Physical Health Nurse
The closing date is 13 November 2026

Job summary
Are you a dedicated, compassionate Physical Health Nurse (RGN) committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the people of Kent and Medway?

We're are an Acute Older Adult female ward and are seeking a talented Physical Health Nurse to help us deliver this vital service.

As a Physical Health Nurse, you will work collaboratively with the ward management team alongside clinical staff to support delivery of effective, high quality and safe patient-centred physical healthcare. You will play a crucial role in providing comprehensive care to patients, focusing on their physical health needs. You will work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary healthcare team to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care, with a strong emphasis on physical health promotion, prevention, and management.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.

Main duties of the job

• To ensure that the physical health needs are met for those individuals with mental illness are met whilst an inpatient on a Mental health Ward
• Develop staff knowledge to enhance their confidence and competence to enable them to recognise and address the physical health needs of acutely unwell patients within an inpatient unit. This includes developing their ability to collaboratively develop a person-centred care plan.
• Work in a challenging/often demanding driven environment
• Engage in audit and evaluation
• Be part of a team wishing to always improve the user experience of mental health services
• Support the management team in a leadership role
• Offer up-to-date training in physical health for all ward staff
• Liaise and build a working relationship within our local Acute Trust hospitals.
• To be confident and competent to perform the relevant nursing physical health assessments, which includes the 6 parameters of the Lester Tool for all patients within 72 hours of admission, including all vital signs.
• To provide education either in a group setting or on a one to one basis for our patients concerning living a healthier lifestyle.

About us
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.

Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.

Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.

Essential qualification and experience

• Qualified RGN with NMC pin registration with Post-Registration Experience
• Mentorship Qualification - Teaching & Assessing
• Evidence of continued professional development/short courses e.g. diabetes, COPD, wound care, ECG
• Experience of supporting practice development in clinical areas.

Desirable

• Experience of assessing physical health needs in a mental health setting

Essential knowledge and experience of mental health treatment

• Working with patient diagnosed with mental health conditions

Essential knowledge and skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including negotiation and influencing.
• Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing critical and constructive feedback.
• Self-management and motivational skills.
• IT literate

Desirable

• Knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments

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.

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

Pay scheme Agenda for change
Band Band 6
Salary £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract Permanent
Working pattern Full-time
Reference number 380-AC0859
Employer contact Ward Manager, Louise Nixon, louise.nixon5@nhs.net, 07707138569

Apply through our website.