Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Deputy Sister/Charge Nurse The closing date is 04 December 2025

Exciting opportunities have arisen for dynamic, motivated and experienced Paediatric Intensive Care Nurses to work within our expanding team of Nursing, Medical and other Health Care Professionals

We are a busy and leading tertiary unit providing expert care for critically ill children. Cardiac PICU (cPICU) is part of the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre (EMCHC) and cares for children within the East Midlands and nationwide who require surgical management of complex heart problems and is home to the first ECMO unit in the country and leads the way in providing excellent and innovative care to children requiring extra corporeal heart and lung support.

Its sister unit, The Children's Intensive Care Unit (CICU) provides excellent and innovative critical care for children with a wide range of serious and complex illnesses.

It is an exciting time as the CICU and cPICU will be co locating together in a new unit as part of the Children's Hospital reconfiguration which will coincide with the relocation of all children's services into a standalone Children's Hospital.

Main duties of the job Responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes of evidence based nursing care to a group of patients.

Leadership and supervision of others carrying out all aspects of the caring process.

Deputise and take charge of the given area regularly in the absence of the Ward/Unit Manager who has 24 hour accountability and responsibility.

Actively contribute to setting and maintaining high standards of quality nursing care.

Participate in the effective clinical leadership and management of the ward team.

Actively contribute to the improvement of services and the quality of care provision to meet the needs of patients, service users and their families.

Act as a role model, mentoring, teaching, assessing and supporting students and learners on placement and participate in the education, development and mentorship of other staff.

About us Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients and partners, is our compass for the next seven years ().

We have four primary goals:

• high quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact,
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

Job responsibilities KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Ward/Unit Manager and staff, Matrons, middle and non clinical managers, wider multi disciplinary team, medical staff, Estates and Facilities, Nursing Directorate; Infection Prevention team, Patient Information and Liaison Service; Nurse Specialists and Directorate Education and Practice Development Team, Clinical Support Nurses and Clinical Placement Facilitators, People Services and the Finance team.

KEY RESULT AREAS

Delivery of effective health care within the organisation

• Responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes of evidence based care to a group of patients according to changing healthcare needs and varying levels of complexity.
• Responsible for the allocation of patients to nursing staff and the delegation of duties and care priorities to the multi disciplinary team in the absence of the person with continuing responsibility.
• Provide advice, education, support and information to patients and their relatives/ carers as required and involve patients and relatives/carers in the planning and delivery of care.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and relatives/carers.
• Recognise, prioritise and respond appropriately to urgent and emergency situations.
• Receive reports from team members on the progress of own patients during and at the end of each shift and for all patients when in charge.
• Facilitate effective communication and liaison with other disciplines as necessary to meet the needs of patients especially relating to ongoing care needs and discharge arrangements.
• Ensure that fully accurate, complete and contemporaneous nursing records are written and maintained for each patient in accordance with agreed policy.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of new ways of working, implementing research based practice in order to promote ongoing care improvement.
• Etablishing effective leadership and communication
• Co ordinate, prioritise, facilitate and monitor the delivery of care to own patients and to other patients when in charge, ensuring continuity of care.
• Act as a professional and clinical role model to all staff, patients, carers and the public at all times.
• Supervise the performance standards of own team members and, in the absence of the Ward/Unit Manager, other nursing staff within the ward.
• Assist with and deputise for the Ward/Unit Manager in the management and organisation of the ward.
• Maximise use of clinical and staff resources, implementing best practice in patient flow, admission and discharge arrangements.
• Promote the development of new services within the ward area and assist the Ward/Unit Manager in implementing change.
• Maintain efficient and effective communication with the Ward/Unit Manager, the multi disciplinary team and the Matron on issues relating to patient care, ward management and organisation.
• Participate in staff recruitment and selection processes and wider recruitment and retention strategies.
• Act in a professional manner and ensure self and ward staff adhere to the UHL Uniform policy at all time.
• Continuing education, professional and personal development
• Undertake the Trust Corporate and CMG specific induction and competency programmes appropriate to role.
• Ensure own compliance and compliance of others with regard to mandatory training and NMC professional re registration requirements.
• Responsible for maintaining up to date skills, knowledge and competence, and awareness of professional issues.
• Undertake specialist education training as required that will allow health care to be delivered to the user through new ways of working.
• Act as a clinical expert and use own knowledge to develop and enhance the development, skills and competence of others.
• Work collaboratively with the Education and Practice Development team, Clinical Support Nurses and multi professional teams to ensure that education and development opportunities are provided for the ward team to enable staff to be both confident and competent to perform their roles safely.
• Act as a clinical resource, mentor/assessor/supervisor/preceptor of learners and staff as required.
• Actively promote and participate in clinical supervision/mentorship or equivalent support mechanisms.
• Ensure that learners on placements are provided with, and encouraged to take advantage of, learning opportunities that will enable them to meet their clinical placement outcomes and objectives.
• In the absence of the Ward/Unit Manager ensure there is adequate support, safe mentorship and supervision of learner nurses and all staff.
• Accept delegated line management responsibilities of other team members actively contributing to performance review and the appraisal and personal development planning (PDP) process within the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).
• Clinical Governance, reduction of risk, audit and research
• Ensure that the delivery of care to own patients and for all patients when in charge meet the standards determined by the Ward/Unit Manager and the Standards for Better Health.
• Share responsibility with the Ward/Unit Manager to ensure that the highest standards of infection prevention and control are practiced at all times.
• Contribute to the development of CMG and Trust policies, procedures and clinical guidelines and ensure compliance of self and others.
• Pay due regard to the importance of the effect and consequence of the ward/care environment with regard to its physical, psychological and social effects on patients and care delivery.
• Promote, develop and implement patient and public involvement activities in the ward area, leading to service improvement.
• Ensure that self and team members act at all times to provide a personalised service to patients in accordance with agreed standards and promote quality, diversity and rights.
• Contribute to setting, maintaining and monitoring of standards of care to the optimum level and lead the improvement of care, through benchmarking, audit and research.
• Ensure that self and all nursing staff practice at all times in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, raising any concerns with the Ward/Unit Manager and action as directed.
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