Neonatal Community Outreach Team Sister

Job overview

Lead our Community Neonatal Nursing Team and shape exceptional care beyond the unit.

We’re seeking a motivated, experienced neonatal nurse to join our Level 3 Neonatal Unit as a Band 7 Community Outreach Sister. This unique leadership role is ideal for someone passionate about supporting babies and families as they transition safely from hospital to home.

You will work autonomously, using your  clinical expertise to oversee the community caseload across the neonatal unit, transitional care and home settings. You’ll lead a skilled team, escalate concerns appropriately, and ensure care is prioritised and coordinated effectively.

You’ll collaborate closely with the multidisciplinary team and external agencies, develop and evaluate care plans, and drive quality improvement, including data collection, audits and action plans. You will also represent the service at senior Trust meetings and within the wider neonatal community.

Supporting families through discharge planning is central to this role. You will guide your team in assessing infant and parent readiness, ensuring a smooth, safe and well‑prepared transition home.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will

• Lead the team of Registered Nurses and Nursery Nurses in the Outreach Team.
• Ensure the team has 5/7 a week full rota coverage
• To be able to provide a high standard of nursing care for neonates and their families preparing for discharge from NICU and following discharge into the community.
• Ensure community care of neonates follows up to date policies and guidelines.
• To be able to work within the NICU caring for high dependency special care and transitional care babies.
• To work effectively and efficiently with the integrated multidisciplinary team and outside agencies to develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care.
• To develop and maintain a suitable and stimulating learning environment for students and for the on-going development of registered and unregistered staff.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical/ Professional Responsibilities

• To facilitate discharge of neonates providing initial support in the family home
• To liaise with the multidisciplinary team in relation to the discharge and follow up of neonates
• Liaise with Social Services where social circumstances raise concerns
• Develop and maintain own competence in agreed basic and advanced clinical skills.
• Act as a source of speciality expertise within the Directorate and across the Trust as appropriate
• Participate in multi-disciplinary discharge planning meetings
• Represent Neonatal Unit in Case Conferences
• Provide resuscitation training for parents
• Lead the RSV immunisation programme
• To supervise nursing practice of students and junior staff, and the delivery of patient care in accordance with NMC Code of Professional Conduct and Trust/Unit Policies and Procedures
• To assess, plan, implement and evaluate care needs for allocated infant groups in the Community
• Act as an advocate for the neonate and their family at all times
• Act as an effective role model and demonstrate effective organisational and leadership skills
• Listen appropriately and take into account any sensitive issues and communicate these to the appropriate persons/agencies ensuring that children are protected and that disclosures are acted upon appropriately – commence referrals, early health assessment as required
• Feedback the views and needs of the infant/family to the Community Sister as necessary to enable appropriate interventions to be implemented
• Participate in planning and implementation of quality initiatives and targets, in conjunction with the Ward Sister / Charge Nurse and Head of Nursing / Matron
• Be conversant with current emergency resuscitation techniques and fire regulations and procedures both in theory and practice
• Ensure the safe custody and administration of drugs
• With the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse ensure that clinical and housekeeping practice follows policies/procedures designed to prevent hospital acquired infection
• Assist in the evaluation and assessment of new equipment and technology
• To be conversant with Child Protection policies and procedures and ability to recognise those at risk
• Initiate early discharge planning according to national guidance
• Actively promote and implement research and evidence-based practice
• Maintain accurate, legible, and timely records on Badgernet
• Drive and hold a current driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work and to be able to travel efficiently around the local geographical area. Provide evidence on an annual basis that the vehicle is insured for business use

Managerial Responsibilities

• Promote good communication and working relationships and collaborative working with the multi-disciplinary team, both within the Unit and the rest of the Trust
• In conjunction with the Unit Sister/Charge Nurse, be responsible for effective organisation of the Unit
• Be aware of and adhere to the Supervisory Responsibilities guidelines as per the Trust’s Standards for Practice and Care
• Maintaining the ward budgetary control through an efficient and effective use of resources
• Ensure safe use of equipment, ascertaining that both self and staff are competent to operate the equipment and that the equipment is in safe working order
• Be proficient in the use of information technology
• Be conversant with the corporate goals in relation to service delivery
• Have responsibility for a number of staff members undertaking Individual Personal Review and enable staff progression
• Ensure nursing staff under your supervision have a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities, and of the standards of performance and conduct expected of them
• Lead on the management of babies that include home oxygen, immunisation clinics or other area identified by the Matron
• Ensure that complaints and incidents are dealt with proactively in conjunction with Divisional Governance Team
• To investigate Datix incidents and complaints using Root Cause Analysis as a tool and provide reports as required. Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate associated action plans based on reflective practice and review of processes
• Initiate and lead on and projects and instigate improvements in nursing care and / or management of the ward/Department
• Contribute to the recruitment and selection process. Taking a lead in the retention of nursing staff on the Unit and in the outreach team.

Education and Development

• Support and Educate families as they prepare for discharge
• Actively promote and implement evidence-based practice as evidenced with up to date policies
• Support the Clinical Practitioner Educator and Head of Nursing / Matron in relation to programmes and strategies for professional development, education and training
• Lead on programmes of standard setting and audit
• Promote and provide health education for parents/carers of the neonate both in the Neonatal Intensive Care and the community
• Teach and educate families to care for babies with complex needs in their preparation for discharge i.e. home oxygen, oxygen studies and NG policies
• Ensure an environment conducive to the educational needs of all Staff and Students
• Understands the educational objectives of all ward staff, acting as preceptor/mentor to appropriate staff and assessing their performance
• Maintain good communication with internal education support staff and tutors from local higher and further education providers
• Maintain and enhance own professional development through continuing education and training activities.  Attend mandatory training as laid down by the Trust
• Be innovative, support and help to manage change
• Maintain at all times a professional attitude including appropriate personal appearance in accordance with the Trust Uniform and Dress Code Policies.

Clinical Governance

• In conjunction with the Matron and Unit Sisters/Charge Nurse and their deputies participate in the planning and implementation of quality and risk management initiatives and targets, including CNST, RPST and Controls Assurance requirements
• Help and maintain evidence-based quality standards that are regularly audited, and participate in agreed changes in practice
• In conjunction with the Matron and Unit Sisters/Charge Nurse and the Practice Development Team, participate in agreed programmes of clinical benchmarking
• Support the Matron Unit Sisters/Charge Nurse in ensuring that staffs acquire the appropriate clinical competencies to deliver safe and effective patient care
• Support and supervise junior staff in a way that promotes patient safety and well-being
• Assist the Clinical Practitioner Educator in the orientation and induction of new staff.  Ensure appropriate paperwork is completed and processed
• Understand and be aware of when and how to report untoward incidents, accidents, concerns or near misses and how to deal effectively with patients’ or relatives’ complaints
• Participate in the writing and reviewing of Unit protocols and guidelines
• To support the department and organisation by carrying out any other duties that reasonably fit within the broad scope of a job of this grade and type of work