Band 6 - Sister/Charge Nurse, Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU)

Job overview

The Paediatric Assessment Unit at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospital Trusts is an area for Children and Young People (C&YP) who are acutely unwell, needing a period of observation following admission from the Children’s Emergency Department, which is co-located in the Emergency Department.

We are in the process of changing the pathway for C&YP in this area, in line with the RCPCH Standards for Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit (2017). We plan to use the area for C&YP with acute illness, injury or other urgent referrals from clinicians, where patients can have an assessment, investigations, treatment and observation. It is a short stay unit with the expectation for either admission or discharge within 24 hours.

We are actively seeking to recruit a Band 6 Sister/Charge Nurse who is motivated to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment during the initial phases of our developing service. The ideal candidate will possess experience in an acute paediatric setting, including handling emergency situations, and demonstrate a strong enthusiasm for delivering high-quality care to Children and Young People (C&YP). Additionally, you will have experience in shift management and be eager to further develop your leadership skills as the service expands while promoting clinical excellence within our team.

Main duties of the job

Our team consists of dedicated paediatric nurses who are supported by paediatric consultants, advanced nurse practitioners, and care support workers. We also have a committed paediatric development team within Children's Services, offering a variety of professional learning and development opportunities to enhance your experience at West Herts:

Triage and initial assessment training Venepuncture and cannulation training Paediatric Immediate Life Support (PILS) and Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) certification Critical Care Development course Trauma Level 1 competencies Intravenous (IV) and Central Access course Specialty study days focused on topics such as diabetes and oncology Specialty Link roles to support the unit Trust leadership and development course

Our unit collaborates closely with the Children's Emergency Department, providing opportunities to work across both the Paediatric Assessment Unit and the Children's Emergency Department for additional development upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main responsibilities include working as a skilled member of the nursing team, to provide a high standard of holistic family centred care to the children and their families, to act as a role model and expert clinical practitioner.

To support the senior sister in managing the clinical area, including management of staff, acting as team leader, including addressing staff developmental needs through IPR.  To undertake delegated responsibility for the department in the absence of the Ward/Unit Manager.

The post holder could be required to work on any site of the three sites (Watford, Hemel and St Albans) that provide acute services for children, according to the needs of the service.