The closing date is 10 November 2026

The Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU) Team at the James Paget University Hospital are looking to recruit an enthusiastic Band 5 Registered staff (Staff Nurse/ODP) or newly Qualified to join their busy team on a 12 Month Secondment

PACU is placed in the Main Theatre Suite (7 theatres) and has 8 bays (including 2 Paediatric bays). We also support activity in the Day Procedure Unit with a bay of six bed, the orthopaedic hub (4 bay recovery unit), our ophthalmology unit (2 theatres), one Obstetric Theatre, MRI / CT (for patients having had general anaesthesia) and the Waveney Suite who provide services for our community dental procedures. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team (nurse, ODPs, TSWs, medical staff) you will care for adults and children in the immediate post-anaesthetic / surgical phase.

The post holder will be a qualified nurse or ODP and registered with the NMC or HCPC. They will participate in the safe recovery of the post surgical patients exercising professional standards at all times.

We are committed to staff development and education with all staff having access to a wide range of educational and development resources. The practice education team support staff in the clinical area and each new staff member will have an individualised training and development plan.

We welcome and actively encourage informal visits to our department. Come and meet our friendly team and see what we do.

Main duties of the job

• Receiving patients from Theatre and ensuring a complete and safe handover is given by Anaesthetist/Theatre staff
• Ensuring airway management is maintained and all observations are within acceptable ranges
• Pain management and control using appropriate analgesia when required
• Temperature monitoring and intervention when required
• Administration of all prescribed drugs including controlled drugs
• An ability to use administration pumps/Pain Controlled Analgesia pumps safely and effectively
• Wound care and management

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

About us
We want to attract the best and brightest people to work with us and that means we will look after you from the moment you apply for a role at the Trust and throughout your career with us. Our staff are central to everything we do, and we believe that investing in you is crucial if we want to enable you to reach your full potential.

Details
Date posted: 28 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year, per annum pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 11 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
Reference number: 177-ELEC-8377636

Person Specification
Essential (Experience and knowledge)

• NMC or HCPC qualification
• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable (Experience and knowledge)

• At least 6 months experience in an acute NHS setting
• Experience within the recovery setting as a student or qualified
• Mentorship or equivalent qualification

Essential (Personal qualities)

• Willingness to learn
• Good organisational skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to prioritise workload
• IT skills
• Previous experience of team working

Essential (Skills and abilities)

• Experience within an adult acute area
• Flexible working to meet the needs of the service

Desirable (Skills and abilities)

• Experience of working with paediatric patients
• Intravenous administration qualification
• Airway management exposure

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: James Paget University Hospital, Lowestoft Road, Gorleston on Sea, NR31 6LA, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

For questions about the job, contact: Clinical Operations Manager Josh Harding, Josh.Harding@jpaget.nhs.uk, 01493452119