Job overview
X1 Permanent post and X1 12 month maternity leave cover
We are offering a fantastic career opportunity as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Clinical Response Team
The Clinical Response Team (CRT) is a multi-disciplinary team providing a high quality service to all acutely unwell adult patients outside Critical Care 24/7. As part of a multidisciplinary response team you will be responsible for the assessment and management of acutely unwell adult patients, providing specialist support and advice to ward staff and ensuring a rapid, seamless pathway for patients requiring escalation to Critical Care.
Closing date: 29th March 2026
Interview date: 20th April 2026
Main duties of the job
You will lead in the management of acutely unwell or deteriorating patients in adult areas Trust wide. Also review patients following their step down from Critical Care to the ward environment and provide clinical support and guidance to nursing and medical staff. You will also support the clinical workload of ‘Hospital at Night’ supporting the resident junior doctors and acting as a senior nursing clinical resource to ward staff and you will be a key member of the cardiac arrest team.
We offer excellent opportunities to gain a broad range of experience in caring for acutely ill patients, including those patients presenting with severe sepsis, acute kidney injury and those requiring non-invasive ventilation. The CRT offers an innovative, challenging and inspirational career experience working within a dynamic, motivated team.
Applicants must have:
1. ENB 100 or equivalent acute/critical care course
2. ENB 998 or recognised mentorship qualification
3. Extensive clinical leadership/team management experience
4. Expert skills in caring for adult patients through an increasing level of need from acute ward management and review (level 0/1) to those requiring escalation to high dependency (level 2) and intensive care (level 3).
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 are among the UK’s busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
We have a long tradition of clinical and scientific achievement and – as part of King’s Health Partners – we are one of England’s eight academic health sciences centres, bringing together world-class clinical services, teaching and research. We have one of the National Institute for Health Research’s biomedical research centres, established with King’s College London in 2007, as well as dedicated clinical research facilities.
We are one of the leading Trusts in the UK and offers clinical services on a local, regional and national basis. The organisation operates a wide variety of clinical specialties over the Guys and St Thomas’ hospital sites and its 890 adult ward beds are supported by over 90 beds within critical care. These are comprised of ICU (including ECMO), HDU (including specialist HDU), CCU beds and a regional respiratory unit.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
5. To work autonomously, managing a caseload of patients within the Critical Care Outreach Team whilst working as part of the multidisciplinary team, delivering individualised and personalised direct patient care
6. Be responsible for assessing and recognising emergencies in the speciality. To interpret information and take appropriate action and to lead others to do the same.
7. Act as an advocate for patients across the organisation, to ensure a patient orientated approach to the delivery of care and to meet standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines.
8. Ensure that patients’ receive high quality clinical care and a good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.
9. Recognise and avoid situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individuals.
10. Direct, support, encourage and advise clinical teams, by the provision of specialist knowledge and advice in the care of the deteriorating/acutely unwell patients within the area.
11. Participate in the promotion of patient centred care, and establish and maintain a supportive relationship with the patient and their family during the period of assessment, treatment and after care.
12. Support and enable patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management.
13. Promote high quality clinical care, and assist in the development of the service, through the use of evidence based practice and clinical standards
14. Provide professional and clinical leadership and expertise, to act as a resource for education and clinical expertise across the organisation.
15. Demonstrate appropriate expert practice and highly specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care. This includes history taking, physical examination and the requesting of agreed diagnostic procedures/clinical investigations.
16. Responsible for the correct administration of prescribed medication including transfusion of blood
17. Responsible for the correct administration of blood products.
18. Promote and deliver high standards of care at all times, which utilises research-based evidence, and is audited and improved accordingly.
19. Participate in the promotion of the specialist service through dissemination of specialist knowledge, both locally and nationally.
20. Act as a role model, demonstrating high standards of care and providing clinical leadership in the clinical areas.
21. Establish, develop and maintain effective working relationship between clinicians, practitioners and managers within the specialty across the organisation.
22. Actively participate in local, national and international networking to maintain and develop expert level of knowledge in the specialty.
23. Provide a seamless, high quality service from referral through to assessment, diagnosis, treatment and review.
24. Develop and evaluate assessment tools that will ensure an appropriate level of nursing intervention so that patients who present with the most complex needs receive the most appropriate care.
25. Work in conjunction with a clinical consultant to lead a patient focuses service.
26. Act as patient advocate when appropriate, respecting patient confidentiality and privacy with respect for diverse cultural backgrounds and requirements.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
27. BSC/1st degree (health related) or equivalent qualification / training and experience
28. Post registration qualification in appropriate area of speciality or equivalent post qualification experience
Desirable criteria
29. To have or working towards a non medical physical assessment course
30. To have or working towards a non medical prescribing course
31. Leadership course
Professional/Statutory Registration
Essential criteria
32. RN1 or RN Child Registered Nurse on NMC register. To hold the appropriate level for the area of specialty
Previous experience
Essential criteria
33. Broad clinical experience in specialist area ITU, CCU, HDU or A&E
34. Proven evidence of management / leadership skills and autonomous practice
Desirable criteria
35. Previous experience or working within a Critical Care Outreach team
Skills Knowledge and ability
Essential criteria
36. Ability to clinically lead and influence staff
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.