skills
- Be able to work flexibly within the service needs.
- Ability to work flexibly and manage competing priorities
- Consistently high attention to detail and quality of work
- Ability to work in a busy and varied work environment and respond to change
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others
Experience
- Significant clinical experience within a relevant field
- Highly developed specialist knowledge of education acquired through experience and study
- Experience of learner mentorship, education experience, clinical teaching and providing support and feedback to a range of learners
- Proven experience of delivering clinical skills training & support in a variety of settings
- Leadership experience within a clinical or educational field
Statutory Registration
- Registered Nurse (adult) on part 1 of the NMC register
- Valid UK NMC PIN
Qualifications
- Degree in nursing or equivalent and evidence of continuous professional development.
- Relevant experience / qualification appropriate to clinical area.
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Certification / Qualification in teaching or equivalent
- Postgraduate qualification in Critical Care
- PGCE course or to be completed within the first 2 years
- Masters in a relevant clinical area
- PGCE course
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
£49,387 to £56,515 a yearPer Annum/Pro Rata
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