Head of Nursing

OPAC has an exciting opportunity to recruit to the Head of Nursing. This role will work closely with the Associate Director of Nursing and Quality, other Heads of Nursing and Directorate Management Team to provide professional and compassionate leadership for the development and monitoring of nursing practice and support the delivery of a high quality, safe and patient centred service within Older People’s and Adult Community Services Directorate. The post holder will be expected to provide support and guidance and to represent the diversity of nursing roles within the directorate. They will need to demonstrate their professional credibility and be a visible member of the Directorate Management Team.

The post holder will continue to build on the success of the organisation, strengthening and enhancing pursuit of the Trust’s strategy, vision and PRIDE values in promoting the development of our services.

Applicants should be RN and registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Advanced knowledge of professional issues, current NHS policy agenda,quality improvement methodologiesand clinical governance is required, as is the ability to work autonomously with minimum direction, evidenced by significant achievement and recent relevant experience at a senior level.

The post holder will be expected to provide support and guidance, and to represent the broad views of nurses within the directorate and will need to achieve a level of visibility that enables these expectations to be met.

As the senior nurse in the Directorate the Head of Nursing will carry responsibility to act as a strong role model for all colleagues by demonstrating credibility and visibility, strong commitment to identifying development opportunities, celebrating success, and encouraging creativity, innovation, and excellence in practice.
- Accountable for own actions in accordance with the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Provide professional nursing advice and support to professional groups, directorate staff and agencies within and outside the Trust.
- With and on behalf of the Service Director, Associate Director of Nursing & Quality, Director of Nursing, AHP’s & Quality or other Executive Directors, assume the operational lead for specific highly complex clinical and non-clinical Trust-wide priorities and the development of associated activities and measurements.
- To develop and establish clinical networks relevant to directorate services for the sharing of good practice within and outside the Trust including the Department of Health.
- To identify and agree best practice within nursing, facilitating the setting of frameworks that incorporate evidence-based practice into everyday work, including guidelines developed by professional bodies where they exist.
- The post holder is accountable with the ADN and will take a lead role in ensuring that Serious Investigations within the Directorate are carried out within required timeframes and that learning is embedded within teams
- To act responsively in providing additional advice and support to directorate staff in circumstances such as the occurrence of adverse incidents.
- Monitor and advise on all aspects of the quality governance, clinical governance, patient safety, and patient experience agendas, ensuring appropriate recommendations and revisions to practice are considered and implemented where appropriate.
- Provide clinical leadership to the Directorate clinical nurse leads to support patient safety, quality, and service development within relevant spheres of responsibility.
- Utilise information systems to produce accurate and timely data and reports, interpreting trends to target specific professional and practice development