Guys and St Thomas is among the UKs busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guys is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Marys Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Childrens Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of Kings Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with Kings College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities and a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of good. Our adult community services achieved a rating of outstanding.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity for a self-motivated and experienced nurse to work within the nursing development and education team, alongside the current International nurse recruitment and revalidation lead.
In conjunction with the current international nurse recruitment and revalidation lead you will plan and deliver the Trust International Nurse OSCE training programme, providing both theoretical education and practical clinical skills station training during an intensive 6-week preparation programme for each cohort of nurses throughout the year.
As the role involves the delivery of both theoretical education and training and practical clinical skills training, the successful candidate will require the following skills and experience:
Recent clinical nursing / Practice educator experience at a minimum of senior staff nurse level
Excellent communication skills
Experience in teaching and assessing pre and post-registration nursing staff
Excellent organisational skills
Excellent Leadership skills and be able to use own initiative
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work collaboratively with senior nurses, ward managers, practice educators and other key internal and external stakeholders to identify and establish processes and systems which will acclimatise overseas recruited nurses into an unfamiliar working, social and cultural environment.
The post holder will lead the Trusts OSCE education preparation and training programme, working in collaboration with nursing development and education colleagues, practice education and the advanced nursing team in the delivery of the programme. Management of OSCE facilitators and administrator for the programme.
The post holder is required to work independently on the key aspects of the role, using their own initiative.
The post holder is expected to deputise for the Head of Nurse Recruitment and act up in their absence, providing leadership advice and support to the nursing recruitment team
As a senior member of the team the post holder is expected to display leadership and role modelling skills within the nursing development and education team and also to the wider stakeholder group.
Working for our organisation
Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex conditions, offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.
Our integrated approach to caring for patients from before birth, through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood and old age has been replicated around the world and has gained Royal Brompton and Harefield an international reputation as a leader in heart and lung diagnosis, treatment and research.
We are working in partnership with King’s Health Partners, to deliver our vision of creating a new centre of excellence, which will be the global leader in the research into and treatment of heart and lung disease, in patients from pre-birth to old age.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main tasks and responsibilities
Communication
Have a clear understanding of accountability, legal issues and NMC standards for nurses trained outside the European Union and ensure that correct pathways and processes are followed in relation to preparing overseas nurses for their role.
Strengthen the learning and acclimatisation for overseas nurses, with peer feedback and build important professional networks that can be drawn on for support.
Work collaboratively with the head of nurse recruitment to support the marketing and publicising of the nurse role within the Trust to external stakeholders, using professional expertise and credibility.
Ability to communicate information to a wide range of staff groups in a highly professional and effective manner including Senior nursing Staff, Senior Managers and other internal and external stakeholders
Liaise with senior managers in the Trust to gain their knowledge and support for the Trusts revalidation and international recruitment programmes and participate in leading and steering any project groups as required.
Is responsible for liaising with staff, managers, and senior nurses within the Trust, and with a wide range of external stakeholders in a professional and courteous manner.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships and engagement with the stakeholder community requiring the use of persuasive, motivational, negotiating, and reassurance skills, particularly where there may be significant resistance to change.
Display excellent communication skills which facilitate working in partnership with other teams and with external organisations. This includes liaising with stakeholders on highly complex and potentially sensitive and contentious issues in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
Prepare overseas nurses new to the Trust for their role, to ensure they are able to meet their competencies and on-going development requirements.
Work with the head of clinical education and training, nursing development team and practice educators to organise, deliver and contribute (where appropriate) a programme of clinically or / and simulation based teaching sessions
Contribute as required to assessments in practice and to ensure that assessments take place at the required stages.
Work collaboratively with clinical teams to support them in creating a positive learning environment for overseas nurses and organise and feedback on the learning and acclimatisation experience in the clinical settings through the nurse recruitment and retention steering group.
Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)
Work collaboratively to develop activities for the evaluation of practice by overseas nurses to ensure all nurses meet the standards expected by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Trust.
The post holder must possess excellent reassurance skills and be understanding of the needs of patients in relation to ensuring that a suitably competent nursing workforce are able to meet their needs.
Policy & Service development
Ensures they are up to date with legislation regarding international nurse recruitment, interprets this appropriately and plays an active role in policy and service development, both internally and externally to the organisation.
The post holder is required to work autonomously using their own initiative; this will require excellent planning and organisational skills.
Provide effective and specialist advice to ensure the success of the revalidation process and driving through future changes to ensure robust governance is delivered.
To assure the director of nursing, director of nursing development and the senior nursing teams across the Trust that the agreed targets and action plans for the revalidation of nursing staff are met, highlighting and escalating any problems at an early stage.
Maintain current and accurate specialist knowledge of the NMC and other national requirements associated with the revalidation of nursing staff to ensure that best practice is maintained.
Where national policy or guidelines are developed or changed, the post holder will interpret this guidance, advise the nursing development and education department on proposed changes and ensure these are incorporated into Trust policy and implemented as required.
Undertakes project role(s) as required and directed by the director of nursing development, senior nurse, nursing development or head of nurse recruitment.
Resource management
The role entails an understanding of recruitment and retention incentives and makes suggestions in relation to these based on evidence, to the head of nurse recruitment, outlining the financial benefit to the trust.
Is able to generate and approve purchase orders and approve staff bank/agency invoices to an amount commensurate to the position.
People management
The post holder is expected to deputise for the head of nurse recruitment and act up in their absence, providing leadership advice and support to the nursing recruitment team
The post holder will be required to liaise with all stakeholders on highly complex and potentially sensitive and contentious issues in a tactful and diplomatic manner. Staff confidentiality should be maintained at all times.
Design and develop a package which integrates with the current preceptorship programme, developing cultural awareness, NHS System knowledge, communication competency and safety culture awareness for overseas nursing staff in readiness for their role within the organisation
Excellent understanding and specialist knowledge of system reform issues facing the NHS; in particular the implementation of the NMC code, in particular compliance with revalidation.
To monitor and take action as appropriate on any variances from the agreed revalidation plan and produce a plan of action to bring the process back on target.
To develop a robust system regarding all complaints made to the NMC and reported via the Director of Nursing/Director of Nursing Development office.
Works with the overseas nurses and acts as a role model and demonstrate expertise in delivering safe, effective and compassionate evidence based practice and evidence based clinical education that reflects the 6 Cs: care; compassion; communication; courage; commitment; competence.
Support and counsel overseas nurse learners who have not achieved competencies or assessments in order to create opportunities for future learning and development.
Develops an understanding across the Trust in managing relationships with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds and how this can be successfully transferred into the workplace, promoting recruitment and retention.
As a part of the nurse recruitment team, participate in recruitment activities and events, including national and overseas locations and activities for the employment of nurses
As a senior member of the nurse recruitment team, plans and actively partakes in all arranged recruitment campaigns and events
Provide a reliable and effective recruitment administration and advisory service, supporting the head of nurse recruitment, recruiting managers and other stakeholders
Gather intelligence from overseas nurses on issues that will increase our desirability as a future employer and feed into the nurse recruitment and retention action plan strategy and steering group.
Improve retention of nursing staff (overseas and nationally recruited) by preparing nurses to become mentors and buddies contributing their experience, through teaching/mentoring/coaching to other staff and trainees.
Create and Chair an overseas nurses forum in order to provide on-going group support and supervision.
Work with the head of nursing recruitment and recruitment team in delivering actions required to support the employment of nurses from inside and outside the EU.
Work in liaison with the recruitment team to develop social networking groups etc. for overseas nurses.
Information management
Liaise with Human Resources to ensure an accurate list of nurses employed within the trust is maintained and updated regularly on ESR and the nurse revalidation IT tool is updated accordingly
Comprehensive knowledge and skills of existing data sources, such as ESR and nurse revalidation IT tool, to extract data from these systems when required for all reporting/audits and when ad hoc analysis or investigation is required.
Responsibility for producing written reports, policies and procedure flows on behalf of the director of Nursing/Director of Nursing Development using a range of Microsoft office tools.
To provide quarterly returns and other ad hoc returns as requested, in relation to nurse revalidation, and international nurse recruitment
Responsible for producing quarterly activity reports to senior nurses/modern matrons across the trust relating to the revalidation and appraisal for all nursing staff within their area of responsibility
Explore methods of improving IT systems, suggesting and leading on changes to reduce duplication and increase accuracy.
Research and development
Lead research or service evaluation projects examining the experiences of oversees nursing recruits to the organisation.
Take part in other departmental or organisational research projects relevant to the roles and responsibilities of the team.
Further sections
To attend and play a part in corporate groups as a representative of the directorate and team to represent the Trust at regional and national conferences and on working groups as appropriate
To abide by the NHS Code of conduct for managers, the Trusts Core behaviours for staff and managers and all other Trust policies, codes and practices, including standing financial instructions, research governance, clinical governance, patient and public involvement and health and safety.
To abide by the Trusts Core behaviours for staff and all other Trust policies, codes and practices
Other duties
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade as requested.
Person specification
Experience and knowledge
Essential criteria
Registered Nurse
Educated to degree level or have equivalent professional experience that can show similar competence to manage complex and detailed briefs and willing to undertake degree study
Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable criteria
Practice Educator/teacher or equivalent
EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria
Demonstrable experience of working alongside overseas nurses, supporting their orientation to the clinical environment
Evidence of being able to manage and balance competing priorities using initiative to meet business targets
Experience of managing challenging and difficult conversations.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
Essential criteria
Ability to demonstrate innovative teaching techniques
Demonstrable commitment to learner development
Excellent verbal and written communication skills (collaborative style) to establish effective working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
Self-motivated and able to manage own workload and operate without close supervision
Ability to maintain the highest customer service whilst working under pressure
Works collaboratively with all members of the team
Guys and St Thomas celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or studys at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
