Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job summary
An opportunity has arisen for a Gastroenterology Nurse Specialist to join our Inflammatory Bowel Disease Service.

The post holder will be trained up by this well-established nurse-led service, which involves managing complex patients, biologics and advice lines and undertaking nurse-led clinics. The post holder will work collaboratively with the other IBD Specialist nurses within the trust and will therefore need strong leadership skills and be able to work autonomously.

The post holder will be key in supporting the Gastroenterology Consultants and the service, working in partnership with patients and other health care professionals to ensure patients are receiving the best care and support with their condition and streamlining the patient's pathway. This will include using advanced judgement and knowledge of the speciality, and to be able to lead and show innovative nursing practice within inflammatory bowel disease within the trust and also through local networks.

This role will include managing a patient caseload, receiving referrals, carrying out advice line support and running nurse-led clinics. The post holder will need to be computer-literate and can use IT systems.

If you do not have the relevant experience, this will be a band 6 training post until all competencies are met and then it will be uplifted to a band 7.

Main duties of the job
This role will require you to work cross-site at both Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital to enable integration into both teams on both sites.

The post holder will need to work within the gastroenterology multi-disciplinary team, providing specialist nursing care to a defined group of patients with Inflammatory Bowel conditions using clearly defined protocols.

The role will involve correspondence with other health care professionals in primary and secondary care; therefore, strong written and communication skills are desirable.

The post-holder will need to be able to work autonomously; however, be able to escalate concerns or seek clinical guidance when appropriate and will be supported by the Gastroenterology team.

The role will also involve patient education in the form of teaching sessions, to empower patients with the knowledge to manage their conditions. At times you may also be required to support nursing and ward staff, and will promote awareness, implementation and adherence to trust, national and professional polices.

About us
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it's adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below

Job responsibilities
Weve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.

Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check atEnhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).

All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.

Following your corporate induction you will be expected to attend the Trusts 2-week Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please email View email address on meeveem.com if this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.

Person Specification
Experience/Knowledge
Essential

• Post registration experience.
• Gastro ward / practice experience, at band 6 level.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• A working knowledge of IBD conditions
• Knowledge of IBD specialist clinical treatments and technology
• Gather, analyse and report a limited range of data and information
• Experience of clinical supervision and mentoring junior staff/nursing students
• Able to demonstrate understanding and empathy
• To contribute to the development of policies and protocols to improve patient care.

Desirable

• Knowledge of NSF and NICE Guidance for IBD
• Willingness to learn and acquire skills, training to meet needs of service.
• Experience of teaching and presenting
• Knowledge of Gastroenterology / Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Qualifications
Essential

• Level 1 NMC Registered Nurse
• Relevant post registration qualification
• Diploma/Degree in Nursing
• Teaching experience/ qualification or willingness to undertake
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Mentorship qualification or willingness to undertake
• Counselling qualification or willingness to undertake
• Non-Medical Independent Prescriber/ Willingness to undertake.
• Post registration education relevant to the post/gastrointestinal nursing

Skills
Essential

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Computer literacy.
• Good clinical assessment skills or willingness to develop these
• Good listening, observational and interpretive skills.
• Demonstrate effective teaching skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Have awareness of own limitations and when to seek advice from senior members of the team

Desirable

• Experience of undertaking audits.
• Project management
• Effective presentation skills

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).