Job overview
We are looking for a dedicated Stroke Specialist Nurse to play a key role in delivering high-quality care and improving patient outcomes.
What you’ll do:
1. Work closely with the ward team, supporting education and attending ward handovers, MDT meetings, and clinical governance sessions.
2. Lead on TIA screening and clinics, ensuring timely and effective patient care.
3. Drive quality improvement by collecting audit data and developing methodologies to monitor the effectiveness of thrombolysis and the overall pathway, with a focus on nursing components.
Why join us? You’ll be part of a collaborative team committed to excellence in stroke care, education, and innovation.
The start date for this post will be 30th March 2026.
Main duties of the job
To respond immediately to acute stroke emergencies within ED and across all inpatient ward areas.
Assist the medical team to access acute stroke emergency cases as to suitability for thrombolysis/thrombectomy,
Cannulating patients, performing venepuncture, ECGs and neurological observations with NIHSS assessments.
Closely monitoring the GCS and vital signs of acute stroke emergencies and rapidly communicating concerns.
Navigating acute stroke emergencies through the agreed pathway in a timely manner, ensuring all necessary investigations are processed and reviewed.
Commencing agreed treatment with thrombolysis agents and closely monitoring the effectives. Provide care, information and psychological support to the patient and next of kin.Transferring patients from the emergency care centre to the hyper acute stroke unit.
Provide direct nursing care to patients undergoing thrombolysis.
To be competent in coordinating the TIA screening service according to agreed protocols.
To provide reports and summaries on individual patients as required.
To attend and participate in team meetings, stroke and thrombolysis governance
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
Under the direction of the lead stroke ACP, these staff will manage a cohort of patients referred for specialist interventions, care and support within the Hyper Acute stroke service
Please see detailed Job Description attached.
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
4. NMC Pin
Desirable criteria
5. STARRS Competency
6. NIHSS Competency
Experience
Essential criteria
7. Hyper-Acute Stroke care experience
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of thrombolysing a patient
Skills
Essential criteria
9. Prioritising work load
10. Venepuncture and cannulation
Desirable criteria
11. Good IT skills
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.