Job overview
A great opportunity has arisen within our Hospital at Home team for a nurse passionate about delivering high‑quality, patient‑centred care outside the traditional ward setting.
You’ll provide clinical care directly in patients’ homes, rehabilitation units, and residential or nursing facilities, ensuring safe and seamless support. The role includes assessing patients in hospital for discharge readiness, coordinating documentation and equipment, and continuing their care through observations, bloods, and both planned and urgent virtual‑ward reviews.
You’ll contribute to service quality through audits, work closely with senior staff to maintain high standards, and help manage the waiting list by assessing needs and directing patients to the right services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for assessing patients within the hospital setting to determine their readiness to return to a more appropriate environment, which may include their own home, a rehabilitation facility, or a residential/nursing home. Following assessment, they will coordinate all required documentation and equipment to ensure a safe and timely discharge from acute care.
Once patients are admitted to the Hospital at Home service, the post holder will provide ongoing clinical monitoring, including undertaking observations, blood tests, and managing both planned and urgent reviews as part of the virtual ward model.
They will contribute actively to the service’s audit processes, working alongside the Team Manager and Matron to maintain high standards of care and support continuous improvement.
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
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
1. To be responsible for the assessment of care needs, delivery, implementation and evaluation of
management plans for individual patients using a problem-solving approach and evidence-based
care.
2. To work with colleagues, or independently, to provide the highest possible standard of care for
patients assessed as safe and medically suitable to remain at home or continue care at home.
3. To work with specific groups of patients within agreed pathways in Primary and Secondary Care
and taking responsibility for their ongoing management and safety.
4. To effectively assess identified or referred patients on to the Hospital at Home Service as part of the admission avoidance scheme, and act
on findings as per agreed protocols.
5. To participate in effective and safe discharge planning of all identified inpatients/ outpatients and
to promote smooth transition to the Hospital at Home Team or other community-based services and
teams.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Registered Nurse (NMC)
2. Post registration clinical experience in one or more areas
Desirable criteria
3. Educated to degree level
4. Advanced skills in recognising deteriorating patient
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Ability to give intravenous therapy, including intravenous antibiotics
6. Utilising hospital computer systems
7. Supporting/mentoring junior staff
Desirable criteria
8. Have clinical experience for post qualifying, in one or more clinical areas
9. Proven ability to work on own
Knowledge
Essential criteria
10. Knowledge of the patient utilising a hospital based home service
11. Knowledge of service KPIs IV Access
12. IV Therapy
13. Venepuncture
14. Cannulation
Desirable criteria
15. Band 6 experience in clinical area/s
16. Ability to work towards additional courses
17. Have worked in the community setting
Personal Skills
Essential criteria
18. Good communication skills
19. Adaptable to change
20. Ability to remain professional and calm under emotional pressure
21. High standards of clinical performance
22. Able to prioritise and deliver agreed objectives
23. Understanding of confidentiality and awareness at all times.
Other
Essential criteria
24. To be flexible in working with Hospital and Community health care providers, adjusting to the process in each provision
25. Able to travel effectively and independently to multiple locations in one day, whilst transporting equipment
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.