Neonatal Staff Nurse

Job overview

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25,000), and any role-specific criteria.

Our neonatal service is provided across four sites in UHSussex. This Neonatal Staff Nurse role will be based at SCBU in Haywards Heath and occasionally required to work in  the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the  Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The Special Care Baby Unit is led by a team of Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (ANNP's) who are supported by Consultant Neonatologists. The unit has eight special care cots.

The Trevor Mann Baby Unit is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit providing both medical and surgical neonatal care. The unit has twenty-seven cots, nine of which are designated for intensive care; eight for high dependency and ten for special care.

This is a great time  to join our neonatal service as we look to grow and develop our team. You will be offered support for your own career development and will be encouraged to pursue any areas of interest that you may have in line with our service improvement plans. This may include joining one of our special interest groups.

Full support given to complete the neonatal pathway when ready, which results in qualification in speciality either at degree or masters level.

Main duties of the job

We are currently recruiting for nurse's to join our team as a band 5. This post would suit an experienced band 5 with or without neonatal experience or a newly qualified nurse. Students that are soon to qualify are welcome to apply.

You will be based on SCBU at PRH  as your main place of work, however you will be expected to cover  The Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton on occasion  as and when required to maintain safe staffing.

The post holder will be required to provide a high standard of research based nursing care to the neonate and support and advice to the family in the special care setting.

The post holder will work as part of the multidisciplinary team in the assessment, planning and implementation of care to the neonate, through the delivery of evidence based practice and be responsible for accurate record keeping.

The post holder will require excellent communication skills to enable effective team working and liaison with families and external agencies.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Take responsibility for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating neonatal nursing care of a designated group of babies on a shift by shift basis consistent with evidence based practice for babies and their families within  special care.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the needs of all babies in the designated area and modify as necessary
• Identify and meet the nutritional needs of the neonate assessing, planning and evaluating feeding regimes and calculating daily fluid requirements for term and pre term neonates
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care of the neonate requiring phototherapy including fluid balance, temperature control and comfort needs
• Assess, record and evaluate observations for neonates nursed in incubators including temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, oxygen requirement and respiratory effort
• Identify the suitability of babies to be transferred home and implement the discharge plan
• Discuss options and support parents in making informed choice in their plan of care e.g.  feeding methods, audiology checks, blood transfusion, and newborn screening programme
• Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of such care, making necessary modifications of any care pathway and give professional advice and support as required
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care of the neonate receiving a blood transfusion, including discussing rational for administering blood with parents
• Act as the baby’s and parents’ advocate and empower them to participate in their baby’s care and well being
• Respect the need for privacy and dignity of the neonate, such as  religious and spiritual needs
• Demonstrate competency in specific clinical skills, appropriate to the area, such as administration of intravenous drug infusions, antibiotics, fluids and total parenteral nutrition
• Demonstrate safe single practitioner administration of all medication to neonates, according to UHSussex Trust and local policy