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Job overview
Join the Penguin Ward at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC), where every day offers the opportunity to make a difference. We are seeking passionate and skilled children’s nurses who have completed their preceptorship to join our dedicated team.
We have a permanent role and also four month secondments for internal staff wanting to rotate and experience all that Penguin has to offer
Penguin is our inpatient surgery ward. Here we predominately care for children aged 0 – 10 years old with various surgical conditions. As the regional centre we accept referrals from the south west of England and Wales into our 22 beds. We are renowned for our capabilities in both emergency and elective surgical cases.
Penguin ward is a busy, friendly ward with a good team spirit.
The ward hosts a variety of opportunities to progress your nursing career and skills in paediatric surgery, from neonates to teenagers.
You will gain experience in specialties including:
- Gastroenterology
- Trauma and Orthopaedic
- Ear Nose and Throat
- Emergency Surgery
- Plastic and cleft
- General surgery
- Urology
You will also develop your skills, through working alongside the Clinical Nurse Specialists, and other members of the multidisciplinary team who are involved in the patient pathway.
Acute pain management, parental nutrition, complex fluid management and planning and assessing care for complex post operative surgical patients, will all be skills you can learn or build on.
Main duties of the job
As a gifted Children’s nurse we understand your value. That’s why we want you to join our vibrant team at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC), in a Trust rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and help us deliver world-class care in departments that feels like a family.
If you are a registered adult nurse but have experience and competence in working with paediatric surgery patients then we welcome your application. Unfortunately we are unable to support nurses that require OSCE in order to register with the NMC UK.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your application today!
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrate competence in clinical skills relevant to the clinical area
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, able to communicate effectively with patients, carers and MDT
- Computer skills
- Competence in calculations for safe administration of medicines/fluids
- Ability to take the lead, initiate and ensure appropriate action in response to the deteriorating patient
- Clinical decision making ability
- Teaching/supervisory skills
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
- Act in a professional manner
- Self motivated
- A team player
- Recognition of own limits
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Broad knowledge and experience of clinical nursing practice within a hospital environment
- Interest in the clinical area
Desirable
- Experience of teaching
- Experience of taking charge
Qualifications and and Training
Essential
- RSCN/ RN child branch (NMC registered) or equivalent
- Current NMC registration
Desirable
- Work towards relevant university accredited post basic study programmes e.g. teaching and assessing course
Public Sector Language Competency
Essential
- Be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Paediatric Staff Nurse – Penguin Ward - Surgery with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 5 Nurse (adult and children) role. The advertised salary is £29,970 - £36,483 pa / pro rata. The contract type is 1 X permanent & 1 X 4 months fixed term post. The application deadline is 12 Jul 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (18 Jun 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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