Chief Nurse

Job overview

We are seeking an inspirational, values‑driven Chief Nurse to provide outstanding executive leadership and professional direction across nursing, midwifery, allied health professions and scientific services.

This is a pivotal, statutory Board role with responsibility for ensuring exceptional quality of care, safe services, and outstanding patient outcomes and experience across the Trust. The post‑holder will play a central role in shaping the Trust’s strategic direction and will be a visible, credible, and influential clinical leader.

As a full voting member of the Trust Board of Directors and Executive Team, the Chief Nurse will provide expert professional advice, assurance and leadership on all matters relating to quality, safety, patient outcomes, and experience. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Executive colleagues, the Chief Nurse will champion person‑centred care and continuously improve outcomes for patients, families and communities.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

The Chief Nurse will:

• Provide professional nursing leadership, direction and expert advice to the Executive Team and Trust Board, ensuring that patient outcomes, safety and experience are central to all strategic decisions.
• Lead and inspire nursing, midwifery, allied health professional and scientific staff, fostering a culture of excellence, compassion and continuous improvement in patient care.
• Drive the Trust’s quality, safety and productivity agenda, with clear accountability for delivering measurable improvements in patient outcomes and experience.
• Ensure the consistent delivery of high‑quality, safe, effective and compassionate care for all patients across services.
• Provide visible, credible and accessible executive leadership, championing professional standards and supporting staff to deliver their very best for patients.
• Lead the development of the nursing, midwifery and AHP workforce, ensuring safe and effective staffing models that support high‑quality care and sustainable services.
• Ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded within patient experience and service delivery, reducing health inequalities and improving access and outcomes for all.
• Act as the Board‑level Executive lead for Infection Prevention and Control, ensuring robust systems, governance and assurance.
• Ensure compliance with the NMC Code of Professional Practice and CQC standards, providing assurance to the Board on quality and regulatory risk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for a senior clinical leader with a strong track record of improving patient outcomes, quality and experience at system or organisational level. You will be a registered nurse with board level experience or significant sub-board leadership experience, excellent judgement, and the credibility to influence at Board, system and national level.

You will be passionate about compassionate, inclusive and safe care, and committed to developing people, services and partnerships that deliver real and lasting benefits for patients and communities.

As part of our recruitment process, we may carry out a basic search of publicly available social media and online content to help assess candidates’ suitability for the role.

Further details on the role, the candidate pack and how to apply can be found in the primary additional document About the role

For an informal discussion about the role, or to arrange a confidential conversation, please contact our recruitment partners at Hunter Healthcare:

Finn McNulty – Associate Partner Executive Search

E:[email protected]

T: 07966 006091