Paediatric Pre-operative Assessment Nurse in Reading

Main area Paediatric Pre-operative Assessment Nurse Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 16.87 hours per week (pro rata, per annum) Job ref 193-8155670UCGB5-NURSE

Employer Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Berkshire Hospital Town Reading Salary £32,073 - £39,043 pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 22/09/2026 23:59

Paediatric Pre-operative Assessment Nurse

NHS AfC: Band 5

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.

We areCompassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We areAspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We areResourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We areExcellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.

Job overview

The post holder is responsible for the pre-operative assessment of children and young people scheduled to undergo a variety of surgical procedures and investigations requiring a general anaesthetic.

The role will primarily involve undertaking comprehensive pre-operative assessments via telephone, ensuring children and their families are prepared for admission and surgery. The post holder will complete a nursing assessment, obtaining relevant medical history, identifying potential risks or concerns, and ensuring all required investigations and results are completed, reviewed and documented. Where clinically indicated, arrangements will be made for baseline measurements and any additional assessments required before admission.

The post holder will provide information, advice and support to children, young people and their families throughout the pre-operative pathway, ensuring appropriate planning before admission and during their hospital admission.

Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, including anaesthetists, surgeons, children's unit and day surgery teams, the post holder will communicate concerns that may affect surgery or anaesthesia, supporting timely decision-making and patient safety.

The post holder will contribute to the ongoing development, evaluation and continuous improvement of the service, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care in line with best practice.

Main duties of the job

Undertake comprehensive nurse-led pre-operative assessments for children and young people undergoing elective surgery or investigations requiring a general anaesthetic, primarily via telephone. Assess medical history, current health, medications, anxiety, allergies and previous anaesthetic history, identifying and escalating any clinical concerns to the multidisciplinary team. Ensure all required investigations, documentation and referrals are completed to support safe, timely surgery and minimise avoidable cancellations. Provide information, advice and reassurance to children, young people and their families throughout the pre-operative pathway, promoting informed decision-making and reducing anxiety. Liaise with surgeons, anaesthetists, ward, day surgery and outpatient teams to coordinate care and optimise patient outcomes. Maintain accurate patient records and work in accordance with the NMC Code, Trust policies and safeguarding requirements. Contribute to audit, quality improvement and the ongoing development of the pre-operative assessment service.

Working for our organisation

Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.

Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.

Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Undertake comprehensive pre-operative assessments for children and young people undergoing elective surgery, primarily via telephone, with face-to-face assessments introduced as the service develops. Assess medical history, current health, medications, allergies, and previous anaesthetic history, identifying and escalating any concerns to the multidisciplinary team. Ensure all required investigations and documentation are completed to support safe surgery and minimise cancellations. Provide information, advice, and reassurance to children, young people, and their families regarding their surgical journey. Liaise effectively with surgeons, anaesthetists, ward and theatre teams to coordinate care. Maintain accurate patient records and work in accordance with the NMC Code, safeguarding, and Trust policies. Participate in service development, audit, and quality improvement activities while contributing to the ongoing development of the pre-operative assessment service.

Person specification

• Registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Children's Nurse (RN Child) with evidence of ongoing professional development
• Experience of caring for children and young people in an acute paediatric setting, with the ability to undertake holistic nursing assessments and recognise and escalated clinical concerns appropriately.
• Communication and Organisational Skills - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to undertake telephone assessments, provide information and reassurance to children and families, prioritise workload effectively, and work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Pre-operative Assessment Qualification/Competency Completion of a recognised pre-operative assessment course or evidence of competency in undertaking pre-operative assessments, or willingness to work towards this within an agreed timeframe.
• Relevant Clinical Experience Experience of working within a paediatric surgical, day surgery, pre-operative assessment or perioperative setting, including coordinating the elective patient pathway.
• Experience of clinical audit, service improvement or quality improvement initiatives, with competence in using electronic patient record systems and Microsoft Office applications.

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

• Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
• Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Money Advice Service
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
• On-site nursery (based at RBH)
• Full educational library services
• Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
• Bus to work scheme
• Excellent rail and bus links
• A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, that as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information. All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period.

The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.