Sister/Charge Nurse - Emergency Department

Sister/Charge Nurse - Emergency Department

The closing date is 05 May 2026

We are looking for an experienced Band 6 Nurse Sister/Charge Nurse to join our Emergency Department. The role involves leading patient flow, managing a nursing team, and ensuring high quality, safe care.

Main Duties

• Provide leadership, management and team development as delegated by the Department/Ward Manager, allocating workloads.


• Contribute to setting goals and benchmarking standards of care; develop tools to improve service quality and coordinate clinical services across the ward.


• Coordinate and manage patient flow, ensuring timely admission and discharge and meeting national targets.


• Promote the unit and the Trust positively to patients, relatives and the local community.


• Maintain knowledge of national and local health policies and their impact on service delivery.


• Escalate issues to Department/Ward Manager or Matron when care standards or safety are compromised, and develop appropriate actions.


• Assist or lead in developing and implementing local and Trust policies and protocols relevant to the specialty.


• Manage stock and equipment levels, ensuring economic use of resources.


• Attend corporate and working groups as a representative of the Directorate and team.


• Represent the clinical area at working groups, conferences and other relevant events.


• Facilitate effective communication with all multidisciplinary team members and other Trust departments.


• Participate in business planning, identifying service development and improvement opportunities.


• Initiate and coordinate investigations of incidents, accidents or complaints involving staff, patients or visitors, leading investigations as required.

Clinical Management

• Provide senior nursing advice and support to deliver high quality, individualised care.


• Manage and coordinate complex clinical situations, taking appropriate action in emergencies.


• Act as a clinical role model and leader for all staff, ensuring continuity of high standard nursing care.


• Plan, implement, and evaluate care programmes, applying evidence based practice.


• Collaborate with medical staff and other disciplines on high quality patient care.


• Ensure patient care meets the Nursing and Midwifery Scope of Professional Practice and Code of Conduct.


• Promote patient and relative involvement in care management and evaluation.


• Maintain safe custody of drugs, following statutory and Trust procedures.


• Engage in appropriate training to expand clinical skills.


• Regularly take charge of the clinical area, utilising resources and maintaining safe staffing levels.


• Identify clinical risks and implement actions per Trust Risk Management policy.


• Maintain nursing documentation to Trust standards.

People Management

• Assess and develop action plans for individual staff development needs.


• Participate in orientation programmes for newly appointed staff.


• Monitor staff performance, conduct or participate in Individual Performance Appraisals and support revalidation processes.


• Motivate staff at all levels, encouraging professional development.


• Deploy staffing resources efficiently.


• Support team members and refer to appropriate services.


• Assist in selection, appointment and induction of new staff.


• Schedule staffing levels and skill mix to reflect workload.


• Coordinate off duty leave, annual leave and sick leave monitoring.

Leadership Development

• Promote a learning environment for staff and patients.


• Participate in staff education, orientation, supervision and mentorship.


• Contribute to maintaining a positive learning environment for colleagues, patients and visitors.


• Assess learning and developmental needs of the ward nursing team.


• Assist in developing and monitoring specialty teaching programmes.


• Maintain personal development records for revalidation compliance.


• Support nurse care of junior nurses, students and HCAs.


• Share specialist knowledge in the unit and wider Trust.


• Provide support mechanisms for sharing best practice.

Budget Responsibilities

• Efficient use of resources, including stock management and equipment maintenance.


• Handle patient valuables, ensuring safe storage and transport.


• Authorise timesheets for temporary nursing and support staff.

Research and Audit

• Develop and apply auditing methods for nursing practice.


• Promote awareness of current nursing research.


• Apply research findings to nursing practice where relevant.


• Disseminate research findings locally and nationally.


• Identify audit needs, conduct audits and analyse data.


• Arrange and analyse audit and research data.


• Participate in collection of audit and research data.


• Use data to improve patient care.

Personal Development

• Ensure own continuing professional development and identify development needs.


• Identify areas for self development and training requirements.


• Maintain professional portfolio and reflective diary for revalidation.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Diploma or degree level or equivalent experience.


• Current NMC Registration.


• Evidence of continuous professional development.


• Leadership training or qualification (minimum Level 3 ILM or equivalent) or working towards.

Knowledge & Experience

• Knowledge of NMC professional standards for practice.


• Experience of leading a team in a clinical environment.


• Research awareness and commitment to evidence based practice.


• Experience of clinical risk assessment and management of identified risk.


• Understanding of Clinical Governance.


• Knowledge of audit and audit procedures.

Skills

• Up to date clinical skills.


• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills; prioritise workload.


• Effective leadership and staff management.


• Change agent capability.


• Coordination and liaison with MDT members.


• Computer literacy and experience of electronic patient record.

Other

• Frequent sitting or standing in a restricted position; occasional moderate effort for several short periods.


• Frequent concentration with unpredictable work pattern.


• Occasional distressing or emotional circumstances; deals with patient complaints and communication of unwelcome news.


• Working in ward environment providing direct clinical care.


• Potential exposure to blood or body fluids.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous convictions.