Job summary
Interview's provisionally booked for 20th April and 1st May 2026.
The Divisional Director of Nursing (DDoN) will provide professional leadership and expertise to ensure the best experience and outcomes for patients, working closely with others to achieve equitable high standards throughout the Medicine, Rehabilitation and Support Services Division.
The role holder will be joining the organisation at an exciting time, after having recently implemented Electronic Health Records in the organisation. There is a focus on benefits realisation for digital solutions, and also a number of transformation programs planned for the next year. We are looking for someone who has a strong background in collaborative working and transformation experience.
The DDoN will be accountable for the delivery of nursing services within their division in a safe and effective way, in line with Trust vision and values. Working in partnership with the divisional leadership team the DDoN will provide expert advice on all matters pertaining to nursing and clinical quality.
Main duties of the job
The DDoN will be a key part of the divisional leadership team and will have line management responsibility for nurses within their division.
The DDoN will support the development and delivery of the strategy and business plan for nursing and clinical services. They will have specific responsibility for professional leadership and operational nursing management to ensure that services are delivered to a high level of quality and safety.
The DDoN will play a lead role in quality governance, including the investigation of incidents and complaints, ensuring recommendations and actions are delivered for improvement and change.
The DDoN will have a corporate nursing role reporting professionally to the Chief Nurse. The postholder will advise the Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Nurse, on all matters pertaining to quality, safety, and patient experience and the education and deployment of the nursing workforce. They will play a leadership role in delivering the Trust strategic objectives for nursing, and take a lead for specific strategic work streams. They will lead innovative quality improvement projects, which support the Trust's strategy and improve quality of care and patient outcomes, and in partnership with other services and clinical leaders.
The DDoN will deputise for the Deputy Chief Nurse/ Chief Nurse in their absence as required.
About us
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
- Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.
- Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
- Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."
At RNOH, we're committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
- 24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
- A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.
- A dedicated Staff Wellbeing space, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.
- Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare
At RNOH, we are more than a workplace--we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
Support the delivery of care through visible clinical leadership, working in partnership with senior colleagues, clinical leads and the multidisciplinary team, and maintain oversight of day-to-day operational delivery, quality of care and patient experience.
Work with the divisional leadership team to promote a culture that nurtures and promotes effective multi-professional team working to strengthen quality and safety and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
Have oversight of patient experience and quality of care, working with local clinical teams and service leads, advising the Divisional leadership team and Chief Nurse of any concerns and promoting quality improvement.
Professional Leadership and Management
Be a visible, clinical credible nurse leader and be well networked in nursing and associated specialties, ensuring that RNOH is well placed as a centre of excellence for orthopaedic/MSK nursing.
Through using highly developed leadership skills develop an environment in which staff deliver high quality services and are able to innovate and raise any concerns openly and safely.
Workforce and Education
Work in conjunction with the Training and Education Department to develop and maintain clinical learning environments that are fit for purpose, in line with quality assurance guidelines and other external regulatory bodies.
Ensure the division meets its responsibilities to provide clinical experience and mentor support for pre and post registration nurse education, and high-quality preceptorship across all areas, in line with external standards.
Provide professional leadership for nursing recruitment and retention across services and ensure timely recruitment takes place with the aim of maintaining vacancy factor targets and remove reliance on temporary staffing.
Quality Governance
Together with the Divisional Director of AHPs and the Divisional Medical Director oversee delivery of the divisional quality governance agenda, to ensure timely and effective responses and provide assurance to the Trust Executive.
Please refer to the attached JD/PS for full details
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
Support the delivery of care through visible clinical leadership, working in partnership with senior colleagues, clinical leads and the multidisciplinary team, and maintain oversight of day-to-day operational delivery, quality of care and patient experience.
Work with the divisional leadership team to promote a culture that nurtures and promotes effective multi-professional team working to strengthen quality and safety and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
Have oversight of patient experience and quality of care, working with local clinical teams and service leads, advising the Divisional leadership team and Chief Nurse of any concerns and promoting quality improvement.
Professional Leadership and Management
Be a visible, clinical credible nurse leader and be well networked in nursing and associated specialties, ensuring that RNOH is well placed as a centre of excellence for orthopaedic/MSK nursing.
Through using highly developed leadership skills develop an environment in which staff deliver high quality services and are able to innovate and raise any concerns openly and safely.
Workforce and Education
Work in conjunction with the Training and Education Department to develop and maintain clinical learning environments that are fit for purpose, in line with quality assurance guidelines and other external regulatory bodies.
Ensure the division meets its responsibilities to provide clinical experience and mentor support for pre and post registration nurse education, and high-quality preceptorship across all areas, in line with external standards.
Provide professional leadership for nursing recruitment and retention across services and ensure timely recruitment takes place with the aim of maintaining vacancy factor targets and remove reliance on temporary staffing.
Quality Governance
Together with the Divisional Director of AHPs and the Divisional Medical Director oversee delivery of the divisional quality governance agenda, to ensure timely and effective responses and provide assurance to the Trust Executive.
Please refer to the attached JD/PS for full details
Person Specification
Education and Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Educated to postgraduate degree level or equivalent experience
- Management or leadership qualification or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Masters level qualification
- Recognised teaching/assessing qualification
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to influence through motivating and energising others to deliver the highest quality of care for best patient outcomes
- Leadership skills to be able to establish a direction for others using wherever possible, sound coaching and positive mentoring
- Aptitude to engage in constructive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve success through partnership
- Excellent negotiating and influencing skills Ability to write and present reports in diplomatic style
- Ability to write reports
- Diplomatic style
Knowledge, Training & Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing serious incidents and HR/disciplinary processes
- Significant experience in a senior nursing leadership role and high level of expert nursing knowledge
- Well networked in the relevant professional/specialty networks
- Demonstrable success in delivering change and performance with and through others
- In-depth professional knowledge acquired through training and experience over an extended period
- Experience of stakeholder/patient and family engagement
- A track record of successfully improving quality, standard setting, completion of benchmarking and audit
- Knowledge of QI methodologies
- Experience of managing staffing establishments and analysing safe staffing data
- Experience of supporting learners in practice
- Up to date with current practice/professional issues in healthcare/nursing
- Operates with delegated authority from Deputy Chief Nurse
Desirable
- Experience of working with the third sector/ patient groups
Analytical & Judgment Skills
Essential
- Analyse complex information to make clinical operational decisions
- Attention to detail
- Ability to critically analyse complex information and data sets
- Proven experience of analysing complex problems and successfully adapting practical and pragmatic solutions
- Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment
- Able to adapt to changing requirements of the post
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Accomplished at working to deadlines and within set resources
- Ability to plan and think strategically, to prioritise in the face of competing demands
- Excellent people and resource management
- Capable of dealing with high degrees of ambiguity
Desirable
IT skills
Essential
- Proficiency with MS Office packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams
Desirable
- Involvement in implementing a new digital system such as an electronic health record
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices
- Acts with integrity; values, respects and promotes equality and diversity; service excellence; patient centred approach; teamwork and mutual respect
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
Essential
- Experience of service and quality improvement programmes
- Experience of developing, drafting and implementing clinical guidelines, policies, standard operating procedures
Responsibility for financial & physical resources
Essential
- Delivery of budget management
- Supports cost savings programmes
- Helping others to understand finance duties and responsibilities
Responsibility for Research & Development
Essential
- Understanding of evidenced base practice, research and practice development
Person Specification
Education and Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Educated to postgraduate degree level or equivalent experience
- Management or leadership qualification or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Masters level qualification
- Recognised teaching/assessing qualification
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to influence through motivating and energising others to deliver the highest quality of care for best patient outcomes
- Leadership skills to be able to establish a direction for others using wherever possible, sound coaching and positive mentoring
- Aptitude to engage in constructive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve success through partnership
- Excellent negotiating and influencing skills Ability to write and present reports in diplomatic style
- Ability to write reports
- Diplomatic style
Knowledge, Training & Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing serious incidents and HR/disciplinary processes
- Significant experience in a senior nursing leadership role and high level of expert nursing knowledge
- Well networked in the relevant professional/specialty networks
- Demonstrable success in delivering change and performance with and through others
- In-depth professional knowledge acquired through training and experience over an extended period
- Experience of stakeholder/patient and family engagement
- A track record of successfully improving quality, standard setting, completion of benchmarking and audit
- Knowledge of QI methodologies
- Experience of managing staffing establishments and analysing safe staffing data
- Experience of supporting learners in practice
- Up to date with current practice/professional issues in healthcare/nursing
- Operates with delegated authority from Deputy Chief Nurse
Desirable
- Experience of working with the third sector/ patient groups
Analytical & Judgment Skills
Essential
- Analyse complex information to make clinical operational decisions
- Attention to detail
- Ability to critically analyse complex information and data sets
- Proven experience of analysing complex problems and successfully adapting practical and pragmatic solutions
- Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment
- Able to adapt to changing requirements of the post
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Accomplished at working to deadlines and within set resources
- Ability to plan and think strategically, to prioritise in the face of competing demands
- Excellent people and resource management
- Capable of dealing with high degrees of ambiguity
Desirable
IT skills
Essential
- Proficiency with MS Office packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams
Desirable
- Involvement in implementing a new digital system such as an electronic health record
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices
- Acts with integrity; values, respects and promotes equality and diversity; service excellence; patient centred approach; teamwork and mutual respect
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
Essential
- Experience of service and quality improvement programmes
- Experience of developing, drafting and implementing clinical guidelines, policies, standard operating procedures
Responsibility for financial & physical resources
Essential
- Delivery of budget management
- Supports cost savings programmes
- Helping others to understand finance duties and responsibilities
Responsibility for Research & Development
Essential
- Understanding of evidenced base practice, research and practice development
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Address
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Brockley Hill
Stanmore, Middlesex
HA7 4LP
Employer's website
https://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
