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Job overview
An Exciting Opportunity to Shape the Future of Specialised Burn Care
Are you a visionary and compassionate nursing leader with a passion for improving outcomes in burn care? This is a unique and exciting opportunity to take on a strategic leadership role within the South West Burns Clinical Network (SWBCN), one of four specialised burns networks across England and Wales.
As Lead Nurse, you will be at the forefront of transforming how burn care is delivered across the South West region and influencing national collaborations. This role offers the chance to work alongside senior leaders, clinicians, educators, and commissioners to shape services that are equitable, patient-centred, and aligned with national standards and priorities.
You will lead on the nursing contribution to the Network’s strategic direction, influencing workforce planning, education, quality improvement, and service transformation. Drive forward service development, research, and education initiatives that improve patient outcomes and experiences. Champion the voice of burn nurses across the Network, advocating for excellence in care and professional development.
This role requires flexibility to attend regional and national meetings, occasional home working, and travel across the Network. You’ll work independently within a supportive leadership team, contributing to a dynamic and forward-thinking network.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Nurse is a key member of the SWBCN Leadership Team, representing and advocating for specialised burn nurses (adult and paediatric) across the Network. The role is a secondment position for an initial period up to 31 March 2027, with a possibility to extend at the end of this period.
The post-holder will provide strategic, professional and clinical nursing leadership across the SWBCN, ensuring high-quality, equitable and patient-centred care for adults and children. The post-holder will lead the nursing contribution of the Network’s strategic direction in respect of workforce development and planning, education and training, quality improvement and service transformation in accordance with the and regional priorities.
As a member of the Network Leadership Team, the post-holder will develop productive working relationships and practices across the Network, working in partnership with other relevant agencies and organisations offering advice and providing support to all specialised burn services within the region.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post-holder’s main duties will involve collaborating with the Network Leadership Team and contributing specific nursing expertise in all aspects of the burn care pathway across the Network region and nationally. The post-holder will co-ordinate a Senior Burn Nurses Specialist Interest Group (SIG), providing leadership and direction to the group in order to develop a collaborative approach to delivering improvement across the Network. The post-holder will represent the nursing group at the Network Board and in other regional and national meetings. The post-holder will work with Directors of Nursing and Lead Burn Nurses from the Network member organisations to maintain a sustainable expert nursing workforce into the future. The post-holder will contribute their expertise in the development of an integrated approach to burn care, ensuring the SWBCN nursing membership are involved in the planning and implementation of service developments and improvements in line with the, regional commissioners objectives and the
The post-holder will work closely with all designated Specialised Burn Services within the SWBCN, primarily with nursing teams but also including medical and other allied health professionals. The post-holder will also work closely with the other Burns Clinical Networks’ Lead Nurses in order to deliver national nursing objectives as per the National Burns Clinical Network Group’s annual work programme.
Strategic Leadership, Clinical Governance and Network Governance
1. Lead the development and implementation of a regional nursing strategy aligned with and NHS priorities.
2. Provide expert nursing advice to the SWBCN Board and Clinical Governance meetings, and National Burns Clinical Network Group meetings and in strategic discussions with commissioners in NHS England, NHS Wales, and other stakeholders.
3. Identify gaps in service provision and ensure development of appropriate mitigation.
4. Ability to challenge deficiencies and escalate risks, ensuring robust clinical governance to ensure patient safety.
5. Align the SWBCN with other Burns Clinical Networks in respect of nursing to promote consistency and collaboration nationally.
6. Chair the Network Nursing Specialist Interest Group.
7. Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for a network nursing annual work programme delivered in collaboration with the SWBCN Nursing Specialist Interest Group (SIG).
8. Support delivery of appropriate and effective Network leadership and governance arrangements that will support the SWBCN in delivering its aims.
9. Provide guidance within the Network Leadership Team on specialty burns education and training for nursing professionals across the Network, ensuring that the required knowledge and skills are developed and maintained.
10. Provide leadership on Patient and Public Involvement in the SWBCN.
11. Deputise for the Network Clinical Director, Network Manager or Network AHP Lead as required in their absence.
12. Contribute to the development and publication of the Network Annual Report. Understand the national policies related to the and (Burns Annex) and advocate for burns nurses when these are reviewed.
Workforce Planning & Development
13. Provide leadership in workforce needs assessments and ensure a sustainable skilled nursing workforce across the SWBCN, as outlined within the
14. Provide leadership and advice around nursing workforce and skill mix within a defined budget.
15. Work with the Network Nursing SIG to support workforce planning and development.
16. Collaborate with Health Education England and higher education providers to promote nursing opportunities in a burn care.
Education, Training & Research
17. Promote the professional and clinical development of nursing staff to enhance clinical practice and patient care.
18. Promote a progressive culture of practice development and learning across the Network.
19. Collaborate with universities and higher education providers to support new models of training for Burn Nurses and Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
20. Deliver regular Burn Nurses Forums to provide on-going learning and peer support around topical and relevant themes and evaluating training effectiveness.
21. Identify opportunities to provide training resources for community nursing teams to support the provision of high-quality burn care closer to where patients live.
22. Promote successes of evidence-based improvement in burn care and support research initiatives across the SWBCN in collaboration with the Network’s Research Collaborative Group.
23. Understand the national nursing competency frameworks and support bench-marking, audit, and service evaluation in collaboration with other Network Nursing Leads.
24. Support delivery of SWBCN audit programmes.
Network Co-ordination & Communication
25. Present complex, sensitive or contentious information at Network Board and NHS England Programme Board meetings.
26. Provide expert advice on specialist nursing at regional and national meetings.
27. Chair the Burns Nurses Specialist Interest Group (SIG), driving delivery of the Network Annual Work Programme objectives.
28. Foster peer support, shared learning, and effective communication across the Network.
29. Ensure excellent communication channels are maintained with the nursing teams in terms of service related information regarding safeguarding, workforce and service delivery issues.
30. Contribute to maintaining up-to-date digital communication platforms (., SharePoint, newsletters, website, training platforms).
31. Write and contribute to Network reports as requested by key stakeholders (., nursing workforce bench-marking, Network Annual Report, Network Clinical Guidelines)
32. Promote cross-network collaboration (., with Major Trauma, Critical Care, Paediatric, Neonatal networks) to ensure system-wide communications.
Service Delivery & Quality Improvement
33. Drive sustainable continuous improvement throughout the SWBCN.
34. Turn strategic goals into practical plans that guide teams and drive improvements across the Network.
35. Utilise recommended quality improvement tools to support the planning of service and quality improvements.
36. Lead key nursing ambitions and objectives in the Network’s work programme demonstrating value for money with evidenced impact and delivery.
37. Lead on nursing elements of service improvement projects and policy development.
38. Promote a whole-systems approach to safe, effective, and equitable care across the burn care pathways.
39. Contribute to planning, developing, and evaluating methods and processes for gathering, analysing, interpreting, and presenting data and information to maintain
40. Where quality improvements are necessary, to be able to overcome barriers and resistance in order to improve outcomes for patients.
41. Identify the need for service or burn care pathway development through audit and research.
42. Facilitate the sharing and implementation of innovative ideas and concepts in working practice.
43. Regularly evaluate the national quality indicators in respect of service specifications.
44. Undertake project management, including complex audits and service evaluations.
45. Support the implementation of national service specifications and quality standards.
46. Co-lead and contribute to peer and service review, supporting completion of review reports and follow-up of agreed actions.
47. Contribute to Network governance in respect of investigating incidents, complaints, mortality data and ensure outcomes are translated into learning and improvement within designated areas.
48. Support targeted education sessions as a result of lessons learnt and promote enhanced quality and safety initiatives.
Patient, Family & Carer Advocacy
49. Lead on patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in the SWBCN.
50. Champion patient, family and carer involvement in service planning and improvement projects.
51. Contribute to the development of patient information resources.
52. Lead initiatives with the Nursing SIG to improve patient experience, access to burn care and outcomes; especially for hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups.
53. Collaborate with the Network Burns Prevention and Awareness Group and third sector organisations to promote burns prevention and awareness in partnership with the Nursing SIG.
Person specification
Education/Training/Qualifications
Essential criteria
54. Registered Nurse (Adult or Paediatric) registration part 1 of the NMC Register
55. Degree in health related subject
56. Evidence of Nursing at Master's level study or equivalent experience in specialist area.
57. Highly developed specialist training in burns procedures and practices
58. Successfully completed EMSB course and/or Accredited Burns Course
59. Safeguarding of Children and Young People (Level 3), Safeguarding of Adults (Level 3) and The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism (Tier 2)
60. Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable criteria
61. Postgraduate qualification in leadership, education, or burn care
62. Qualification in project management or service improvement
Work Experience
Essential criteria
63. Extensive experience in a burns nursing role at Band 7 or above, across inpatient and outpatient settings
64. Highly effective leadership skills and ability to motivate
65. Experience in providing advice to senior management teams within provider or commissioning organisations (., adherence to National Burn Care Standards, governance and operational nursing issues
66. Experience in service development, audit and quality improvement
67. Experience in the delivery and evaluation of high quality multi-disciplinary education, training and mentoring
68. Experience in project management
69. Experience of writing guidelines and policy documents
Desirable criteria
70. Experience working across organisational boundaries or networks
71. Experience contributing to national or regional policy or standards
72. Involvement in research or publications in burn care
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria
73. Relevant practical experience and theoretical knowledge in specialist burn care
74. Knowledge of national pathways of care in a resource limited specialist environment in order to ensure patients are seen in the right place, at the right time and by the right people.
75. In-depth understanding of the British Burn Association (BBA) National Standards for the Provision of Adult and Paediatric Burn Care related to nursing workforce and NHS England service specifications related to Specialised Burn Services (Adult and Children) and the Burns Clinical Network Specification
76. Ability to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations in order to support delivery of whole-system work programmes, aligned with national commissioning objectives and regional priorities
77. Sound understanding of risk, clinical governance and PSIR Framework
78. Clinical practice and knowledge of developments in nursing policy and practice
79. Excellent inter-personal skills and communication skills when communicating with colleagues in potentially antagonistic or highly emotive environments
80. Strong organisational and project management skills
81. Ability to lead and work with multi-disciplinary teams
82. Excellent partnership working skills and ability to build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders
83. Ability to influence and negotiate across complex systems
84. Ability to advocate for innovation and continuous improvement, strategic planning and workforce modelling
Desirable criteria
85. Digital communication skills including proficient use of Microsoft Office 365 and MS Teams and willingness to learn how to use burns specific data platforms
86. Knowledge of regional commissioning and Clinical Network structures
87. Knowledge of IBID and bench-marking clinical metrics related to burn care
Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances
Essential criteria
88. Commitment to equity, inclusion, and continuous improvement
89. Proven leadership in clinical and/or strategic roles
90. Commitment to patient-centred care, equity of access and inclusion
91. Compassionate, inclusive and collaborative skills
92. Ability to represent the Network impartially and build consensus
93. Must have a current driving licence and/or be able to fulfil the travel requirements of post
94. Self-motivated with the ability to work to set timelines, under own initiative and without direct supervision in the development of network wide strategies and polices
95. Able to work flexibly according to the needs of the Network
Desirable criteria
96. Visionary leadership qualities with a national profile in burn care
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.