Sister/ Charge Nurse

Main area: Critical Care Unit

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 7

Contract: 12 months (Fixed term end date: 01.06.2027)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Job ref: 282-SB1516

Employer: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Site: The Royal Marsden Chelsea Town, Chelsea

Salary: £58,133 - £65,261 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 28/05/2026 23:59

Join Our World-Class Critical Care Team at The Royal Marsden!

Are you an experienced critical care nurse ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? Do you have a passion for delivering outstanding patient care while supporting and developing a high-performing team? If so, The Royal Marsden’s Critical Care Unit wants to hear from you.

About the Role:

As a Sister/Charge Nurse in our Critical Care Unit, you will play a key role in shaping patient outcomes and nursing practice. You’ll lead by example, providing strong clinical leadership while ensuring a safe, compassionate, and effective environment for patients, families, and staff.

Working closely with the Lead Nurse and multidisciplinary teams, you'll be responsible for coordinating patient care, managing resources, mentoring staff, and maintaining excellence in clinical governance. You'll have the autonomy to make real decisions and the support of one of the world’s leading cancer centres.

Main Duties:

• Lead and coordinate nursing care delivery, ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality.
• Support staff through clinical supervision, debriefing, and mentorship.
• Act as a key decision-maker in patient admissions, transfers, and discharges.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the unit, including audits, incident reviews, and policy development.
• Oversee staff development, appraisals, and training alongside the Practice Education team.
• Play a vital role in managing rosters, recruitment, and retention in a dynamic and specialised unit.

Qualifications:

• Registered Nurse (Adult) with ICU course and substantial post-registration experience in a critical care setting.
• Strong clinical and leadership skills with a compassionate, patient‑focused approach.
• Experience managing teams, leading service improvements, and promoting evidence‑based practice.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and education.

Benefits:

• A globally recognised centre of excellence in cancer care and research.
• A collaborative, innovative, and supportive team culture.
• Opportunities to grow, lead and shape the future of critical care nursing.
• Access to continuous education and specialist training.
• State‑of‑the‑art facilities and a focus on delivering holistic, person‑centred care.

Detailed Responsibilities:

• Manage a coordinated nursing service in liaison with the Matron and all members of the multidisciplinary team maximising high quality patient care.
• Maintain clinical credibility through practice and utilise the findings of nursing research and evidence‑based care to optimise high quality patient care.
• Monitor and review nursing practice regularly, participating in audits that must include documentation in accordance with Trust policy and NMC Guidelines.
• Maintain continuity of quality nursing care that responds flexibly to patients’ and carers’ needs and includes a safe transfer to relevant care setting.
• Work closely with and support team leaders, ensure appraisals are up to date within the team, provide guidance and mentorship for designated team leader.
• Monitor trends and prevalence of clinical incidents in liaison with the Matron and CNS according to the Trust’s Risk Management Guidance and Directives and develop strategies to prevent them reoccurring.

Person Specification:

• Critical Care Qualification
• Recognised mentoring and assessing qualification
• First Degree
• Higher Degree
• Management Qualification
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Experience of dealing with HR issues relating to performance/capability
• Experience in staff appraisal and development plans
• Experience in organising and delivering education within clinical setting
• Demonstrate clear ability and responsibility for creating a dynamic learning environment
• Experience in a senior clinical role
• Experience of clinical governance and investigation of complaints and incidents

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities:

• Critical care skills
• Excellent communication skills with particular ability to liaise effectively with multi‑disciplinary team members
• Evidence of good leadership qualities including delegation and co‑ordination of teams.
• Ability to innovate and manage change
• Evidence of commitment to customer care initiatives and incorporation of cultural values into practice.
• Evidence of good understanding of NHS reforms and the contracting process including those affecting cancer and critical care services.
• Ability to manage conflict situations
• Evidence of good management practice

Special Aptitudes and Disposition:

• Commitment to personal and professional development

EEO Statement:

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.

Annual Flu Vaccination:

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.