Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Band 6 Neonatal Community Sister/Charge Nurse

The closing date is 24 April 2026

Job summary

The post holder will deliver care in line with the Bedfordshire Hospitals FT vision: to provide the best patient care, supported by the highest level of clinical knowledge and expertise, using the best available technology, and delivered with kindness and understanding from all staff. This includes putting the patient first, maintaining a commitment to continuous improvement in the pursuit of excellence, recognising the diversity of our people as a strength, valuing the contribution of staff, volunteers, members, governors and other partners, managing resources in a coordinated way, and accepting responsibility for actions both individually and collectively.

The post holder will participate in a seven-day rota and will hold responsibility for the ward or department in relation to staffing arrangements, policies and procedures, the management of a defined caseload, liaison with other agencies, and the supervision, deployment and teaching of staff and students. They are responsible for managing their own time and working flexibly to fulfil the roles of clinical co-ordinator and ward manager, which may include periods where they roster themselves as supernumerary.

They will ensure the delivery of a high-quality service through effective leadership and the efficient deployment of staff within available resources, and in accordance with their responsibilities under the NMC Code of Conduct.

Main duties of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

Clinically experienced neonatal care nurse

Act as an expert healthcare practitioner demonstrating advanced clinical skills, knowledge and decision making beyond those associated with the general multidisciplinary team

Maintain and further develop own expert nursing practice skills, abilities and through effective role modelling ensure that the professional practice of colleagues is continually developed and enhanced.

Work closely alongside neonatal, midwifery and obstetric teams to provide specialist nursing advice and leadership using expert knowledge, practice and critical judgement skills continually seek to identify areas of care where current practices could be changed or modified to improve patient/parent outcomes.

To facilitate discharge of neonates providing initial support in the family home

To liaise with the multidisciplinary team in relation to the discharge and follow up of neonates

Liaise with Social Services where social circumstances raise concerns

Develop, maintain and promote robust bereavement pathways, ensuring all parents are offered choice/equitable access to bereavement support.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Date posted

10 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year per anum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

418-NICU19333-EH

Job locations

Bedfordshire Hospitals FT

Luton & Dunstable Hospital Nhs

Luton

LU4 0DZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication

Providing and receiving highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where developed persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic or re-assurance skills are required. This may be because agreement or co-operation is required or because there are barriers to understanding,

Demonstrate ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff, taking into account the unique and complex psychosocial needs of this patient population.

Effectively utilise communication skills to empower families to make informed decisions.

Demonstrate exemplary interpersonal skills in communicating with families in the context of often challenging existing dynamics.

Diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients and relatives, using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills

Provide expertise and support to nursing and clinical teams in the management of challenging interactions with families when required.

Actively promote the philosophy and vision of the role, regionally and nationally.

Support parents during follow up appointments by advocating for them as required and subsequently reinforcing information and explanations given.

Ensure that there is a clearly defined platform for parent experience feedback, and this is utilised to understand patient need and guide service development.

Demonstrate self-motivation, and the ability to work under own initiative and without direct supervision, being accountable for own actions.

Leadership

Participate in Child Death Overview meetings (CDOP) and regionally as required.

Work collaboratively with hospital and local hospices in relation to neonatal palliative care and bereavement Support needs and priorities.

Before and after birth, perinatal health professionals should take active steps to recognise babies who would benefit from palliative care and to integrate this into routine care, participate in fetal medicine meetings.

Represent through attendance and presentation at relevant local, national and international conferences/forums.

Participate in the Annual baby Remembrance Service, Wave of Light, Baby loss Awareness week.

Support the implementation of agreed clinical guidelines, documentation and education strategy produced by East of England Network

Promote change in nursing and clinical practice in order to improve the recognition and management of babies and their families from hospital to home.

Provide a positive role model to staff.

Participate as part of the senior nurse team within Bedfordshire Hospitals

Delegate and empower staff without abdicating overall, continuing responsibility.

Raise concerns with regards to risk, danger, malpractice or wrong doing by following the Whistleblowing policy and supporting processes.

Network with other community and outreach services to attend national bench-marking groups to share best practice and influence best practices

Work in partnership with third sector organizations to facilitate a system wide approach to bereavement care

Support community team with early discharge and community follow-up

Identify babies ready for discharge and be proactive in the discharge planning from hospital

Support Outreach lead and attend all relevant psychosocial/neonatal discharge planning meetings when required. To discuss and identify babies and families suitable for earlier discharge and prevented readmissions.

Attend outreach meetings deputizing for the Outreach Lead, such as, weekly consultant catch up, safeguarding, fetal medicine, complex baby meeting, pediatric palliative and other strategy meetings.

Education

Provide expert specialist advice to patients, carers and staff in the healthcare setting.

Act as a mentor and teacher, providing mentorship and support and demonstrate exemplary practice to all members of the healthcare team.

Identify educational and training needs of multi-professional teams.

In collaboration with academic institutes, contributes to the development in the curricula relating to the specialty.

Promote evidence based practice within wards and departments.

Ensure continued personal development of knowledge and expert skills.

Promote and contribute to a positive learning environment.

Explore the development of / promote professional educational opportunities relating to bereavement and palliative care locally, regionally, and nationally for hospital staff.

Take responsibility for and actively participate in own personal development plan and performance review/appraisal with the Line Manager.

Take part in monthly clinically visible leadership days

Work closely with Research and Innovation to promote research, disseminate outcomes and findings to support evidence based practice.

Research and Audit

Lead and support in auditing service evaluation and research of neonatal palliative care and bereavement support programmes.

Work with the clinical research teams to facilitate research opportunities for our patients, to drive new opportunities for patient-centred research.

Regularly undertakes work audits and participates in research activity which includes participating in clinical audits and making recommendations for practice.

Contribute to the multidisciplinary perinatal mortality reviews and the dissemination of learning and feedback following review.

Facilitate and support in the development of evidence based guidelines for use in clinical practice.

Participate in Quality Improvement projects as the service require

Please see attached information.