UHN Director of Nursing - Workforce and Education
Job overview
We are seeking an exceptional Director of Nursing to join University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) at a pivotal time in our journey. This is a unique opportunity to provide professional nursing leadership across our integrated healthcare system, driving excellence in patient care, workforce development, and innovation.
As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of nursing at UHN, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and patient experience. You will lead on professional nursing strategy, workforce transformation, and quality improvement, working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams across the organisation.
Main duties of the job
At UHN, we are committed to two fundamental principles:
- For our patients: We expect all patients to receive the same standard of care that we would want for a loved one
- For our colleagues: We expect colleagues to be treated with the same values we believe are important; compassion, respect and integrity
Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to engage and influence at all levels are essential.
At UHN, we are committed to creating a culture of inclusivity, shared decision-making, and continuous improvement. If you are an ambitious and compassionate nursing leader ready to take on this exciting challenge, we would love to hear from you.
Working for our organisation
**Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications**
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values- Compassion
- Accountability
- Respect
- Integrity
- Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for a full list of roles and responsibilities.
Person specification
Education, Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria- Educated to First Degree (Health related subject) level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
- Registered Nurse
- Master’s Degree level working or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Additional professional/management qualifications
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive managerial experience at a senior level in the NHS including at 8c/d or above
- Evidence of leading organisational change
- Proven track record in leadership and change management
- Experience of Leading Safeguarding team at senior level
- Gold on call experience
- Evidence of working within ICS in a senior leadership role
- In-depth knowledge of current issues in nursing and midwifery
- Aware of developments in nursing policy and practice at national level
- Able to describe how the above fit into current key issues in the NHS
- Understanding of the complex dynamics of a multi-professional environment
- Involvement in initiatives at national and/or regional level
- Experience in education and professional development
- Familiar with National Service Frameworks and current clinical national strategies e.g., stroke, dementia, end-of-life care
- Conversant with the mandatory requirements for adult and children’s safeguarding and the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts
- Previous experience at Board level in an NHS Foundation Trust or ICS
- Deputy Chief Nurse/Deputy exec level working
- Experience of working with the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service Litigation Authority
- Complaints Management
- Experience of working as a director or at Sub Board level
Skills
Essential criteria- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly developed skills of persuasion, motivational, negotiating and communication
- Excellent standard of report writing and action planning
- Ability to communicate at all levels, including highly complex information in a manner to ensure the message is understood
- Highly developed interpersonal skills
- Ability to contribute effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team which includes Executive and non-executive Directors
- Ability to manage and promote change
- High level analytical skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Good IT skills
- Strategic thinker
- Proficient nursing skills to carry out any clinical aspects of the role
- Ability to mobilise across hospital sites for ward/department visits
- Able to demonstrate high levels of concentration on a daily basis and/or during on-call, which is likely to be interrupted and require a moving from one task to another at speed
- Ability to deal with potentially traumatic/distressing incidents/scenes or situations as part of safeguarding issues, patient deaths, incidents, or complaints
- Demonstrate compassion and tact when delivering difficult/distressing/bad news
- Has had lead responsibility for significant project/change management initiatives with successful outcome
- Sound general management experience – budget management skills, business case preparation, staff management
Key Competencies/ Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential criteria- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients, and service users
- Ability to work independently/autonomously with minimal supervision
- Has natural authority and gains respect of others
- Individual credibility
- Influencing skills
- Strategic vision Team player
- Change agent Resilience
- Stamina and Drive
- Ability to travel between the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites and other sites often with limited time between meetings
Important Information
Applications will be transferred to TRAC system, by completing an application your are giving authorisation for the transfer of your data.
Correspondence regarding your application will be sent to you via a TRAC system account.
We are an equal opportunities employer, which aims to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
We welcome applications from members of our black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, especially in relation to senior posts within at KGH.
Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.
Appointments will be made on merit.
In submitting an application form, you authorise Kettering General Hospital (KGH) NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Including factual reference, occupational health clearance and statutory and mandatory training record.
If you need to have a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, as a requirement of the role, you will be required to repay the cost of obtaining a DBS check (£49.50) and this amount will be reclaimed from your first salary. From 1st February 2019 all new starters to the Trust are required to join the DBS update service as per Trust DBS Re-checking Policy which has an annual cost of £16.New employees who do not join the update service will be required to pay £49.50 for a new DBS check in 3 years time.
Please note that news starters with KGH are subject to a six month probationary period.
Please ensure that the information you provide on your application form is correct, accurate and that nothing has been omitted. Any information that is stated in your application form in relation to qualifications/training courses/work/education experience/references must be able to be evidenced.Failure to do so may result if your offer being withdrawn.
"Safeguarding is everyone's business. KGH considers Safeguarding a priority amongst its citizen's and a key value for all employed to the service."
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.