Job summaryAre you an experienced and passionate children's nurse looking to develop your career in Paediatric Respiratory Care for 30 hours per week?
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Paediatric Nursing Team at Dorset County Hospital as a Band 7 Paediatric Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).
This specialist role will provide expert clinical leadership and support for children and young people with respiratory conditions across Dorset. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will play a key role in delivering high quality, patient and family centred care, improving patient outcomes, and supporting service development.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated children's nurse with excellent clinical, communication and leadership skills who is committed to delivering outstanding care to children, young people and their families.
Development Opportunity AvailableWe recognise that candidates may not yet meet all the requirements for a Band 7 post.
We will also be to offer a development opportunity at Band 6, with a structured programme of training, education and competency development to support progression into the Band 7 Paediatric Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist role. We welcome applicants from experienced band 5 nurses and above.
This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious paediatric nurse looking to develop specialist respiratory knowledge and expertise within a supportive and experienced team.
Main duties of the job- A Registered Children's Nurse (RNC/RSCN).
- An experienced Paediatric Nurse with a strong interest in Respiratory Care.
- An excellent communicator with the ability to work autonomously and within a multidisciplinary team.
- Passionate about improving the experience and outcomes of children and young people with respiratory conditions.
- Provide specialist respiratory nursing advice, assessment and support for children and young people.
- Act as a clinical specialist and resource for Respiratory Conditions within Paediatric services.
- Support the development and delivery of evidence based Respiratory Care Pathways.
- Work collaboratively with Hospital, Community and Primary Care Teams.
- Deliver education and training to patients, families and healthcare professionals.
- Contribute to audit, quality improvement and service development initiatives.
UKVISponsorship: This role is eligible forsponsorshipunder the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who requiresponsorshipto work in the UK.Sponsorshipwill be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibilitycriteria.
About usAt DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.
Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.
We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.
We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate's individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.DetailsDate posted: 11 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
Pro Rata Per Annum (Subject to Formal Banding)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 405-26-NM382PRCNS-A
Job locations: Children's Centre, Damers Road, Dorchester, DT1 2DY, United Kingdom
Job responsibilitiesThe Band 7 Paediatric Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) will provide highly specialist nursing expertise, leadership, and clinical practice for children and young people (CYP) with Respiratory conditions across acute, outpatient, community, school and home settings.
The post holder will be responsible for delivering an integrated, equitable and evidence-based Respiratory service for CYP with disorders including, but not limited to, asthma, cystic fibrosis, tracheostomy, long-term ventilation and other complex respiratory conditions.
Working autonomously within an agreed scope of practice, the post holder will provide specialist clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and case management for a defined caseload, undertaking specialist Respiratory investigations including Spirometry and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing. As an Independent Non-Medical Prescriber (where qualified), the post holder will utilise clinical decision-making skills to optimise patient outcomes and reduce delays in care.
The post holder will lead nurse-led Respiratory services, coordinate complex care pathways, provide specialist advice and education to patients, families and professionals, and act as a key resource across primary, secondary and community care settings. They will champion the delivery of national Respiratory priorities including the NHS Long Term Plan, Core20PLUS5 programme and the National Paediatric Asthma Bundle.
The post holder will provide visible clinical leadership across the Respiratory pathway, lead service improvement initiatives, contribute to strategic service development, and support workforce education to improve Respiratory outcomes and reduce health inequalities for children and young people across Dorset.
Please see full job description and person specification for further details.
Person SpecificationEducation & QualificationEssential- Registered Children's Nurse (NMC)
- Degree level qualification in nursing or equivalent experience
- Post registration specialist training in paediatric respiratory care (e.g., asthma, CF, LTV) or willing to undertake
- Independent Non Medical Prescribing (V300) or willingness to complete
Desirable- Teaching/mentorship qualification
- Leadership or QI training (e.g., QI methodology, coaching)
Knowledge & ExperienceEssential- Significant post registration experience in Paediatric Respiratory care across either acute and/or community settings
- Experience managing a specialist caseload and working autonomously
- Experience providing education and training to staff, families, or external partners
- Experience working with high risk groups and addressing health inequalities
- Experience in service development, pathway redesign, or QI projects
- Experience working with multidisciplinary and multi agency teams
- Understanding of Core20PLUS5, population health, and health inequality drivers
- Experience delivering or supporting the Paediatric Asthma Bundle of Care
- Experience in audit, data interpretation, and evidence-based practice
- Knowledge of QI methodology, audit cycles, and governance processes
- Knowledge of safeguarding, MCA, DOLS
- In-depth knowledge of paediatric respiratory conditions including asthma, CF, bronchiectasis, tracheostomy, long-term ventilation
- Detailed understanding of the Paediatric Asthma Bundle, NICE guidance
Desirable- Understanding of transition pathways to adult services
- Experience in non-medical prescribing
- Experience in research, evaluation, or innovation projects
Skills & AbilitiesEssential- Strong clinical assessment and decision making skills
- Strong organisational and time-management skills
- Excellent communication skills, including ability to adapt to diverse families and communities
- Ability to deliver high quality teaching and training
- Strong leadership, influencing, and change management skills
- Ability to run independent nurse-led clinics
- Competence in non-medical prescribing or willingness to develop
- Ability to interpret investigations and escalate appropriately
- Ability to analyse data, identify trends, and implement improvements
- Ability to work across organisational boundaries and lead system-wide initiatives
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for high-risk CYP
- Compassionate, family-centred approach to care
- Commitment to continuous professional development
- Ability to role-model Trust values and professional standards
Desirable- Commitment to co-production with CYP and families
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
Certificate of SponsorshipApplications 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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer. 
