Closing date: 18 November 2026
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum (Agenda for Change, Band 5)
Working pattern: Full-time
Contract: Permanent
Location: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Gateshead, NE9 6SX

Job summary
We are seeking a motivated and experienced staff nurse to join the pre-operative assessment team.

The team provides detailed anaesthetic and nursing assessments for elective procedures for both day surgery and overnight stay patients due to undergo a general or regional anaesthetic. You will be part of a team but will need to be able to work independently within a clinic, managing a potentially complex caseload of patients. The successful candidate will have an interest in peri-operative care and be able to thrive in a busy area with many time pressures and deadlines. This post provides a great deal of job satisfaction and a chance to provide one on one patient care.

The department is undergoing a period of change, increasing our current capacity through the use of IT systems and telephone clinics, working within the department requires ability to work autonomously, being adaptable to change, and willingness to learn by completion of a set of national competencies.

Main duties of the job

• Comprehensive patient assessment to assess a patient's fitness and risk to proceed with anaesthetic and surgery.
• Additional skills include venepuncture, ECG and interpretation, an understanding of test interpretation (bloods and spirometry).
• The ability to prioritise your workload and escalate concerns effectively and appropriately.
• Working closely with all disciplines of staff to ensure the promotion of high standards of Pre-Operative assessment.
• Develop and utilise specialist skills encompassing a wide range of surgical specialities.
• To undertake responsibilities without direct supervision but supported by the department manager.
• We are looking to recruit a dynamic, enthusiastic and self-motivated nurse who will possess excellent communication skills and enjoys a challenge.
• The service covers a wide range of Surgical Specialities, in a Developing Department. You will need extensive knowledge of surgical care and the ability to work both independently and as part of a Team.

Job responsibilities
The main role and responsibilities of the post holder is to pre-operatively assess elective patients, looking at their current health and any acute or chronic illnesses making an action plan to ensure the patient's health is optimised in preparation for surgery.

Objectives and purpose of the post

• To assess care needs, deliver and implement nursing care plans of individual patients using a problem-solving approach.
• To maintain high standards of clinical performance.
• To contribute to the clinical learning environment through both teaching and by example.
• To undertake appropriate activities and update knowledge and skills.
• To act as a mentor for students.
• To be aware of policies and practices and ensure all nursing practice is conducted within these guidelines.
• To report all incidents and complaints in accordance with agreed policy.
• To uphold the principles of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

Responsibilities

• Assess and advise patients on the treatment and management for their surgical procedure. This will involve taking a clinical history, examination, phlebotomy skills and interpreting of the blood results, MRSA screening and follow up.
• Identify any complex or unusual anaesthetic need of patients and discuss with the consultant anaesthetist.
• To identify the care needs of patients in preparation for their elective surgery through liaising with the multidisciplinary team and other departments to plan individual care.
• To provide appropriate information, education and instruction for patients on their proposed surgery. To conduct and/or arrange appropriate investigations necessary to ensure safe surgery and anaesthesia following agreed guidelines and protocols.
• To work within the guidelines and competencies agreed by the anaesthetists and consultants.
• To maintain effective working relationships/communication within the multidisciplinary team and other departments both internally and externally.
• To take responsibility for the smooth running of own clinic and be accountable for own professional actions.
• Initiate appropriate and timely consultation and/or refer when problems exceed the scope of practice.
• Take responsibility for updating, recording and following up plan of action for elective surgical patients.
• To chaperone patient assessment as required.
• To make use of IT systems (Careflow, Bluespier).
• To be involved in service audits.
• To assist with clerical duties to meet service needs.

Person specification
Qualifications

• Essential: 1st level registered nurse
• Desirable: Degree in nursing or working towards

Experience

• Essential: Knowledge of trust IT systems; Enthusiastic and self aware; Resilient under pressure; Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable; Experience working with pre-operative assessment
• Desirable: Mentor qualification

Knowledge

• Essential: Able to prioritise own workload and that of others as appropriate; Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; Able to effectively and appropriately escalate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety; Ability to work on own initiative and autonomously
• Desirable: Experienced in interpreting blood and ECG results

Disclosure and Barring Service check
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.

Certificate of sponsorship
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. 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.

UK registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk

Contact: Charge Nurse Barry Carr, barry.carr1@nhs.net, 01914453061

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice is available on request.