Ward Sister / Charge Nurse - General Surgery

Reporting to the Ward Manger, the post holder is expected to assist in all aspects of the clinical operation. 4C is a 33 bedded General Surgery and Colorectal Ward., + To act as clinical expert for nursing issues
+ To supervise junior staff in the delivery of safe competent care
+ Take appropriate action to address any issues or risk
+ Promote a patient focused multi-disciplinary approach to care in collaboration with carers, health care professionals and other AHPs
+ Ensure a safe and timely discharge / transfer of patients
+ Ensure that treatment prescribed by the medical team are carried out and that changes in patient condition are escalated as appropriate
+ Contribute to the Enhanced Recovery Programme and ensure adherence to its principles
+ Act as advocate for the patient, respecting dignity, wishes and beliefs.
+, + To act as clinical expert for nursing issues
+ To supervise junior staff in the delivery of safe competent care
+ Take appropriate action to address any issues or risk
+ Promote a patient focused multi-disciplinary approach to care in collaboration with carers, health care professionals and other AHPs
+ Ensure a safe and timely discharge / transfer of patients
+ Ensure that treatment prescribed by the medical team are carried out and that changes in patient condition are escalated as appropriate
+ Contribute to the Enhanced Recovery Programme and ensure adherence to its principles
+ Act as advocate for the patient, respecting dignity, wishes and beliefs.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
+ Maintain Professional Registration
+ Adhere to the NMC Code of Practice and The Scope of Professional Practice
+ To participate in the recruitment, orientation, development and any other personal issues related to staff as required
+ Optimum use of resources so that standards of care and safety are not compromised
+ Maintain effective communication systems, so that all staff can practice in an informed and professional manner
+ Maintain effective communication with patients, relatives, visitors and staff as required,
+ To investigate any untoward incident/complaint thoroughly. Liaise promptly with the Ward Manager, Matron or Directorate Manager
+ Deputise for Senior Nursing staff as directed
+ Be fully conversant with the Major Incident Policy and be prepared to support its activation as required
+ Ensure effective infection prevention and control methods are followed
+ Maintain effective allocation of staff utilising appropriate skill mix
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
+ To ensure that the recording of patient care is comprehensive, concise and in line with the NMC Record Keeping guidance
+ Ensure IT systems are current eg ADT
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
+ To maintain an effective learning environment for all staff, contributing to the training and assessment of staff
+ To act as a role model and expert practitioner, providing support and guidance to nursing staff
+ To participate in the annual performance review of identified staff Band 5 and below in order to identify their training and development needs
+ To participate in an annual performance review to identify the post-holders personal development needs
+ To personally ensure fulfilment of the requirements for professional updating and to maintain a personal record for future registration purposes
LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
+ Responsibility for designated nursing staff within the team including appraisals, HR management and support in clinical practice in conjunction with the Ward Manager
+ Responsibility for nursing staff within the team in the absence of Band 7/6
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
+ Managing nursing team and skill mix appropriately, utilising bank and agency staff when appropriate within ward budget
RESEARCH & AUDIT
+ Contribute towards the setting, maintaining and monitoring of standards of care within the Department by leading and participating in surgical audits
Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.
Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]
We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.
The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
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 (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).
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.
Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.
If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
Flexible Working
We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:
· All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
· There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
· Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.
Working for Team MWL
Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website
You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated.
Additional Information
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.
An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to appoint a dynamic and confident senior nurse to join the general surgical department at Whiston Hospital., Successful applicants will need to be highly motivated and enthusiastic, have experience in general surgical nursing and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. We require an individual who is forward thinking, well organised with a positive attitude towards flexibility and change.
You will need current acute surgical experience at Band 5 level or above and have a proven track record of effective communication, leadership and clinical expertise.
An Enhanced DBS with barred lists for both Adults & Children is required for this post.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
+ Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
+ Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
+ National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme