Senior Scrub Practitioner (Band 6) in Kingston upon Thames

The Royal Marsden is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground-breaking research, complex major surgery and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies. At the Royal Marsden we have a distinct set of values that define what we are and how we behave. Our values encompass showing kindness and compassion and putting our patient care first, offering ideas for improving the quality and safety of services and supporting others in new ways of working, taking responsibility for personal and team performance and priorities and striving to ensure quality of services and make the best use of resources.

We have 7 state of the art theatres in Chelsea and 2 in Sutton, totalling 9 across the trust. The successful candidate will play a central role in working as part of a motivated and committed scrub team in Chelsea. We strive for excellence in all that we do and value the importance of reflection, critical thinking and promote professional development.

As a member of the theatre team to perform all the tasks of a registered theatre nurse/ODP including resuscitation, scrub and circulation following all checks and procedures as laid down in National and Trust theatre policy. The post holder is expected to carry out all the relevant forms of care without direct supervision and is required to demonstrate procedures, supervise underqualified staff whilst maintaining a safe working environment.

• To be responsible for the safe use of complex scrub equipment (diathermy, microscopic instrumentation etc).
• To demonstrate sound knowledge base of safe decontamination processes and practices, particularly relating to the safe decontamination of flexible scopes and sterilisation of instruments.
• Take on responsibilities for ordering stock and non‑stock supplies and arranging timely servicing of this equipment, both routine and urgent.
• Provide high quality, individualised, evidence‑based care to patients/clients and relatives/carers in collaboration with the multi‑professional team, in line with the local and national targets.
• To support the Clinical Theatre manager and Theatre sister/charge nurses and if appropriate deputise and co‑ordinate running of the theatre floor for them in their absence.

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world‑leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That’s why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our ongoing achievements.

Ensure that all theatre documentation (including nursing & ODP) is maintained to the Trust standard (including electronic records) and implement clinical audit of records to measure and evaluate care planning.

• Provide sound clinical leadership and develop support mechanisms for sharing good practice within the Department and Trust wide.
• Monitor the quality of clinical care and action audit information to achieve agreed standards and take the lead on customer care initiatives.
• To have continuing responsibility for the provision of a suitable, clean, uncluttered and safe environment for the physical and psychological well being of staff and patients.
• Identify and report clinical risks and ensure that these are reported to the Clinical Theatre Manager and Theatre Sister/Charge Nurses in order that appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the Trust Risk Management policy.
• Monitor the quality of clinical care and partake in audits to achieve agreed standards and take the lead on customer care initiatives.
• To be actively involved in the development of Trust policies and procedures at ward / department level, support the implementation and reinforce their use. Review & update local policy & procedure to ensure they comply with current clinical guidelines.

• Registered Nurse (Adult) or Registered Operating Department Practitioner.
• RMH Certificate in Intravenous Drug Administration (or obtained within 3 months of appointment).
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Experience in area of speciality.
• Mentorship/Practice Assessor qualification (or willingness to work towards).
• Post‑registration study relevant to theatres/perioperative practice.

• Experience working as a scrub nurse/ODP in a perioperative environment.
• Experience supporting junior staff or students in clinical practice.
• Experience in a speciality relevant to the department.
• Experience participating in audits, quality improvement or clinical governance activities.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise effectively with the multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to make sound clinical decisions, organise and prioritise workload under pressure.
• Demonstrates motivation to maintain and develop clinical skills, engage in continuous improvement, and reflect on practice.
• Understands and applies principles of clinical governance, patient safety, infection prevention and quality improvement in the perioperative environment.
• Evidence of commitment to high‑quality patient‑centred care and service standards.
• Ability to supervise, mentor and support junior staff effectively.
• Good digital skills, including use of email, electronic patient systems, and theatre management software, with ability to learn new systems.
• Knowledge of decontamination, sterilisation processes and safe use of theatre equipment (e.g., diathermy, laparoscopic/robotic systems).

• Ability to work rostered shifts, including participation in on‑call rota following training.
• Flexibility to meet service needs across Sutton and Chelsea sites.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application.

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff: At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.