Junior Sister - Cardiac Recovery Unit

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

London

Job overview

Do you have a passion for cardiothoracic surgery?

Would you like to be a part of our wonderful team in delivering excellent cardiothoracic care to our patients at King’s College Hospital?

If the answer is yes, then look no further. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and dedicated nurse, with an interest and experience in immediate post operative cardiothoracic team, to join our friendly and supportive team at Cardiac Recovery (CRU).

Cardiac recovery is a 6 bed level 3 area that recovers cardiothoracic patients post coronary artery bypass graft, cardiac valves repair or replacement, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy.

We are looking for an individual with excellent communication, and leadership skills to support the unit leader to lead and develop our busy unit. Through strong clinical leadership the Junior Sister will support the team to promote excellence in nursing care and maintain and improve clinical standards.

In collaboration with other members of the senior management team, the post holder will be closely involved in the planning, delivery and implementation of patient care.

Main duties of the job

· To maintain high standard of care in the unit

· To manage shifts and ensure staff skills are allocated accordingly.

· To take part in quality improvement projects

· To de the deputy of the unit leader

· To conduct yearly appraisals and support staff to increase their skills

· To always support a good environment in the unit

· To promote a kind respectful teamwork approach

· To ensure that patients are well informed about their condition and treatment plan

· To liaise with MDT to promote patient flow in a timely, safe manner

· To always adhere to the NMC code of conduct and Trust’s policies and procedures.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Practice

To adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and adhere to this at all times.
To demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the ward/ department
To ensure that accurate records are maintained reflecting both changes in the patient’s condition and the treatment delivered.
To ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, and ensure that this is presented in a way that they understand.
To ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and to be actively involved in auditing practice in conjunction with Line Manager and practice development staff.
To ensure that practice is evidence based and with support assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area.
To uphold high standards of nursing care, according to existing policies and standards.
To support the Ward Managers and Modern Matron in processes of continuous quality improvement, formally evaluating standards of care and assisting in the implementation of changes in the light of such findings.
To contribute to the health education of patients and their families, ensuring that all patients receive appropriate advice and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Education and Research

To act as a mentor to junior staff members, responsible for the orientation, supervision and ongoing development of junior and student nurses, in conjunction with Line Manager and Practice Development staff.
To act as a mentor to students undertaking further education as requested, ensuring a positive learning experience and facilitating the development of their clinical skills.
To promote and encourage the application of research and of evidence-based practices.

Management

To manage the clinical workload effectively, ensuring care is prioritised appropriately.
To contribute positively towards the delivery of a cost effective service, adjusting staffing levels to meet demand and assisting the ward manager to keep within agreed resources.
To assist with the ongoing organisation of the ward, co-ordinating the activities of the clinical area.
To liaise with Medical Personnel and Bed Manager to ensure optimal bed usage at all times, facilitating timely admission and discharge of patients.
To act as a team leader to an identified group of staff, monitoring and documenting the development of their clinical skills.
To develop own skills in recruitment and retention, sickness management and performance management as determined by line manager.
To actively support the process of risk management – ensure incidents are reported appropriately and helping identify ways of preventing errors and accidents to both patients and staff.
To make a positive contribution to service development affecting the clinical area and positively influence others to adapt to change.
To actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving local (informal) complaints and supporting the ward manager to investigate formal problems.
To assist with the monitoring of stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving any shortfall as appropriate.
To maintain standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the clinical area, actioning remedy as appropriate and reporting deficits to Modern Matron, as appropriate.
To communicate varied and complicated information (verbally and in writing) in a way that is understood and gets the important facts across.
To carry the Unit bleep as required, resolving local problems/ conflicts, keeping managers/others informed and maintaining positive team dynamics across the Care Group at all times.
To take a leadership role in crisis situations, resolving problems across the Care Group as necessary.
To maintain confidentiality with regard to personal information pertaining to staff. To attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required.

Personal Pr ofessional Development

To work within and accept responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of clinical competence.
To keep up to date with NMC, Trust and Care Group policies and guidelines and to adhere to these at all times.
To demonstrate an insight into own professional development, contributing to the process of identifying own educational and clinical training needs in conjunction with the ward manager.

People Management and Performance

Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.

General

At King’s we are a kind, respectful team:

Kind. We show compassion and understanding and bring a positive attitude to our work

Respectful. We promote equality, are inclusive and honest, speaking up when needed

Team. We support each other, communicate openly, and are reassuringly professional

To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
Everyone is responsible for promoting inclusion no matter their role or team. At King’s, we want to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and welcomed

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

1st level Registered General Nurse
Further professional studies relevant to the clinical area
Degree in Nursing or Equivalent
Mentorship programme or equivalent teaching qualification

Desirable criteria

SSSA/ mentorship qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Demonstrable clinical expertise, relevant to the area.
Demonstrable interest in and commitment to the professional development of others.

Desirable criteria

Previous experience of leading change in a clinical environment

Skills and Competencies

Essential criteria

Ability to organise and manage day to day departmental activities and the activities of large multidisciplinary team within this.
Communication skills – able to relate and communicate with patients and staff at all levels and from different professions. Adapts communication style as necessary and is able to work with and through others.
Team building and working skills – able to lead a team to achieve results
Problem solving skills – able to respond to unexpected issues and provide first line response and to identify appropriate sources of secondary support

IMPORTANT

Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Chiswick, Greater London

Basic Salary circa £32,000 – £38,000 / OTE £50,000 – £60,000 Hours – Hours of work are 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and one in four Saturdays 8.00am to 1.00pm. We are curren…

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Posted 2025-09-10