Ophthalmic Specialist Nurse

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Ophthalmic Specialist Nurse

The closing date is 12 February 2026

The Ophthalmic Nurse Specialist is a senior clinical practitioner within the Ophthalmology Department at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, delivering high-quality, patient-centred ophthalmic care across a range of settings. Working autonomously and as part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder provides expert assessment, treatment and ongoing management of patients with ophthalmic conditions.

Reporting to the Elective Care Matron and supported by the Head of Nursing and Ophthalmology Consultants, the role includes leading nurse-led clinics such as intravitreal injection, triage and emergency clinics. The post holder independently manages a caseload, prioritises urgent cases, identifies abnormalities, prescribes within scope of practice, and escalates care appropriately.

The role involves providing clinical leadership, acting as a role model, and supporting staff through education, training and supervision. The post holder contributes to service development, audit, research, policy implementation and quality improvement in line with national guidance, professional standards and Trust policies.

A strong focus is placed on patient safety, education and experience, ensuring care is equitable, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of patients, carers and staff, while supporting continuous improvement and effective clinical governance within the Ophthalmology service.

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

About us

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

We put the patient at the heart of everything that we do and it is our aim to make sure that every patient is treated as we would want a member of our own family to be treated. At the same time, we expect our staff to be caring, kind and courteous to each other and to look out for each other. We believe that we are truly a clinically-led organisation.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as "outstanding" for care and our King's Mill Hospital as the only "outstanding" NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - GOV.UK

Home Office guidance has changed as of 9th April. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

Job responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification Contractual Requirements

• Stereoscopic vision
• Good professional conduct
• Flexible

Knowledge

• Relevant job experience
• Awareness of specific national and local issues
• Ability to recognise and treat for deterioration of the eye
• Team player
• Ability to manage case load
• Written and verbal skills
• Experience of nurse led triage
• Previous Macular clinic experience
• Clinically up to date

Qualifications

• First level Registered Nurse
• Evidence of continued practice / academic learning associated with speciality
• Evidenced study of Ophthalmology nursing (Diploma/degree level or equivalent experience)
• Nurse prescribing or willingness to undertake
• Teaching and Assessing course
• Masters in Nursing/Ophthalmology (or working towards)
• Specialist Ophthalmology study

Further Training

• Tonometry Skills
• Biometry Skills
• Field interpretation skills
• Awareness of Audit methodologies
• Specific equipment training e.g. Optical coherence Tomography skills
• Sickness absence training
• Careflow awareness
• System one or equivalent training

Experience

• Experience in an acute NHS setting
• In depth experience of Ophthalmology nursing
• Clinical teaching
• Writing White paper/ SOP's/guidelines

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.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum pro rata (may consider Annex 21 for right candidate)