Community Sister / District Nurse

Charitysociety; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider seeks a Community Sister to join their Teesdale Community Nursing Team. This role involves providing holistic nursing care in the community, requiring first-level registration with the NMC. Candidates will assess patient needs, develop care plans, and offer expert clinical advice. The provider specifically values applications from underrepresented candidates and offers a supportive environment to ensure patient care standards are met.

Qualifications

• First level nursing registration with the NHS/NMC.
• Experience working as a nurse in a community setting/team.

Responsibilities

• Provide a range of nursing care to patients.
• Assess patient care needs and develop care plans.
• Work independently and report to the Team Lead.
• Provide expert evidence-based clinical advice.
• Supervise and manage Band 5 staff nurses.

Skills

Communicate complex, sensitive and confidential information

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care needs

Provide specialist advice

Supervise work of others

Education

1st Level Registration with the NMC (Adult)

Degree or equivalent in community nursing

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a Community Sister to join the Teesdale Community Nursing Team. The successful applicant will work across the Teesdale Locality and surrounding areas from an office base. The team covers 8 am until 9 pm, 7 days a week on a duty roster. The post holder will be working in the unplanned team, providing a high level of care and assessment to patients requiring UCR. The role involves providing holistic nursing care to adult patients in their own home or residential care setting.

Qualifications: first level nursing registration with the NHS/NMC. Additional training specific to the role can be provided.

About Us

We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham – and support in numerous community settings across the region. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide a range of nursing care to patients: wound care, medication administration, palliative care, bowel and catheter care.
• Assess patient care needs, develop and review care plans and deliver care.
• Work independently within the wider nursing team and report to the Team Lead.
• Provide expert evidence‑based clinical advice and support staff within the team to support patient safety and clinical effectiveness.
• Support coordination and delivery of high quality nursing care, meeting identified patient needs and the aims of the integrated health and social care team.
• Provide supervision and line management to Band 5 staff nurses, Band 4 nursing associates and Band 3 HCAs.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Knowledge

• Communicate complex, sensitive and confidential information with empathy, persuasion and reassurance.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate complex patient care needs.
• Provide specialist advice and develop specialist care programmes.
• Supervise work of others, provide clinical supervision and training.
• Work within codes of practice and professional guidelines.
• Lead an area or team, managing a community caseload.
• Apply policies and propose changes to working practices.
• Demonstrate physical skills required for nursing procedures.

Desirable

• Community specific skill set.
• Experience of HR management.

Special Requirements

• Ability to work hours flexibly when service needs require.
• Ability to travel independently.

Statutory Registration

1st Level Registration with the NMC (Adult).

Experience

• Essential: Experience working as a nurse in a community setting/team.
• Desirable: Experience managing a team and staff, audit/research, clinical supervision, ongoing nursing development.

Qualifications

• Essential: 1st Level Registration with the NMC (Adult); professional knowledge of community nursing via degree or equivalent; supplemented by diploma‑level specialist training.
• Desirable: Physical skills course, non‑medical prescribing, management and leadership course.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A submission for Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

Employer Details

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust – Barnard Castle Surgery, Victoria Road, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8HT. https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/