Job overview
This post offers an exciting opportunity to become part of the Critical Care Severe Acute Respiratory Failure Team. In December 2011 the Trust was successfully commissioned as one of the 5 severe respiratory failure centres in the UK able to provide ECMO with the responsibility for patients with severe respiratory failure anywhere in the South of England and at times of significant demand, the entire UK and Europe.
ECMO is the most advanced form of respiratory support and requires a dedicated team of specially trained health professionals to provide care for the patient 24 hours per day.
Closing date: 30th September 2025
Interview date: 15th October 2025
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for the safe retrieval of patients from other intensive care units either on conventional ventilators or ECMO. If mobile ECMO is required you will travel with the team to the other ICU and assist placing the patient on ECMO there prior to transfer.
You will also be trained in other advanced aspects of severe acute respiratory management including alternative modes of advanced ventilation and strategies for patient management.
We will provide you with the knowledge and skills that you require to manage these challenging patients using a combination of theoretical and practical teaching sessions supported by a competency based training programme and the opportunity to attend national and international conferences.
Working for our organisation
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK’s best known hospitals – Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield – as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We have around 22,700 staff, making us one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country and one of the biggest employers locally. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and continue to develop new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authorities and charitable bodies and GPs.
We strive to recruit and retain the best staff as the dedication and skills of our employees lie at the heart of our organisation and ensure that our services are of the highest quality, safe and focused on our patients.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be responsible for the safe retrieval of patients from other intensive care units either on conventional ventilators or ECMO.
Please see attached job description for full details.
Person specification
Qualiications
Essential criteria
1. BSC/1st degree (health related) or equivalent qualification/training and experience
2. Evidence (Certificate/Record) of Mentorship/Teaching Qualification
3. Post registration qualification in Critical Care
Desirable criteria
4. Leadership qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Evidence of experience and competence in caring and management of patients in Critical Care
6. Experience working within a multidisciplinary team
7. Evidence of teaching/assessing/ supervising junior staff/students in a clinical setting
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of co-ordinating a shift
Skills Knowledge/ Ability
Essential criteria
9. Evidence of up-to-date knowledge of current clinical evidence-based practice and professional issues
10. Evidence of being able to assess, plan, implement and evaluate specialist care delivered to patients/clients and give relevant advice/information to patients and relatives
11. Evidence (Certificate/Record) of leadership skills
12. Good communication skills and ability to deal with sensitive information including dealing with challenging situations
13. Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and how this effects their role and the department
Desirable criteria
14. Able to provide evidence of Computer Skills including ability to use Electronic Patient Records, training completed
15. An understanding of audit and research-based nursing practice
Professional Registration
Essential criteria
16. Registered Adult Nurse on the NMC register
Specific Speciality Criteria
Essential criteria
17. Current experience working clinically in a Critical Care level 3 area
18. Able to demonstrate competence in the management of patients within the Intensive care in multi organ failure
Desirable criteria
19. Previous ECMO Experience
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.