Junior Sister / Charge Nurse

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Adult Registered Nurse to join our friendly and growing team on the Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) at Bedford Hospital as a Band 6. Our 30-bedded unit cares for a wide range of acutely unwell patients, offering a fast-paced and rewarding environment where no two days are the same.

We are looking for a highly motivated nurse who shares our commitment to delivering compassionate, safe, and effective care. You will bring strong communication and organisational skills, confidence in managing complex situations, and the ability to lead by example. Your role will include the assessment, coordination, and effective management of patient care, working closely with the multidisciplinary team.

The AAU is a supportive and forward-thinking area where new ideas and innovation are encouraged. You will be surrounded by colleagues who value teamwork, professional growth, and high-quality patient care. This role is ideal for nurses looking to expand their skills and knowledge within Acute Medicine while stepping into a leadership position.

We warmly welcome informal visits — come and meet the team and see what makes our unit such a great place to work.

Main duties of the job

On AAU we have a high standard of care and aim to achieve excellence.

Being a Band 6 Sister/ Charge Nurse on AAU involves taking charge of the shift and being able to effectively co-ordinate the team of RN's, CSW's, TNA's etc. to maintain a safe working environment for both staff and patients whilst for filling your duties and responsibilities as a Sister/ Charge Nurse (details in Detailed job description and main responsibilities).

Patient safety and quality of care is our top priority and this will need to be in the forefront of the successful applicants working mind. Examples of this would look like: continuous risk assessments of the patients and overall view of the ward and problem solve where issues arise. This could be for our patients with Mental health issues, cognitive impairment/ dementia or our vulnerable patients. Mitigating risks and having full oversite of the ward is imperative to the safety and high standard of care that we deliver for our patients. 

In addition, the Sister/ Charge Nurse is also to deputise for the manager in their absence. This will involve communicating to different departments such as: Site team, Matron, Deputy Head of Nursing, Medical team, PLS and much more. 

Further more, Brainstorming, service improvement and regular team meetings with the manager to continually develop, improve and excel our service is something that will be encouraged and desired!

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional Responsibilities

• To deputise for the Ward Manager and liaise with members of the multi-disciplinary team both within the organisation and with external stakeholders, to ensure care is delivered to the patient both effectively and efficiently.
• Communicate proactively with all staff on the clinical condition and treatment plan of patients and ensures accurate nursing records are maintained by all staff.

Education, Training & Development

• Has a well development clinical understanding and practice with effective assessment skills.
• Provides clinical advice as required to staff, carers and junior colleagues which promotes clinical practice and reduces risk to patients.

Management Responsibilities

• Responsible for leading and co-ordinating the ward/department in the absence of the Ward/Department Manager.
• To assist with the management of the nursing team, under the direction of the ward Manager/ Matron. 

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Relevant experience at Staff Nurse level in a clinical setting.
• Experience in mentoring, assessing, coaching.
• Leadership management, leading a team.
• Previous experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrates knowledge and application of clinical governance.
• IT Skills.

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• RGN
• MSPP/ENB998 or equivalent.
• Evidence of ongoing development and learning.

Knowldege

Essential criteria

• Transformational leadership style.
• Audit/research/presentation skills.
• Excellent personal and communication skills.
• Ability to facilitate and support learning.

Personal skills

Essential criteria

• Organisational ability.
• Role model.
• Demonstrate ability to think creatively and laterally.
• Negotiation skills.

Other

Essential criteria

• Open/Reflective/Warm
• Enthusiastic and self aware
• Creative and flexible
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to prioritise work load
• Able to work to a deadline
• Adaptable, reliable and dependable
• Team focused

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.