Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior staff nurse experienced in Critical Care who is motivated and enthusiastic to join the nursing team on the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. These posts are short term secondments so the candidate must be highly motivated and eager to learn on the job. As a Band 6 Senior Staff Nurse you will support the Band 7 team in the management of the unit. Your role will include taking charge of the 23 bedded Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit on a regular basis as well as caring for patients with complex needs and managing staff. We have strong links with the General Intensive Care Units at both the Bristol and Weston sites sharing resources, clinical governance and different patient specialities. This collaboration ensures excellence in care delivery and patient experience.The Bristol Heart Institute is a purpose built (opened in 2009), world renowned centre for cardiac care in the centre of Bristol, treating over 4000 patients annually with a variety of cardiac issues. The Cardiac Intensive Care unit is a 23 bedded unit receiving 1500 patients after cardiac surgery per year which includes an increasing number of adult congenital heart patients being treated in this specialist centre. Along side this work our Intensive care and High Dependency unit also accommodate all general elective surgical patients, which gives the nurses the opportunity to care for a mixed variety of patients .

Main duties of the job
The successful candidate would be required to possess a Critical Care qualification and proficient in nursing both level 3 and 2 patients. Although desirable, cardiac surgery experience is not essential due to the mixed specialities of our patients. You will be part of the multidisciplinary team working closely with the Surgical team, Anaesthetic team, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse specialists and Allied health professionals.

• As deputy to the Sister/Charge Nurse, the Senior Staff Nurse is instrumental by ensuring the application of effective clinical practice of all staff so patients receive the highest possible standard of care.
• Responsible for day to day management of the clinical area.
• To be the patients advocate and provide them with a voice to express their views on their nursing and medical care.
• To facilitate effective communication between all members of the multidisciplinary team and associate departments, posing excellent skills in providing the often sensitive and highly emotive information given to patients and relatives.
• The post holder will be responsible for ensuring a professional atmosphere is maintained at all times and has the ability to address members of staff behaving inappropriately or to manage any conflict arising in the absence of the Sister/Charge Nurse

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities
We are seeking applicants keen to progress their career within Critical Care and looking for experience at a higher nursing level. Longer term, as a unit we offer a band 6-7 development program, substantive time for training and development, post graduate courses up to and including masters level.

The Unit uses cutting edge technology; has an innovative bedside clinical information system in place and there are Critical Care Practice Educators in place in both areas to facilitate education and the development of new starters.

If you are motivated, hard-working, and have a proven interest in critical care and feel you would like to join our friendly and motivated teams here at the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston then this is the place for you.

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Current NMC Registration level 1
• Formal Critical Care Qualification
• Willingness to work towards Masters level academic study

Desirable

• Qualification in Teaching, assessing and Mentoring

Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential

• Current Critical Care post registration knowledge & experience
• Organisation and management skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure
• Ability to problem solve
• Flexibility, adaptability to meet needs of a changing service
• Ability to perform clinical activities specific to speciality
• Ability to support the Sister/Charge Nurse with strategic planning
• Ability to lead a team, undertake day to day and ongoing management in the absence of Sister/ Charge Nurse
• Ability to work alone or as part of a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Able to manage difficult situations
• Act as a role model and as a mentor/assessor
• Innovative and participates with practice and policy change
• Awareness of professional responsibilities to self and others
• Commitment to the development and provision of high quality nursing care
• General physical good health and awareness of the stressful and emotional toll at times

Desirable

• Experience of undertaking research or audit projects
• Evidence of commitment to research based practice or evidence of project work undertaken
• Awareness of current national changes in nursing / NHS

Experience
Essential

• Appropriate post registration experience in nursing and speciality
• Appropriate proven leadership and management experience
• Proven commitment and experience, evidence in teaching
• Current Critical Care post registration experience
• Cardiac surgery/ Cardiology experience

Desirable

• Experience as preceptor / mentor
• Demonstrate recent experience of managing change

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Awareness of professional and personal limitations
• Flexible and adaptable approach
• Strong team leader

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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.