Job overview
Although this position is a 12 months fixed-term contract, the actual contract duration will be adjusted to account for the time taken to advertise the post, complete the hiring process, and finalise pre-employment checks. This means the contract will begin when the candidate starts the role and may be slightly shorter than 12 months.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated nurse to join the Acute Assessment Unit at Whipps Cross Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust for a 12-month secondment role.
As the Senior Sister you will lead a dedicated multidisciplinary team providing care to acutely unwell patients. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our service, ensuring clinical excellence, staff development, and compassionate patient centred care.
Provide visible, effective leadership and professional support to the nursing team.
Ensure delivery of safe, high quality care in line with national and trust standards.
Collaborate closely with the wider multidisciplinary team including consultants, therapists, and specialist nurses.
Manage staffing levels, recruitment, and the ongoing development of team members.
Lead on quality improvement initiatives, audits, and patient feedback responses.
Act as a key contact for families and carers, promoting dignity, respect, and open communication.
Ensure effective use of resources and contribute to service planning and development.
Main duties of the job
About You:
We are looking for a registered nurse (Adult) with:
Significant post-registration experience, including band 6 experience in acute medicine.
Proven leadership and people management skills.
A recognised leadership qualification or willingness to work towards one.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an empathetic approach.
Ability to inspire and support others while maintaining high clinical standards.
Why Join Us?
Barts Health NHS Trust is one of the largest and most respected healthcare providers in the UK. The Acute Assessment Unit is a well-established, highly regarded unit delivering acute medical care within a supportive and collaborative environment.
We offer:
A strong focus on staff well-being and development.
Comprehensive induction and access to continuous professional development.
Opportunities to contribute to service innovation and research.
A workplace culture based on compassion, dignity, and respect.
Working for our organisation
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Degree or equivalent and relevant experience as an RN.
2. REACT and SIREN
3. Mentorship Course or equivalent.
4. ILS or equivalent
Desirable criteria
5. Leadership/management course.
6. Masters or masters level achievements.
7. ALS or equivalent.
Experience
Essential criteria
8. Recent acute medicine leadership experience at band 6
9. Relevant AAU experience.
10. Clinical experience within acute medicine
Desirable criteria
11. Frailty specialist skills
Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. Evidence of continual professional development of self and others.
13. Service quality improvement in practice.
14. Knowledge of current and emerging NHS strategy and policy.
15. Audit and analysis skills.
16. Knowledge and application of health and safety policy and legislation.
Desirable criteria
17. Service quality improvement in practice
18. Audit and analysis skills.
Skills
Essential criteria
19. Ability to manage own workload
20. Positive attitude and ability to work under pressure
21. Adaptability to changing workload.
22. Role model for junior colleagues
23. Excellent people management skills with understanding of HR practice/policy.
24. Excellent emotional intelligence to situations and people
25. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, especially during times of pressure
26. Excellent interpersonal skills. Excellent organisational and problem solving skills
27. Ability to cope and implement change and manage resilience. Practices openness, honesty and transparency
28. Ability to self-reflect. Ability to identify and provide ranges of feedback, Ability to manage risk, risk assess and mitigate against risk
29. Ability to delegate authority to people and monitor against required outcomes
30. Ability to easily share Knowledge
31. Demonstrate understanding in the management of operational standards
Desirable criteria
32. Budget Management
33. Conflict Resolution
34. Mental Health First Aid/Awareness.
35. Roster Management
Other
Essential criteria
36. Shift work will be required through the 24 hours period
37. Take responsibility for own learning and performance manages staff in relation to recruitment, performance and absence.
38. Ensures performance reviews are undertaken (minimum of yearly).
39. Ability to self-reflect.
**Visa Sponsorship Information**
Recent changes to UK immigration policy on the Health and Care Visa and Skilled Worker Visa could mean that this role is not eligible for sponsorship or that you may not meet the eligibility criteria.
Sponsorship can only be offered if this post and any individual offered employment meet all the Home Office’s requirements under the UK Skilled Worker visa scheme.
If you are applying from outside the UK or will require sponsorship, please mention this clearly in your application.
To be eligible for sponsorship, the following conditions must be met:
40. Eligible role: The position must be on the UK Skilled Worker visa list. You can check your eligibility here: -.
41. Salary threshold: The role must meet the minimum salary set by the Home Office. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.
42. Skill level: The role must meet the minimum skill requirement of RQF Level 6 or above (graduate level).
43. English language: Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at CEFR level B1 or higher.
44. Other criteria: Applicants must meet all other criteria as set out by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)