Job summary
The Deputy Chief Nurse provides strategic, professional and clinical nursing leadership across the Trust, working in partnership with the Chief Nurse to deliver the Trust's quality, safety and workforce objectives. The post holder is responsible for promoting excellence in nursing practice, education, patient experience and workforce development, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care.

The role leads on key aspects of nursing governance, quality, patient safety and experience, workforce and education, professional standards. The post holder is the line manager for the safeguarding, infection control and workforce and education teams, The Deputy Chief Nurse provides visible leadership to the nursing workforce, supports organisational transformation and service improvement, and ensures compliance with national standards, legislation and regulatory requirements. The post holder also acts as a senior nurse leader within the Trust and externally, driving innovation, research, quality improvement and the development of a positive, inclusive culture that places patients and their families at the centre of care.

Main duties of the job

• Clinical responsibilities
• Professional leadership
• Quality governance
• Education and workforce
• Research and quality improvement
• Professional responsibilities
• Financial / budget management
• Performance management

About us
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:

Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.

Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.

Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."

At RNOH, we're committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.

Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:

24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.

A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.

A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.

Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare.

Job responsibilities
The role leads on key aspects of nursing governance, quality, patient safety and experience, workforce and education, professional standards. The post holder is the line manager for the safeguarding, infection control and workforce and education teams, The Deputy Chief Nurse provides visible leadership to the nursing workforce, supports organisational transformation and service improvement, and ensures compliance with national standards, legislation and regulatory requirements. The post holder also acts as a senior nurse leader within the Trust and externally, driving innovation, research, quality improvement and the development of a positive, inclusive culture that places patients and their families at the centre of care.

Person Specification
Education and Professional Qualifications

• Essential
• Registered Nurse
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Educated to postgraduate degree level or equivalent experience
• Management or leadership qualification or equivalent experience
• Desirable
• Masters level qualification
• Recognised teaching/assessing qualification

Communication & Relationship Skills

• Essential
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to influence through motivating and energising others to deliver the highest quality of care for best patient outcomes
• Leadership skills to be able to establish a direction for others using wherever possible, sound coaching and positive mentoring
• Aptitude to engage in constructive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve success through partnership
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills
• Ability to write and present reports in diplomatic style

Knowledge, Training & Experience

• Essential
• Experience of managing serious incidents and HR/disciplinary processes
• Significant experience in a senior nursing leadership role and high level of expert nursing knowledge
• Well networked in the relevant professional/specialty networks
• Demonstrable success in delivering change and performance with and through others
• In-depth professional knowledge acquired through training and experience over an extended period
• Experience of stakeholder/patient and family engagement
• A track record of successfully improving quality, standard setting, completion of benchmarking and audit
• Knowledge of QI methodologies
• Experience of managing staffing establishments and analysing safe staffing data
• Experience of supporting learners in practice
• Up to date with current practice/professional issues in healthcare/nursing
• Desirable
• Experience of working with the third sector/ patient groups

Analytical & Judgment Skills

• Essential
• Analyse complex information to make clinical operational decisions
• Attention to detail
• Ability to critically analyse complex information and data sets
• Proven experience of analysing complex problems and successfully adapting practical and pragmatic solutions

Planning & Organisational Skills

• Essential
• Accomplished at working to deadlines and within set resources
• Ability to plan and think strategically, to prioritise in the face of competing demands
• Excellent people and resource management
• Desirable
• Project Management

IT skills

• Essential
• Proficiency with MS Office packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams
• Desirable
• Involvement in implementing a new digital system such as an electronic health record

Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Essential
• Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices

Responsibility for Policy/Service Development

• Essential
• Experience of service and quality improvement programmes
• Desirable
• Experience of developing, drafting and implementing clinical guidelines, policies, standard operating procedures

Responsibility for financial & physical resources

• Essential
• Delivery of budget management
• Supports cost savings programmes
• Helping others to understand finance duties and responsibilities

Responsibility for Research & Development

• Essential
• Understanding of evidenced base practice, research and practice development

Freedom to Act

• Essential
• Acts with integrity; values, respects and promotes equality and diversity; service excellence; patient-centred approach; teamwork and mutual respect
• Operates with delegated authority from Chief Nurse

Mental Effort

• Essential
• Capable of dealing with high degrees of ambiguity

Emotional Effort

• Essential
• Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment
• Able to adapt to changing requirements of the post

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.