Ward Sister/Charge Nurse (Acute Hospital at Home)
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
A great opportunity has come to light for an Acute Medicine Specialist Nurse role within the Acute Hospital at Home team (AHAH).
Main duties of the job
As a key member of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, you will be joining an exceptional team working together to help our patients stay healthy when they need it most.
About us
Stretching across Northern, Eastern and Mid Devon, we have a workforce of over 15,000 staff, making us the largest employer in Devon. Our core services cover more than 615,000 people across 2,000 square miles, including emergency, specialist and general medical services through North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford).
Alongside our two acute hospitals, we provide integrated health and social care services across various settings, including community inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, and within people's own homes. We also offer primary care services and a range of specialist community services.
Our state-of-the-art equipment and strong links to local universities enable us to provide world-class care to our local communities.
Job responsibilities
The post holder will work across a range of specialty Acute Medicine functions, primarily Acute Hospital at Home (AHAH) and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT), and will also include Triage and Same Day Emergency Care. Within the role, you will lead in the delivery of a seamless transition between the Acute Trust and the Community, ensuring patients are kept safe and the best possible care is delivered.
Current patient streams managed by this service include Cardiac, Respiratory, General Medicine, Surgery, and Frailty. You will proactively seek new patients to recruit from AMU, SDEC, and wards across the Hospital, assessing these patients and driving their safe discharge into AHAH. Regular face-to-face appointments with patients are completed by the ambulatory clinic, and the use of new digital technologies is a day-to-day occurrence on AHAH.
You will work closely with the AMU Nursing team to provide support and clinical advice to Triage Nurses, including streaming patients directly to agreed rapid treatment protocols within SDEC. A solid understanding of the triage process is expected, along with the completion of ongoing learning and obtaining advanced practice modules relevant to your role.
The role of the Acute Medicine Specialist Nurse has been developed in response to the growing needs of the local Community for a responsive, diverse Multidisciplinary team. This role will include working in various areas and modalities including Triage; Cardiac assessment; delivering Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapies; Home and Ambulatory Care.
Virtual Ward is a safe and efficient alternative to NHS bedded care, supporting patients who would otherwise be in Hospital to receive the acute care they need in their own home.
The work involves providing remote care to patients using devices feeding results into Epic and using telephone consultations to assess patients, reviewing patients face-to-face when they attend clinic appointments in Acute Medicine, and visiting the wards across the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to recruit new patients and support patient flow by providing early supported discharge.
You will work closely with Community teams, Northern AHAH, and Acute Medicine. There may be times where you may need to work cross-site within North Devon AHAH team; however, you will mainly be based in East.
The delivery of digitally enabled care (virtual care) is a national priority embedded within current Health and Social Care policy. This post, as part of a Multi-disciplinary team, provides an opportunity to drive and transform the system by embedding the use of digital technology to release pressure on acute care and improve patient outcomes.
You will also be expected to play a proactive role in quality and service improvement and work closely with the Clinical Nurse Manager and multidisciplinary team.
Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week over 4 shifts to include days, weekends, and bank holidays. No nights.
Interview Date: Aiming for 11/02/2025 but will be confirmed.
For further information please contact: Mandy Hancock, Clinical Nurse Manager, on 01392 406399 or mandy.hancock2@nhs.net or Carlie Hopper, Lead Nurse for Virtual Ward, on 01392 406399 or carlie.hopper@nhs.net
Please note, one of the vacancies is a fixed-term contract for 12 months. For current NHS employees, this post could be a secondment opportunity.
As an inclusive employer, the Royal Devon values diversity and is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.
Preference will be given to staff with Priority and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust reserves the right to close vacancy when sufficient applications have been received.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was established in April 2022, bringing together the expertise of both the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.
We will work together to maintain a culture that develops and supports you and your team.
Looking after you is important to us.
We strive to help our staff create a healthy work-life balance through flexible working schemes and our family-friendly policies.
If you're starting out in the NHS, you'll start with 27 days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to 33 days plus bank holidays.
You'll benefit from access to our own comprehensive occupational health services, including counselling and onsite wellbeing activities.
Salary is not the only financial benefit
You'll have access to an extensive range of staff discounts on shopping, fitness, and leisure options.
You will also have access to other benefits including:
National discount services such as the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts.
Salary sacrifice options including our OFSTED rated outstanding nursery onsite at Exeter.
Car lease schemes.
The NHS Pension scheme (one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK).
Cycle to work scheme
If the role is something you are interested in, we'd love to hear from you.
Person Specification
General Requirements
* See job description text above, and (where applicable) you can download a copy of the full job description.
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.
Employer name
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
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