Scrub Nurse/ODP -Theatres

Job overview

Scrub Nurse/ODP -Theatres, Band 5

The postholder is a key member of the Planned Care Division, working within the Day Surgery Unit to provide safe, effective and high‑quality perioperative care. As part of the multidisciplinary theatre team, the post holder upholds excellent clinical standards, supports colleagues, and ensures compassionate, patient‑centred care throughout each surgical pathway.

This full‑time role (37.5 hours per week) reports to the Matron and Clinical Nurse Lead. The nurse primarily works in the Day Surgery Unit but may be required to undertake weekend shifts or cross‑site duties depending on service needs.

Although positioned at Band 5, the post holder is expected to demonstrate reliability, professionalism and growing clinical autonomy. They contribute to theatre efficiency by supporting the coordination of care, maintaining smooth theatre flow, and communicating effectively with patients, families and the wider clinical team. Trust values must be consistently demonstrated in all aspects of practice.

The role may also involve acting as a deputy to more senior staff, such as a Junior Theatre Sister, taking responsibility for delegated clinical and educational tasks.

Working both independently and as part of a team, the nurse helps maintain a safe surgical environment through strong infection control practice, safeguarding awareness, and evidence‑based clinical care.

ADVERT WILL BE CLOSED ONCE SUFFICIENT APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a clearly identifiable senior clinical staff member, and team leader. They will have significant clinical experience, provide sound clinical expertise to their team, and coordinate and deliver high quality care. They will be a role model for expert clinical care, and lead on specific projects / management functions as delegated by the Sister / Charge Nurse. They will role model the identified Trust values at all times.

In general settings, they will be the assigned deputy for their manager, generally known as a Junior Sister / Charge Nurse, coordinating clinical, managerial and education requirements of the area, and being a role model for team members, whilst delivering and overseeing high standards of care. In midwifery settings they will be called a Midwife.

In specialist settings, they will have a significant level of specialist clinical knowledge and expertise in the clinical functions of care delivery. They will provide advice and guidance also, and generally be known as a senior staff nurse.

Professional practice must align with NMC/HCPC standards, Trust guidelines, infection control requirements, and local policies. The Scrub Nurse maintains high standards of documentation and patient safety, escalating equipment issues, near‑misses, and incidents appropriately, and contributing to clinical governance activity.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical:

• Help to manage the day to day staffing arrangements, to ensure safe levels of practice
• Be in charge of a theatre list on a regular basis where appropriate and safe to do so
• Ensure staffs adhere to Trust protocols of care, eg Infection Control, uniform policy, and so on and so forth.
• Take continuing responsibility for the Theatre in absence of Junior Sister.
• Lead and manage their own clinical team within general clinical areas, and of the total team in the absence of the Theatre Sister, in line with Trust values
• Develop and maintain effective communication and working relationships with other professional groups, and staff generally within the Division and the Trust
• Contribute to the effective management of the area by ensuring correct levels of staff are in place to deliver and assist with the planning of off duty rotas
• Assist in the delivery of induction / orientation of new staff, students and HCAs.
• Act as a role model, ensuring staff work to Trust guidelines and values
• Supervise, under the direction of their manager, the work of qualified and unqualified staff and learners
• Provide clinical support and guidance to staff
• Act as a resource for clinical knowledge to staff
• Initiate action on complaints & incident management and responses, and assist in their investigation and resolution
• Participate in recruitment and selection, and develop effective selection and interviewing skills
• Undertake appraisals of staff, following training
• Chair team meetings as required during clinical governance and half day teaching sessions.
• Lead on specific projects, as indicated and agreed by manager
• Have a working knowledge of budget arrangements for area, focussing on cost effectiveness and quality, to ensure maximum use of resource
• Understand and manage local change with team members, including the embedding of new projects

• Carries out a full range of registered heath care professional duties, including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of the patient’s condition and care with support from the Practitioner in charge. Maintains the privacy and dignity of all patients whilst adhering to Trust and department policies, reporting any difficulties with these duties to senior staff.
• Works without direct supervision once key learning outcomes of the induction/ foundation or preceptorship programme have been completed; and 6 month probationary period applies to career Band 5 posts.
• Maintains a safe environment when caring for patients, including those patients requiring frequent levels of monitoring.
• Monitors all patient care and treatment, maintaining high standards and quality at all times.
• Documents incidents on Datix in real time and escalates any concerns to the Practitioner in charge. Is aware of trust risk management and policies.
• Able to prioritise patient care, recognise deterioration in a patient’s condition and alert senior staff immediately.
• Maintains accurate, contemporaneous and legible written records of care where required and accurately completes the perioperative care plan (CERNER).
• Uses effective communication, written and verbal with all levels of staff including the multidisciplinary team, patients and relatives, taking into account impairments, levels of consciousness and language barriers.
• Adheres to the agreed procedures as identified, and promotes by example, a high standard of good quality care within the department.
• Fosters good relationships with other departments, the multidisciplinary team and visitors to the unit. Helps to achieve and maintain morale for both staff and patients.
• Participates in the health education and explanation of treatment to patients and relatives. Ensure the delivery of high quality end of life care in line with national pathways, eg WHO Safety Surgical Checklist
• Provide sound evidence based clinical advice as required to staff and patients
• Maintain a good understanding and implementation of clinical escalation procedures as required
• Understand the Trust clinical governance framework, and participate in the promoting and safeguarding of high standards of care, through effective risk management & governance, and adherence to the Trust values
• Ensure that the team promote, ensure and adhere to the Trust safeguarding polices
• Monitor quality of standards of care, in line with CQC requirements and Trust and Divisional objectives
• Deliver and supervise a high quality patient experience, for each case admitted to our unit.
• Work with line manager to collect and disseminate data on quality indicators etc, in line with national and Trust objectives.
• Leadership and Management:

PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE POST