Sister/Charge Nurse Ophthalmology

Overview

Go back Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

The closing date is 07 November 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 within the Ophthalmology Department. A busy clinic area consisting of consulting rooms and a clean room area and management of Nurse Practitioners working countywide across Worcester and Kidderminster. We are looking for a dynamic and pro-active person to lead the department. It is an exciting time to join the department with new and exciting times ahead. The candidate must have proven leadership experience, working within an Ophthalmology environment would be desirable but not essential. The post holder will need to be well organised and effective in their practice; they must be able to multi-task, actively contribute towards a developing department and lead the team to uphold high standards of care for our patients.

Main duties of the job

• To provide strong leadership skills to manage all nursing staff and Nurse Practitioners including sickness management, rostering, recruitment and appraisals.
• Promoting best practice for patients experiencing Ophthalmology issues, liaising with all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Promoting an enabling, empowering and equitable culture, thereby ensuring services provided are of a high quality.
• To actively participate in the day-to-day clinical and operational management of the department.
• Ensure evidence-based care is provided to agreed standards within the department and this is demonstrated in the delivery and achievement of all clinical and operational key performance indicators.
• Maintain effective records management ensuring all documentation written or electronic is managed as per Trust and NMC guidance.
• Ensure risk management policies and procedures are understood and in place within the department.
• Ensure near misses, incidents, accidents and medical device faults are recorded, reported, investigated and processes are in place for learning to be shared.
• Maintain a safe and clean environment for staff, patients/clients and visitors by ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and protocols.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities

To ensure the maintenance of a high standard of nursing care at all times for ophthalmology patients through the effective management of staff and resources.

To provide effective leadership and to act as a good role model

To work collaboratively with all members of the multidisciplinary team and co-ordinate all aspects of ophthalmic care in the best interests of the patient and their family or carer

Providing supervision, support and education to unqualified staff, qualified staff, students and new staff team members.

To ensure auditing of and working towards the achievement of the NHS plan which relates to the outpatient environment

Encourage research based nursing care and practice within the department, discussing and changing practice where appropriate.

Participation in preceptorship programmes as appropriate and act as a facilitator / mentor / preceptor / role model to other members of the team.

To provide clinical support supporting the IVT nurse practitioners lists and clinical aspects in the outpatient clinics.

Person Specification Qualifications

• RGN with current registration
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Evidence of management experience / training
• Post registration qualification or experience
• NMC recognised teaching and assessing qualification
• Evidence of study at academic level 6
• Experience at Band 6 within Ophthalmology or a related field.
• Department based teaching.
• Managing clinical risk and incidents
• Clinical audit activity.
• Staff appraisals and PDR.
• Sickness absence / performance management.
• Complaints handling.
• Evidence of being up to date with current NHS / professional issues.
• Experience and knowledge within the speciality or related field.
• Clinical credible.
• Evidence of teaching and development skills.
• Evidence of managing Change Organisation skills.
• Leadership skills and ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Awareness of health and safety issues, and management.
• Able to prioritise.
• Fully aware of principles of infection control.
• Able to produce written reports and articulate concerns regarding patient care / safety issues.
• Fully aware of the principles of clinical governance and the application of clinical governance.
• Computer literate as appropriate to the post.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearAgenda for change