Nurse Practitioner in Gateshead

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic, innovative, and highly motivated registered nurse to join our Rapid Response Nursing Team as aBand 6 Nurse Practitioner. This is an exciting opportunity for a flexible and compassionate practitioner who is passionate about delivering high-quality care within the community setting.

This is a part time position, working 30 hours per week over a variety of shifts, including day shift, night shift, twilight shift, weekends and bank holidays.

Main duties of the job

The Rapid Response Nursing Team provides an urgent community response service to the residents of Gateshead, in line with national guidance, with a focus on supporting people to remain safely at home and avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions. In addition to urgent interventions, the team delivers planned and unplanned nursing care to adult patients (aged 18 years and over) who are registered with a Gateshead GP.

Working as part of a dynamic multidisciplinary team, the successful candidate will support the Rapid Response Enhanced Nurse Practitioners and Team Lead in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care at the point of contact. The post holder will be responsible for providing a range of clinical interventions that address the health and wellbeing needs of patients within their own homes and community settings.

Patients cared for by the service often present with complex health needs, multiple co-morbidities, frailty, and palliative or end-of-life care requirements. The successful applicant will therefore require excellent clinical assessment, decision-making, and communication skills, along with a commitment to delivering compassionate and person-centred care.

This role will contribute to the safe and effective delivery of a 24/7 Rapid Response Service for the residents of Gateshead, supporting the senior team in providing timely urgent community interventions and helping to achieve the overarching aim of admission avoidance wherever appropriate.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the BAME network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our armed forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities

Band 6 Nurse Practitioner Rapid Response Nursing Team

The post holder will support the Rapid Response Team Lead in the delivery, development, and evaluation of high-quality, patient-centred services, ensuring alignment with Community Business Unit and Trust objectives, as well as local and national standards and guidance.

The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner within their sphere of competence, delivering planned and unplanned interventions to adults receiving care within the community. The role will contribute to the safe and effective provision of a 24/7 urgent community response service, supporting admission avoidance and enabling patients to receive care in the most appropriate setting.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Band 6 Nurse Practitioner Rapid Response Nursing Team

The post holder will support the Rapid Response Team Lead in the delivery, development, and evaluation of high-quality, patient-centred services, ensuring alignment with Community Business Unit and Trust objectives, as well as local and national standards and guidance.

The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner within their sphere of competence, delivering planned and unplanned interventions to adults receiving care within the community. The role will contribute to the safe and effective provision of a 24/7 urgent community response service, supporting admission avoidance and enabling patients to receive care in the most appropriate setting.

Key Responsibilities Clinical Practice

• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care to meet the individual needs of patients, families, and carers within community settings.
• Deliver high-quality, evidence-based nursing care to adults within their own homes and other community environments.
• Undertake and manage planned and unplanned clinical interventions, working autonomously and within agreed professional competencies.
• Provide timely assessment and treatment of patients with complex health needs, including frailty, long-term conditions, palliative care, and end-of-life care requirements.
• Administer treatments and manage specific conditions in accordance with agreed clinical pathways, protocols, Patient Group Directions (PGDs), and Trust policies.
• Ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, delivered by appropriately skilled professionals.
• Maintain high standards of clinical practice through continuous evaluation and implementation of evidence-based care.
• Promote patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and positive patient outcomes across all aspects of service delivery.
• Facilitate safe, efficient, and effective patient pathways through the Rapid Response Service.

Leadership and Management

• Support the Team Lead in the operational management and development of the Rapid Response Service.
• Provide leadership and supervision to members of the multidisciplinary team, promoting a positive and supportive working environment.
• Delegate work appropriately according to staff competence and skill mix, ensuring safe and effective care delivery.
• Act as a visible clinical role model, maintaining professional credibility through direct involvement in patient care.
• Support the implementation of service improvement initiatives and transformational projects within the service.
• Contribute to the achievement of service performance targets, quality indicators, CQUINs, and Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs), as directed by the Team Lead.
• Encourage innovation and support the development of new models of care across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Foster effective communication and engagement across the multidisciplinary team, ensuring staff remain informed about Trust and service developments.

Quality, Governance and Patient Safety

• Work in accordance with Trust policies, procedures, professional standards, and national guidance to ensure safe and effective care at all times.
• Contribute to clinical governance processes, quality improvement initiatives, and audit activity within the service.
• Monitor and evaluate standards of care, ensuring practice is evidence-based, research-informed, and supports continuous improvement.
• Work collaboratively with clinical leaders, operational managers, and quality teams to ensure robust systems are in place to maintain patient safety.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, quality improvement, and shared accountability for patient outcomes.
• Ensure the experiences and feedback of patients and their families are used to inform service development and improvement.

Education, Training and Workforce Development

• Support the professional development of staff through mentoring, supervision, and sharing of clinical expertise.
• Contribute to workforce development in line with national nursing, allied health professional (AHP), and multi-professional guidance.
• Facilitate a positive learning environment that supports the development of all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Participate in the induction, training, competency assessment, and ongoing development of new staff.
• Develop and deliver education and training programmes appropriate to the needs of the service.
• Maintain own professional competence through continuing professional development, reflective practice, and lifelong learning.

Communication and Partnership Working

• Establish and maintain effective communication with patients, carers, colleagues, and partner organisations.
• Work collaboratively as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team to deliver coordinated, person-centred care.
• Promote health education, health promotion, and informed patient choice whenever appropriate.
• Contribute to collaborative working across community services and wider health and care systems to improve patient outcomes.

Service Requirements

• The post will be based within Gateshead and will require travel throughout the borough and surrounding areas to provide care for patients registered with a Gateshead GP.
• The post holder will be expected to work flexibly across a variety of shift patterns to support the delivery of a 24-hour, 7-day service.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• oDiploma/Degree in Adult Nursing
• oAccredited Clinical Skills/or equivalent expert knowledge
• oTeaching qualification or equivalent
• oEvidence of working with PGD's
• oFull Drivers License

Experience

• oAbility to organise workload and work autonomously and within a team.
• oLeadership and management experience
• oAbility to undertake research and audit
• oAbility to work under pressure and achieve tight deadlines in a complex/changing environment
• oAbility to maintain effective communication verbal and written.
• Change Management
• community experience

Skills / Attributes / Knowledge

• Portfolio of evidence of continuing professional dev.
• IT skill and knowledge
• Trained in moving and handling procedures.
• Flexible
• Good interpersonal skills
• Car Driver
• Decision making/Leadership
• Organisational skills

physical requirements

• Able to move and handle safely
• Ability to travel independently

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.