Deputy Sister/ Charge Nurse

Job overview

This is a deputy sister post within the Maxillofacial and Orthodontic Unit.  The candidate should have at least 3 years post registration experience at a Band 5. Band 6 experience would be welcomed but not essential.  The post holder will be joining the management team of an expanding, forward thinking outpatient based unit.

Working within the outpatient department, this role offers a diverse and dynamic clinical experience. The post holder will contribute to a wide range of services, including minor oral surgery, general and specialist clinics, trauma pathways, and pre-operative assessment. There will be opportunities to support the care of patients with additional needs within both the clinical and community dental settings. The role requires adaptability to varied clinical environments, working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care across the service.

The role will also be supporting the senior sister and head and neck matron with the day to day running of the unit including ensuring audits and off duties on the current trust digital platform are completed  in a timely manner. Openness,  honesty with the ability to think quickly in an ever changing environment is essential as the departmental requirements change on a daily basis. The post holder must be able to work under own initiative within policy as the matron and higher management work across both  KGH and NGH sites.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to demonstrate a sound working knowledge of maxillofacial and orthodontic services and will support clinical activity across all clinics and service areas within the department, when required.

Experience in paediatric and special care dentistry is desirable, as a significant proportion of the patient cohort are under 16 years of age and/or have additional needs.

The role includes supporting the Senior Sister and Matron in the effective day-to-day operational management of the department, including the timely escalation of concerns in line with Trust policies and procedures.

A good understanding of outpatient processes, governance, and organisational protocols is essential.

The post holder must demonstrate excellent organisational and time management skills to support the completion of off-duty planning, audits, and administrative requirements within required timeframes.

When acting as nurse in charge, the post holder will be expected to work autonomously, applying sound clinical judgement and a robust understanding of policies and procedures to ensure the safe and efficient running of a busy and evolving service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role will also be supporting the senior sister and head and neck matron, with the day to day running of the unit. There must be the ability to work under own initiative within policy as the matron and higher management work across both  KGH and NGH sites.

You will be expected to work clinically working within a multidiscplinary setting including but not limited to; running and chaperoning clinics, offering chairside assistance within the oral surgery/orthodontic sphere, caring for learning disability patients on the ward following surgery. Scrubbing/ assisting , recovering to nurse led discharge for patients undergoing minor  surgery. Head and neck wound care, running nurse led pre assessment clinics.

You will often be the nurse in charge, ensuring co ordination of the department, making on the floor decisions to keep the department running smoothly.

There will also be heavy involvement in trust audits and feeding back information to the staff and you will be expected to complete off duty on the trust digital platform.

Please see attached job description and personal specifications for more detail