The closing date is 21 July 2026

Job summary
The Cardiology Ward is a 41 bedded unit located within the Oxford Heart Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital. An exciting opportunity has arisen in the form of Cardiology ward Sister/Charge nurse on the John Radcliffe site of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The post is a substantive appointment.

The ward Sister/Charge Nurse will be a highly experienced and knowledgeable clinical leader with experience in an acute cardiac care setting. They will provide strong clinical and professional leadership to the ward team, offering guidance, support, and direction in delivering high-quality care.

The ward Sister/Charge Nurse will act as a visible role model, promote best practice, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective care while actively monitoring and maintaining clinical standards. The ward Sister/Charge nurse will develop the ward team to ensure considerate and compassionate care is delivered by a competent workforce. The ward Sister/Charge Nurse will work with the Lead nurse, Matron and directorate management team to develop processes to enhance the patient experience.

Cardiology also incorporates a 6 bedded acute cardiac care unit. The post holder will have clinical experience as this post will include a clinical commitment, they will also have experience of leading a team and ideally have had some input into service development or re-design.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will be visible, easily identifiable and accessible to patients, relatives and all staff working within the clinical area as service needs, providing overall leadership, direction and vision for the service.

You will be providing an excellent standard of evidence-based care delivery within the unit whilst acting as an effective role model. You will have good knowledge and skills whilst managing complex and changing health care needs of the cardiac patient. You will be working collaboratively with colleagues within the Cardiothoracic Directorate and multi - disciplinary team to promote a culture that enhances the patient's experience.

An important focus will be the well being of staff and their development and education ensuring they have the correct skills and knowledge to care for the patients within the Cardiology Ward/ACCU.

There are opportunities for personal and professional development with access to a supportive network within MRC, Trust resources and courses as well as Oxford Brookes University.

About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel.

Job responsibilities

• Lead and manage a progressive nursing team, fostering a positive and supportive environment that encourages professional growth and development.
• Act as a senior presence on the ward, providing visible leadership and being a key point of contact for site issues relating to the ward and surrounding areas, escalating concerns appropriately.
• Ensure the delivery of consistently high standards of patient care, maintaining patient safety, dignity, and respect at all times.
• Develop, implement, and monitor evidence-based practice to advance nursing care and improve patient outcomes.
• Manage the wards resources effectively, including staffing, equipment, and supplies, to meet service needs and budgetary requirements.
• Be proactive in the operational management of the ward, identifying and addressing any issues that may impact service delivery.
• Support and deputise for the Matron, or Lead Nurse, or Deputy Matron in delivering the Trusts Nursing Strategy, objectives, and targets, as required.
• Attend relevant meetings and provide feedback on governance, risk management, and quality assurance, ensuring shared learning from incidents and audit results.
• Lead and participate in the completion of monthly audits and scorecards, analysing data and implementing action plans to address any areas for improvement.
• Deputise for the Matron or Lead Nurse as needed, ensuring continuity of leadership and service provision.

• Promote open, effective communication within the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their families. Ensure all information is conveyed clearly, accurately, and in a timely manner, adapting style to suit the audience.
• Act as a role model for professional standards of communication, demonstrating empathy, respect, and confidentiality at all times.

Person Specification
Essential

• Registered Nurse or Health Professional (depending on area of practice)
• First level degree
• Teaching/mentoring qualification
• Leadership experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience working with MDT internally & externally
• Cardiac care experience
• Band 6 experience in an acute setting

Desirable

• Leadership or management course
• Project Management
• Masters level study

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 (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).

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