Deputy Sister/Deputy Charge Nurse

Job summary

We are seeking a compassionate and enthusiastic Deputy sister/ Deputy charge nurse to join our dedicated nursing team. This is an exciting opportunity for a confident and proactive nurse who is passionate about delivering exceptional patient care while leading, developing, and supporting others in a fast-paced clinical environment.

You will be instrumental in coordinating safe, efficient, and compassionate care for patients undergoing elective cardiothoracic interventions, ensuring a seamless journey from admission through to discharge. You will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to provide patient-centred care while supporting the operational management of the ward, supporting the Ward Manager in service delivery, staff development, and continuous quality improvement.

Main duties of the job

Lead the day-to-day running of the nurse-led elective day ward, ensuring safe, patient-centred care throughout the perioperative pathway.

Use advanced clinical judgement to assess, plan, deliver, and evaluate care for patients undergoing elective cardiothoracic procedures.

Provide visible, hands-on leadership and act as a role model to junior nursing and support staff.

Take responsibility for line management duties including appraisals, supervision, sickness management, and staff development.

Monitor staff rotas and daily workload allocation, ensuring safe staffing levels and continuity of care.

Deputise for the Ward Manager, maintaining oversight of operational and clinical priorities within the unit.

Promote a culture of excellence and continuous improvement, contributing to audits, education programmes, and evidence-based practice initiatives.

About us

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the UK's leading heart and lung hospital, delivering care to more than 50,000 patients a year in its new state-of-the-art hospital in Cambridge. We perform the most heart and/or lung transplants in the UK and carried out the UK's first successful heart transplant in 1979. It also offers emergency heart attack treatment, sleep centre care and is one of just five centres nationally for those in severe respiratory failure.

Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe the Trust is at the heart of treatments of the future. Royal Papworth became the first hospital trust in the country to be rated outstanding in all five areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission - a rating it still holds today. The Trust holds its values of compassion, excellence & collaboration at its core, and all colleagues joining the team are expected to uphold these in their day-to-day roles & interactions. Royal Papworth is proud of its diverse workforce and encourages people to embrace their individuality.

The Trust values difference and welcomes all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex and sexual orientation. Providing they meet the minimum post criteria, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview.

For a street view tour: https://royalpapworth.nhs.uk/virtual-tour

Details

• Date posted: 01 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 6
• Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
• Contract: Secondment
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: 175-2627-TH1674
• Job locations: Royal Papworth Hospital, Papworth Road, Cambridge Bio Medical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AY, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

On this page you will find a Role Profile which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.