Substance Misuse Nurse Associate
The closing date is 08 May 2026.
The Registered Nurse Associate role is an essential role for the Secured Services environment, and the post holder will work alongside a multi-disciplinary team to provide highest quality patient-centred care. Within Secured Services, the Nurse Associate role is to contribute to the work of the team in providing the highest quality of physical health care and participate in on-going assessment process of health needs and the implementation of planned and emergency care over the 24/7 period that meets the needs of the patients.
The post holder will be working in an integrated multi-professional inpatient team that includes Head of Healthcare, Clinical Matrons, Service Managers, ACP's, GP's, Registered Nurses, Healthcare Support Workers, Pharmacy Technicians, Administrators, Mental health and Substance misuse staff and wider trust colleagues.
Please note this post is subject to security vetting. To be considered for this post you will need to have continuously resided in the UK without any breaks for a minimum of 3 years prior to this application and be able to evidence your years of residency. Please note without sufficient evidence your application may not progress.
Main duties of the job
* Working as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, including Physical Health, Mental Health and Substance Misuse pathways.
* Supporting the safe prescribing of medication, including acting as a 1st signatory under the supervision of a registered nurse.
* Supporting emergency responses and coded calls.
* Managing own caseload, under indirect supervision of a registered nurse.
* Supporting delivery of the overall service delivery model for the pathway.
About us
NHFT is an NHS Community and Mental Health Foundation Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in hospital settings and in the community. We provide over 200 services across the county - as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person‑centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.
NHFT promotes a culture of learning, to improve the care and safety of our patients and colleagues. We have achieved our 'outstanding' rating by encouraging opportunity, innovation, development and growth across our workforce.
Job responsibilities
The Registered Nurse Associate role bridges the gap between the Healthcare support workers and Registered Nurses. The role is professionally regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Holders of this qualification will be required to register and re‑validate as per NMC registration requirements to practice as a Nurse Associate in England.
Examples of specific care that the post holder will carry out may include developing, planning, implementing and evaluating the care, medication administration, clinical observations, wound care, supporting in medical emergencies, carrying out assessments using clinical tools on system one such as supporting in releases, secondary health care screens and triage of both minor illness and minor injury with a clear plan of escalation to a registered nurse as needed.
Good communication skills are required to liaise with patients and other colleagues and documenting care provided. Clinical skills include recording patients physical observations and ECG recordings, assessing patients conditions through observations and test results, assess comfort of patients and instigate any emergency procedures as required.
In the Secured Services setting the roles provides rotational cover with the expectation to cover day shifts, night shifts, weekends, bank holidays and holiday periods.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* Contributing to the assessment of needs, planning evaluation and review of individualised programs of care.
* Maintaining own caseload of patients under the indirect supervision of a registered nurse, provided patient-centred care.
* Accurately updating electronic patient records in line with Trust expectations.
* Undertaking and recording patient assessments, including physical observations, ECGs and venepuncture, as well as using clinical tools such as COWS, CIWA and alcohol AUDIT.
* Using professional judgement to deliver and modify interventions and treatments for individual programs of care including on a 1:1 and group basis.
* Working independently and as part of a team, organising a varied workload and meeting competing demands.
* Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, communicating effectively and supporting junior members of staff.
* Delivering high quality physical and psychosocial care to a diverse group of patients.
* Managing patient concerns and applications in line with Trust policy.
* Safely managing and administering medication as required by the service area, following supervised practice and medication competency sign‑off.
* Facilitate induction programs for newly appointed junior colleagues. Assist the senior staff in the development of team members, undertaking staff appraisals and developing appropriate objectives. Providing regular supervision for a variety of team members.
* Actively engaging in pathway complex-case and multidisciplinary meetings, handovers and training sessions. Remaining up-to-date with supervisions, appraisals and mandatory and role-specific training as required by the Trust.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
* Has an active Nurse Associate registration with the NMC.
* Has previous experience in a prison/secured setting.
* Can give examples of understanding of healthcare provision in a prison/secured setting.
Clinical Skills
* Qualified and experience in clinical procedures including venepuncture and ECG.
* Evidence of continuous professional development.
* Experience of medication administration as 1st signatory under supervision of registered nurse.
* Experience of working in a variety of healthcare pathways such as substance misuse, mental health.
* Able to give examples of experience of delivering of group-base interventions for patients.
* Experience of managing own caseload of patients with diverse treatment needs.
Behaviours and Values
* Can give examples of ability to work effectively as part of multidisciplinary team.
* Can give examples and demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills.
* Experience of working flexibly and responding to change.
* Experience of working autonomously and independently.
Engaging people
* Experience of supporting, training and leading junior members of staff.
* Demonstrates understanding and appreciation of equality and diversity factors within staff and patient groups.
* Experience of working to promote the care, protection and wellbeing of patients and their significant others.
Security Vetting
* The application includes evidence of the required years of UK residency to meet prison vetting standards.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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