Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Band 6 Junior Sister/Charge Nurse

The closing date is 17 November 2026

Job summary
The Acute Medical Unit (8 North) is a 32-bedded ward with two High Dependency Bays and plays a vital role within the Trust's Urgent and Emergency Care pathway. The unit provides rapid assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of patients presenting with a wide range of acute medical conditions through a dynamic 72-hour acute care pathway.

As a Band 6 Junior Sister/Charge Nurse, you will provide visible clinical leadership and coordinate the delivery of safe, effective, evidence-based and patient-centred care within a fast-paced acute medical environment. Acting as Nurse in Charge, you will oversee patient flow, workforce deployment, clinical standards and patient safety while supporting the operational management of the ward.

You will work closely with the multidisciplinary team to ensure timely clinical decision-making, effective discharge planning and high-quality patient outcomes. The role requires excellent clinical judgement, leadership, communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and respond effectively to changing clinical and operational demands.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and motivated nurse to further develop their leadership skills whilst contributing to the continuous improvement of acute medical services and patient experience.

Main duties of the job
The Band 6 Junior Sister/Charge Nurse will:

• Provide visible clinical leadership and act as Nurse in Charge, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred care.
• Coordinate the day-to-day operational management of the Acute Medical Unit, supporting patient flow through the 72-hour AMU pathway.
• Assess, prioritise and coordinate care for patients with acute, complex and deteriorating medical conditions.
• Lead patient safety huddles, clinical handovers and multidisciplinary team discussions to support effective care planning and timely decision-making.
• Monitor patient acuity, staffing levels and ward activity, escalating concerns and mitigating risks as required.
• Demonstrate sound clinical judgement, critical thinking and effective decision-making in a fast-paced environment.
• Support the Ward Manager in workforce, staff development, performance monitoring and fostering staff wellbeing.
• Promote a culture of safety through incident reporting, investigation, shared learning and QI initiatives.
• Effectively delegate and supervise staff whilst maintaining accountability for standards of care
• Support and develop registered nurses, nursing associates, healthcare assistants and students.

Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

About us
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top. For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £47,951 to £56,863 a year, inclusive of Inner HCAS per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 391-RFL-8395071
Job locations: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, Hampstead, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Clinical Leadership and Patient Care

• Lead and coordinate the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate nursing care within the Acute Medical Unit.
• Maintain responsibility for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating patient care.
• Provide expert clinical support in the management of acutely unwell patients and those requiring enhanced monitoring.
• Identify, respond and escalate concerns relating to patient deterioration using recognised escalation pathways.
• Ensure NEWS2, sepsis screening and other patient safety tools are appropriately applied.
• Support timely investigations, treatment plans and patient reviews.
• Maintain oversight of patients awaiting transfer, specialist review or discharge.
• Ensure high standards of record keeping, clinical documentation and communication.

Operational Management and Flow

• Coordinate patient admissions, transfers and discharges to support effective patient flow across the hospital.
• Lead bed management decisions within the clinical area in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
• Promote achievement of the Acute Medical Unit's 72-hour patient pathway.
• Escalate operational pressures, capacity issues and patient safety concerns appropriately.
• Participate in daily board and SHOP rounds, safety and rush hour huddles and debriefs.
• Ensure resources are effectively utilised to meet service demands.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Act as Nurse in Charge and provide leadership across the multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate effective delegation and supervision whilst maintaining overall accountability for the standard of care delivered.
• Support and develop team members through coaching, mentorship and clinical supervision.
• Assist the Ward Manager in managing staff performance, attendance, conduct and capability concerns.
• Support recruitment, induction, appraisal and retention initiatives.
• Foster a positive, inclusive and supportive working environment.
• Actively contribute to staff engagement, wellbeing and workforce development.

Governance, Quality and Patient Safety

• Promote a strong culture of safety, openness and continuous learning.
• Lead by example in ensuring compliance with Trust policies, professional standards and statutory requirements.
• Support the review, investigation and management of Datix incidents, complaints, concerns and patient safety events.
• Identify themes, trends and learning opportunities arising from incidents and quality metrics.
• Participate in audits, quality improvement projects and service evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, infection prevention, medicines management and information governance requirements.

Education, Development and Professional Practice

• Act as a Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor for students and newly qualified staff.
• Support the development of clinical competencies and professional standards across the workforce.
• Maintain own professional knowledge and competence in line with NMC requirements.
• Promote evidence-based practice and encourage innovation within the clinical area.
• Participate in education, training and leadership development programmes.

Key Leadership Expectations
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong clinical leadership within a busy acute medical environment.
• Effective staff management and team development skills.
• Excellent delegation and workforce coordination abilities.
• Confidence in managing complex clinical and operational challenges.
• Experience responding to incidents, patient safety concerns and governance requirements.
• Sound critical thinking and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Ability to prioritise workload effectively while maintaining patient safety and care quality.
• Commitment to delivering exceptional patient experience and continuous service improvement.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse (Adult) with current NMC registration
• Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Practice Supervisor/Assessor Qualification or willingness to undertake

Desirable

• Leadership or Management Qualification
• Acute Care/Deteriorating Adult Course or equivalent

Experience
Essential

• Significant post-registration experience within an Acute Medical Unit, Emergency Assessment Unit or equivalent acute setting
• Experience caring for acutely ill and deteriorating patients
• Experience acting as Nurse in Charge and coordinating shifts
• Experience managing patient flow, bed management and discharge planning
• Experience supervising, mentoring and developing staff and students
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary team

Desirable

• Previous experience at Band 6 level or above
• Experience managing a High Dependency area
• Experience quality improvement or leading service improvement projects
• Experience supporting recruitment and selection processes
• Experience undertaking investigations following incidents or complaints

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of acute medical conditions and their management
• Knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and patient safety principles
• Knowledge of safeguarding adults and vulnerable people
• Knowledge of infection prevention and control practices
• Understanding of Datix reporting, incident management and lessons learned processes
• Understanding of the 72-hour Acute Medical Unit pathway and patient flow principles

Desirable

• Knowledge of quality improvement methodologies

Skills
Essential

• Strong clinical assessment and decision-making skills
• Effective leadership and team management skills
• Excellent delegation, prioritisation and workload management skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to effectively manage conflict and challenging situations
• Competent in the use of electronic patient records and clinical IT systems

Desirable

• Advanced ECG interpretation skills

Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential

• Compassionate, inclusive and patient-centred approach to care
• Resilient and able to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrates professional credibility and accountability in line with the NMC Code

Royal Free Shared Commitments
Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust's Shared Commitments

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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

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.

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

Employer details
Employer name: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, Hampstead, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Acute Medicine Matron Ken Vigilia, ken.vigilia@nhs.net, 02037582000

Supporting documents
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