Job overview
In cancer services, excellence is essential; you will play a key role in shaping and delivering the latest evidence-based practice, ensuring our patients receive the highest quality treatment and support.
As Deputy Sister within our Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT) Unit, you will work closely with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team to deliver specialist care to patients with oncological and haematological diagnoses. This is a dynamic and rewarding role where clinical expertise meets leadership, offering you the opportunity to influence service delivery and enhance patient experience.
We are seeking an experienced SACT practitioner with a strong background in administering systemic anti-cancer therapies and supporting patients and their families through complex and often challenging pathways. Alongside your clinical expertise, you will bring leadership and management experience - demonstrating the ability to support, motivate, and develop staff, coordinate clinical activity, and contribute to service improvement and innovation.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will act as the designated deputy to the individual with continuing responsibility for the unit, playing a key role within a multi-professional team committed to delivering a coordinated, comprehensive, and holistic service for patients with cancer and/or haematological diagnoses.
In this role, you will regularly take charge of the unit, providing effective clinical, professional, and operational leadership in the absence of the SACT Sister. You will ensure the smooth running of the service while maintaining the highest standards of patient care and safety.
Working collaboratively with Clinical Nurse Specialists and colleagues across SACT and Haematology services, you will contribute to delivering an outstanding, patient-centred experience across all aspects of treatment.
You will also play an active role in developing others, supporting the teaching, supervision, and assessment of registered staff, learners, return-to-practice nurses, and healthcare assistants - helping to foster a skilled, confident, and compassionate workforce.
Working for our organisation
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Person specification
Education, Qualification & Training
Essential criteria
1. 1st Level Registered General Nurse
2. Further professional studies relevant to the clinical area
3. Mentorship programme or equivalent teaching qualification
Desirable criteria
4. Degree in Nursing or Equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Demonstrate clinical expertise, relevant to the area
6. Demonstrable interest in and commitment to the professional development of others
7. Able to contribute to the development of students, nurses and oneself
8. Able to contribute to develop the workplace as a learning environment
9. Awareness and understanding of current health issues and in particular to demonstrate a good understanding of the NHS Plan and recent initiatives
Desirable criteria
10. Previous experience of leading change in a clinical environment
11. An understanding of HR processes and issues pertaining to staff management
12. An understanding of nursing issues in relation to finance management
Skills, Abilities & Knowledge
Essential criteria
13. Ability to organise and manage day to day departmental activities and the activities of large multidisciplinary team within this.
14. Communication skills – able to relate and communicate with patients and staff at all levels and from different professions. Adapts communication style as necessary and is able to work with and through others.
15. Team building and working skills – able to lead a team to achieve results
16. Understanding of the issues pertaining to clinical risk management
17. Ability to utilise research in clinical practice
18. Problem solving skills – able to respond to unexpected issues and provide first line response and to identify appropriate sources of secondary support
19. Highly self-motivated – Possesses high internal work standards, sets themselves and helps others to set attainable goals; wants to do things better, to improve, to be more effective and efficient; measure progress against target
20. Flexibility – Able to adapt to ensure achievement of objectives within constantly changing situations and environments
21. Customer focused – committed to ensuring a positive hospital experience for patients and their relatives/ carers
22. Understanding of the issues pertaining to change management
Desirable criteria
23. IT/Computer Skills
Special Circumstances
Essential criteria
24. There is an expectation that all staff will work cross site
PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.
COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.
Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.
Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.
Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.
Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.
Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.
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