Plastics Nurse Practitioner

Job overview

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Plastics Nurse Specialist to join our dressings clinic, providing expert wound care and dressing management to patients following plastic and reconstructive surgery. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled nurse to work within a specialist team, delivering high-quality, patient-centred care to individuals recovering from a range of procedures including burns, skin grafts, flap reconstructions, and post-surgical wounds.

The successful candidate will be responsible for assessing, planning, and managing complex wound care needs, selecting appropriate dressing techniques and products, and monitoring healing progress to identify and escalate any signs of complications such as infection or delayed healing. You will work closely with consultant plastic surgeons, the wider multidisciplinary team, and patients themselves to ensure optimal outcomes and a positive patient experience throughout the recovery journey.

Main duties of the job

Wound Assessment & Management and Post-Operative Care

• Assessing surgical wounds, flaps, grafts, and donor sites for healing progress, infection, dehiscence, or complications
• Selecting and applying appropriate dressings based on wound type, exudate level, and healing stage
• Removing sutures, staples, drains
• Identifying early signs of complications (infection, flap failure, haematoma, seroma) and escalating to the surgical team promptly

Patient Education & Support

• Advising patients and carers on wound care, dressing changes, and signs of complications to watch for at home
• Explaining ongoing treatment plans and what to expect during recovery

Clinical Procedures

• Performing minor procedures such as suture/clip removal, wound debridement, or simple dressing changes independently
• Taking wound swabs and liaising with microbiology when infection is suspected
• Administering local treatments and, in some settings, prescribing (if a qualified nurse prescriber)

Documentation & Coordination

• Maintaining accurate clinical records, wound photography for tracking progress, and outcome measures
• Liaising with the multidisciplinary team (surgeons, tissue viability nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists.
• Scheduling and coordinating follow-up appointments

Clinic Management

• Running nurse-led clinics independently for routine post-op follow-up, freeing up surgeon time for more complex cases
• Ensuring infection control standards and aseptic non-touch technique (ANTT) are maintained

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on [email protected] quoting the vacancy reference number.