Senior Sister / Charge Nurse

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Neonatal Team Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

If you are ambitious, confident, self-motivated and compassionate, looking to develop your career in neonatal nursing and make a difference, this post offers you the opportunity to play a key role as part of a new and developing team of band 7 clinical leaders.

There has never been a more exciting time to join our neonatal team as we expand our neonatal service. The New Neonatal Unit has opened since November 2025.

The post holder will need to have a good team building skills and be able to demonstrate how they motivate and lead. He/she will be required to work flexibly as a member of the neonatal team to ensure standards are being maintained, evaluated and where necessary improved. As a Sister/Charge Nurse you will work collaboratively with all members of multi-professional team, ensure that the baby and family have a satisfactory experience by evaluating patient processes and redesigning the pathway of care including external agencies and also other hospitals.

If you are a motivated leader with a passion for patient care and service excellence, we want to hear from you. Join us and make a real difference in a hospital that values innovation, collaboration, and compassion.

Main duties of the job

Take responsibility for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care and rehabilitation for children and their families.

Explore more efficient and effective ways of providing a high standard of family centred care and utilisation of resources.

In conjunction with the staff develop a mechanism for setting goals and benchmarking standards of care. Develop tools to improve the quality of the service and co-ordinate clinical services across the ward/dept.

Support systems for sharing good practice within the ward/dept and trust wide.

Pilot clinical programmes.

Plan and implement a programme for clinical supervision for all registered nurses working in the ward/dept.

Rotational to transitional care

Please see attached documents for further details.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Lead the ward/dept team by an appropriate management style to maintain good morale and a team approach to work:

Deploy/book staff to meet the workload with an appropriate skill mix for 24 hour cover.

Hold and maintain the designated budget.

Influence control of overall ward/dept expenditure.

Ensure regular risk assessments are carried out to identify clinical risks and prevent incidents.

Monitor the capability, competence, sickness and absence of staff.

Ensure compliance to trust policies and procedures amongst the multi-disciplinary team

Obtain and analyse statistical information for the area of practice.

Ensure the accurate input of data to I.T. systems.

Manage stores and supplies for the area of practice.

Ensure the proper use of and maintenance of equipment.

Lead in the selection, interviewing and monitoring of staff.

Attend and contribute actively to relevant meetings (e.g. ward manager and unit meetings) and working parties.

Act up for the Lead nurse

Take responsibility and lead on designate tasks in key areas care

Support band 6 staff with shift leadership and professional development.

Education, Training and Development of Staff

Guide and support staff in their professional development and clinical competence.

Reviewing and managing the performance of all staff by identifying their educational and other needs, annual IPR and objectives.

Ensuring the orientation of staff and preceptorship in in-service training.

Promote, encourage and participate in research, audit and studies related to the area of practice.

Implement ward teaching programmes.

Guide and support staff in the monitoring and assessment for all learners in the clinical area.

In liaison with universities, provide a successful learning environment for students.

Participate in a ‘shadowing’ programme of the senior nurse.

Professional and Legal Responsibilities

Be familiar with and to observe ward, department, hospital and district policies, the NMC Rules and Code of Practice.

Update own knowledge and skills in order to develop professionally and to contribute to the improvement of the service.

Take responsibility for the safe storage of records and the maintenance of confidentiality

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.