Choose Well - Choose WWL
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and compassionate nurse to join our surgical team on a 12-month secondment, supporting patients through their colorectal and gynaecological surgical pathways at WWL. This role is central to embedding the principles of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and improving patient outcomes through education, coordination, and continuity of care.
What We’re Looking For:
1. A registered nurse with experience in surgical care and a passion for patient-centred improvement.
2. Strong communication, coordination, and teaching skills.
3. Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
4. A proactive, organised, and compassionate approach to patient care.
This is a fantastic development opportunity for someone looking to broaden their experience in surgical services, patient education, and pathway optimisation.
Interested?
For more information or an informal chat about the role, please contact Geraldine Little Surgical Admissions Lounge RAEI, Wigan
01942 822934
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities:
Pre-operative Phase:
5. Prepare patients for surgery, discussing expected length of stay (LOS), and pre/post-operative expectations.
6. Initiate and manage pre-op optimisation pathways.
7. Liaise with anaesthetics, consultants, admissions, SAL, pre-op, and CNS teams to ensure readiness for surgery and prevent cancellations.
Post-operative Phase:
8. Provide continuity of care from preadmission to discharge.
9. Embed the values of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) by supporting staff and patient education, promoting best practices and improved outcomes.
10. Monitor recovery progress escalate concerns and support wards, avoid delays.
11. Assist with prescribing ERAS medications and discharge planning
Follow-up & Ongoing Support:
12. Conduct follow-up calls for all ERAS patients, offering reassurance and guidance.
13. Provide emotional support Act as a point of contact for patients and families, offering guidance and reassurance after hospital discharge
14. Identify and address gaps in follow-up care.
15. Liaise with surgical teams and community services (e.g., DNS, SAECU, GAU) for ongoing patient needs.
Audit & Service Improvement:
16. Audit LOS, post-op complications, 30-day readmissions, patient experience, bowel function, and ERAS medicine efficacy.
17. Pioneer quality improvements audits and research with this domain.
18. Lead on continuous improvement initiatives.
Working for our organisation
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values.
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Prepare patient for major abdominal surgery, discuss LOS, pre/postop expectations.
Prepare patients for common issues post-both speciality surgery/after discharge, i.e., constipation, loose stools, pv bleeding. Explaining what’s ok what’s not and providing management plan to avoid these issues.
Explain expected LOS, provide all appropriate post op contacts.
Health promotion referrals, healthy routes smoking cessation team in the community. Liase with alcohol nurse for preadmission plan for >alcohol consumption.
High BMI- refer to be well exercise classes/gym.
Follow patients through at consultation clinic stage to admission to manage weight loss and goals.
Ca colorectal patients -assess and complete prehab referral if appropriate.
Complete CPET referrals as requested by colorectal consultants.
Support preop in PIU referrals, manage new preop optimisation pathway, initiation bloods for HBA1C, Thyroid, ferritin and FBC to be take at consultant clinic-ERAS Nurse to review and complete referrals to timely correct and optimise patient for better outcomes.
Management of Mental capacity assessments and documents, ensuring best interest meeting completed. Liaising with Mark Oakley-admiral nurse
Specialist nurse contact from preop to admission as patient needs.
Review preop process-ensuring all investigations completed, no changes to report from patient, to prevent cancellation on the day.
Liase with Anaesthetics, consultants, admissions, SAL, preop, CSNS of changes prior to tci date.
Provides patient with continuity from pre-surgery -post surgery -right through to consultant follow up.
Preload, diet and bowel prep information
Post op
Review the recovery of each patient, remotely/ or visit as able/appropriate. This is to understand how we are doing in post op recovery. Provide continuity, CSNS now support with ca patients only.
Support in patients being kept on ERAS Pathway, encourage early removal of catheter, weaning of o2, mobility practice, step down pcas, oral hygiene, chewing gum, mouthwash and other eras elements etc.
Clinical nurse support post op where needed whilst inpatient.
Meet recovery targets, reduce LOS, reduce post op complications, ensure DVT Prophylaxis, teds, fragmin -educate patient on this, prepare for self-administering.
Escalate any end of bed concerns to nursing staff/surgical team.
Complete outstanding ward round plan-if eras nurse can support with this to avoid delays in recovery and improve patient experience.
Support in prescribing of medicines, eras medicines, step down analgesia, laxatives for gynae. FP10 on discharge if needed
Follow up
Complete follow up call on all ERAS patients and further follow ups if needed until patient reassured and no further concerns.
Educate patient on recovery, pelvic floor, exercise, limitations etc.
Link back in with prehab team after 4 weeks of discharge for patients.
Colorectal nurses have followed up some ca patients, but not all are contacted after discharge.
All are major cases, and all should be followed up.
Gynae patients are only followed up at clinic and some are only written too following histology, patients need someone to discuss their recovery and for reassurance on how their feeling.
Gynae patients -following hysterectomies, emotional support, ensuring appropriate HRT and support in place.
Many follow up issues, from post op education, wound issues, post op complications arising and management of these, lost at follow up, eras nurse can highlight ones without follow up.
Liase with surgical team /cons to provide update on their patients change in condition etc.
Signposting-community services, referral to dns for complex wound healing, Liase with SAECU/GAU with concerns re; patient following discharge. Book in for review if needed.
Ensuring VTE prophylaxis prescribed appropriately on discharge to reduce risk of PE, DVT, readmissions.
Audit work-
Auditing for both specialities,
Length of stay.
Post op complications
Readmission rates in 30days
Patient experience
Return of Bowel function post colorectal surgery
Efficacy of ERAS Medicines.
PIU Referrals.
Other work-
-More audit work
-arranging incentive spirometry for distribution at preop
-Ensuring clinics are up to date-admin work
-Teaching
-Updating ERAS info leaflets.
-reviewing cost effectiveness and efficacy of preload
-Continuous improvement work
-Conferences
-Knowledge hub
-Linking in with other eras nurses from other trusts
-Keeping up to date with evidence from ERAS Society
-Improving implementing ERAS pathway on intranet
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
19. Experience in the relevant speciality of which you are applying
20. Experience of working independently, and as a member of a team
21. Firm surgical knowledge and awareness of pre and post-surgical advise
Desirable criteria
22. Post qualification experience.
23. Previous experience in a caring environment
24. Experience in audit research
Knowledge
Essential criteria
25. Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
26. Knowledge of evidence based practice
27. Understanding of research/audit
Desirable criteria
28. Understanding of resource management
29. Understanding of education/student requirements
Skills
Essential criteria
30. Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
31. Ability to maintain and improve standards of care
32. Ability to challenge unacceptable behaviour in a professional context
Desirable criteria
33. Basic computer skills
Qualifications
Essential criteria
34. RGN
35. Recent evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
36. Teaching and Assessing Course
37. Degree / Diploma Studies
38. Specialists Skills Course
39. Non-medical prescribing qualification
40. Leadership qualification
41. Human factors training
Additional
Essential criteria
42. Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation