Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic Band 6 Junior Sister in Paediatric Surgery to join our dynamic and progressive team at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The successful candidate will play a vital role within a highly motivated multidisciplinary team, contributing to the delivery of exceptional care and supporting the ongoing development of our services.
Our paediatric services encompass a wide range of specialisations, including acute general medicine, elective and non-elective surgery across ENT, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, urology, and gastroenterology. We also provide ambulatory and Same Day Emergency Care, alongside comprehensive children’s outpatient services. The wards are supported by a team of Paediatric Nurse Specialists, a hospital play specialist team, and a Clinical Nurse Educator. Additionally, community provision is facilitated by KCHFT, with key partnerships with Demelza and NELFT.
The post holder will predominantly work within the paediatric surgical areas, both in clinical practice and by leading and supporting the pre-assessment service across sites for paediatric surgery.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will be responsible for leading and developing a team of highly skilled and dedicated staff, ensuring the delivery of the highest standards of care for children and their families.
As an experienced nurse, you will assess care needs and implement and evaluate care programs, maintaining clinical credibility in delivering both general and specialist paediatric services. You will work closely with the Ward Manager, Consultants, and Nurse Specialists to ensure that all patients receive high-quality services when accessing our departments. Your role will also involve developing link nurse roles, care pathways, PGD guidelines, and policies to support the continued excellence of care.
In addition to leadership responsibilities, you will support the Ward Manager in ensuring an effective and skilled workforce is available to deliver services within the clinical areas. You will take an active role in assessing and enhancing the patient experience within Children’s services and contribute to the development of elective surgery pathways, including pre-assessment and post-operative care. Furthermore, you will provide support in paediatric ambulatory areas during periods without surgery.
If you would like further information or to arrange an informal visit and meet the team, please contact Kerry Gooding 07355023322
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
to hear what our staff say.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
1. At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
2. Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a employer contribution of 23.7% and life assurance benefits
3. Blue Light card eligibility
4. And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children). If a role involves regulated activity and requires a DBS check with a barred list check, you cannot apply if you are on the barred list.
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Following your corporate induction you will be expected to attend the Trust’s 2-week Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please email if this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
5. RSCN/RN Child
6. Evidence of a relevant post-registration professional development
7. Obtained or working towards 1st level degree.
Desirable criteria
8. Masters level study
9. Post registration course relevant to area – HDU, ACP, Pain etc
10. Pre assessment course or relevant practice experience.
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
11. Extensive experience within acute paediatric speciality. Specifically paediatric surgery.
12. Experience working in a similar post or equivalent
13. Extensive knowledge of surgical specialities.
14. A knowledge of pre assessment pathway
15. Knowledge of current clinical evidence-based practice
Desirable criteria
16. Experience of multi-disciplinary working
17. Evidence of supporting and implementing change
18. Management experience
19. Knowledge of Clinical Audit
20. Knowledge of appraisal
Skills
Essential criteria
21. Demonstrable organisational and clinical skills
22. Ability to support and manage a case-load of patients including assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation, including providing health promotion and education to patients and carers
23. Ability to organise and deliver good standards of research based clinical nursing care
24. Excellent inter-personal and counselling skills
25. Ability to liaise effectively with members of the Primary Health Care team and other agencies
Desirable criteria
26. Phlebotomy and cannulation skills
27. Triage and assessment skills for POA.
28. BCG/ immunisations skills