Junior Sister/Charge Nurse Ward L4 (Colorectal Surgery)

Job summary
Are you a skilled, experienced and compassionate nurse looking for an exciting opportunity to develop your clinical and leadership skills within a specialist colorectal service?

We are pleased to offer an exciting one-year secondment opportunity for a Band 6 Nurse to join our friendly and supportive colorectal ward team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced nurse to develop their clinical expertise, leadership skills and specialist knowledge within colorectal nursing while working as part of a supportive and dedicated multidisciplinary team.

Our ward provides care for patients undergoing a wide range of colorectal surgical procedures and treatments, supporting patients throughout their surgical journey from admission and pre-operative preparation through to post-operative recovery and discharge.

As a Band 6 Nurse, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate care while providing clinical leadership and support to the wider nursing team. You will work closely with surgeons, junior doctors, specialist nurses, allied health professionals and other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure our patients receive safe, effective and person-centred care.

Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for:

• Providing skilled, high-quality and compassionate nursing care to patients with colorectal conditions.
• Coordinating the day-to-day management of the ward and supporting the safe delivery of patient care.
• Using your clinical knowledge and skills to recognise and respond appropriately to the deteriorating patient.
• Working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to support effective patient management and discharge planning.
• Promoting high standards of infection prevention, medicines management, documentation and patient safety.

We are looking for a skilled and confident registered nurse who:

• Has experience working in an acute surgical environment, ideally with colorectal experience.
• Demonstrates strong clinical knowledge, assessment skills and sound clinical decision-making.
• Works effectively within a busy multidisciplinary team.

Previous colorectal experience would be advantageous, but we would also welcome applications from skilled surgical nurses who are keen to develop their specialist colorectal knowledge and leadership experience.

This one-year secondment provides an excellent opportunity to broaden your experience, develop your leadership capabilities and gain specialist knowledge within a busy colorectal service.

You will be joining a supportive and forward-thinking team where you will have opportunities to develop specialist colorectal knowledge, enhance your leadership skills and contribute to improving patient care.

About us
Come Nurse with us...
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It's a great place to nurse, work and live.

You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practise your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health-care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.

Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full-time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full-time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver

Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

This post is subject to a 12-week probationary period, during which performance, conduct and attendance will be reviewed in line with Trust standards. The probationary period provides a structured and supportive approach to help new employees successfully transition into their role

This vacancy will close at midnight on 18th October 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on 6th November 2026.

Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Current and relevant registration on NMC Register
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Mentorship training

Desirable

• Relevant postgraduate qualification
• Recent attendance on a leadership development programme
• Additional clinical qualification
• Management training

Experience
Essential

• 2 years post registration experience
• Experience of co-ordinating a ward on a regular basis
• Demonstrable understanding of managing change
• Introduced evidence-based practice
• Experience of colorectal or acute surgical nursing

Desirable

• Previous experience of ward management
• Colorectal Surgical Experience
• Success in working collaboratively across professions and services
• Experience of bleep holding role

Knowledge
Essential

• Clinical practice and demonstrable knowledge of developments in nursing policy and practice
• Clinical governance
• Principles of lifelong learning

Desirable

• Workforce planning, recruitment and retention

Skills
Essential

• Ability to lead, motivate and empower others
• Highly developed communications skills
• inter-personal skills
• Computer literacy
• Ability to prioritise work, meet tight deadlines and work independently
• Positive and effective team worker

Desirable

• Negotiation skills
• Writing and presentation skills
• Budget management experience

Additional Requirements
Essential

• Exposure prone procedures
• Contact with patients in a clinical setting
• Contact with immunosuppressed patients
• Direct contact with patients
• Regular contact with infectious patients
• Working with respiratory sensitivities
• Working with latex gloves

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).