Sister/Charge Nurse - Respiratory

Job overview

An exciting opportunity is available for a 12-month secondment to the Band 6 Junior Sister/Charge Nurse role on Ward N3, starting in August 2026.

This role is ideal for a motivated registered nurse looking to develop leadership and management skills within a supportive multidisciplinary team while delivering high-quality patient care.

About Ward N3

Ward N3 is a 25-bed Respiratory Ward caring for patients with acute and chronic respiratory and general medical conditions. We are committed to compassionate care and supporting staff development.

What We Offer

Leadership and ward management experience.

Development of respiratory and general medicine knowledge.

Experience coordinating patient flow and complex clinical activity.

Supportive team environment with opportunities for professional development.

This is a full-time post requiring flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and the nurse bleep holder rota.

About You

Applicants should be registered nurses with at least 18 months' post-registration experience and demonstrate strong communication, organisational, and clinical leadership skills. You will be passionate about delivering excellent patient care, supporting colleagues, working effectively within a multidisciplinary team, and committed to continuous professional development and service improvement.

Main duties of the job

About the Role

Working alongside the Band 7 Senior Sister, you will play a key role in leading and supporting the nursing team to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centred care.

You will:

·Support the Senior Sister in the day-to-day leadership and operational management of the ward.

·Act as a positive role model, demonstrating the Trust's values and promoting excellence in patient care.

·Take charge of the ward, ensuring the safe and effective coordination of patient care and maintaining patient flow.

·Lead, motivate, and support colleagues to deliver high standards of clinical care.

·Contribute to quality improvement initiatives and the achievement of ward and Trust objectives.

·Foster a positive learning environment for students, newly qualified nurses, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Working for our organisation

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)

Detailed job description and main 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

However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 22 July 2026

Interviews are due to be held on 31 July 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 café, 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 criteria

• Current registration with NMC on part one or two of the register

• Evidence of continuing professional development and its application

Desirable criteria

• Teaching Assessing Qualification

• Respiratory course

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of shift and ward management in absence of senior colleagues

• Experience of mentoring junior staff

• Experience of teaching junior staff

• Post registration experience in a relevant field

• Experience in an acute care environment

Desirable criteria

• Experience of delegate Senior Sister responsibility during the absence of manager

• Experience of clinical supervision/action learning/reflective practice

• Experience in respiratory specialty

• Experience in caring for tracheostomy patients

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• NMC Code of Conduct and guidelines of professional practice

• Sound theoretical and practical knowledge of nursing within the clinical area

• Health and Safety awareness

• Quality issues and Clinical Governance

• Awareness of Trust and Ward/Department policies

• Awareness of need to demonstrate a professional appearance and behaviours

• An understanding of the professional nursing agenda

Desirable criteria

• Experience of managing Human Resource issues i.e. poor performance, sickness, recruitment and retention

• Awareness of broader issues within the Trust and NHS

• Knowledge of BTS guidelines in relation to NIV

Skills

Essential criteria

• Proven verbal and written communication skills with all members of the healthcare team, colleagues, patients and relatives

• Practical application of Trust documentation standards

• Self-motivated

• Ability to provide leadership in order to influence patient care standards

• Ability to transfer skills to other wards/areas in order to fulfill the divisional bleep holder role

• Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure in order to maximize positive outcomes

• Ability to provide effective role modelling to other team members

• Maintenance of confidentiality

• Identify problems and recommend solutions

• Time Management

• Motivated to work collaboratively and enthusiastically as a member of a multi- disciplinary team

• Awareness and respect for colleagues’, patients’ and relatives’ cultural and emotional needs

• Willingness to adapt to change as the organisation develops

• Ability to achieve competency in Trust computer systems

• Ability to induct and orientate new staff to clinical area and to identify the key learning needs of less experienced staff

• Practical skills teaching

Desirable criteria

• Experience of using the EPIC system

• Experience with Hamilton Ventilators

• Ability to provide leadership in order to support change

• Scope of practice skills

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria

The following hazards are associated with this job role: • Contact with patients in a clinical Environment • Food handling/preparation • Direct contact with patients • Shift work or night shifts

• The Ability to understand and behave, at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of kind, safe and excellent. This behaviour is outlined on the final page of this person specification.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Documents to download

Further details / informal visits contact

Name

Fabiola Smiroldo

Job title

Senior Sister

Email address

View email address on careers.cuh.nhs.uk

Telephone number

View phone number on careers.cuh.nhs.uk