About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced neonatal nurse who is passionate about developing others, driving clinical excellence, and making a lasting difference to babies and their families?
We are looking for a dedicated Clinical Practice Educator to join our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of neonatal care. This is an exciting opportunity to combine hands-on clinical practice with education, leadership, and service development in a highly rewarding specialist environment.
In this role, you'll support and inspire nursing staff, students, newly qualified practitioners, and colleagues undertaking specialist neonatal training. You'll help create a culture of continuous learning, ensuring our team has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver outstanding, evidence-based care to some of our most vulnerable patients.
Alongside your education responsibilities, you'll maintain your clinical expertise, provide leadership on shift, and contribute to the ongoing development of a modern, family-centred neonatal service.
Main duties of the job
As our Clinical Practice Educator, you will:
Lead and support the learning, development, and clinical competence of nursing and support staff across the neonatal service.Design, coordinate, and deliver induction, preceptorship, teaching programmes, study days, and continuing professional development activities.Support pre-registration and post-registration learners, providing supervision, assessment, mentorship, and constructive feedback.Act as a clinical role model, promoting best practice and ensuring high standards of neonatal care.Foster a positive learning culture where staff feel supported to grow, develop, and achieve their professional goals.Work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure education programmes align with service needs and workforce development priorities.Contribute to audits, quality improvement initiatives, and service development projects to enhance patient outcomes.Provide specialist neonatal expertise, guidance, and support during complex clinical situations and emergencies.Help maintain staff competence in key clinical areas, including neonatal resuscitation, medical devices, and specialist neonatal practice.Support families through every stage of their neonatal journey, promoting family-integrated care and positive patient experiences.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
Flexible working options to help you balance work and lifeNHS pension scheme for long-term financial securityGenerous annual leave allowance to recharge and relaxA strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potentialAdditionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description Job responsibilities
This is a varied and influential role that offers the opportunity to shape both patient care and professional development across the neonatal service.
You'll take responsibility for developing and delivering innovative education programmes that support staff throughout their career journey, from induction and preceptorship through to advanced neonatal practice. Your expertise will help ensure our workforce remains skilled, confident, and equipped to provide safe, effective, and compassionate care.
Working alongside the Neonatal Unit leadership team, you'll assess learning needs, evaluate competencies, and develop tailored training opportunities to meet both individual and organisational objectives. You'll support nurses undertaking university-accredited neonatal courses, guide students through placements, and create an environment where learning is embedded into everyday practice.
As an experienced neonatal practitioner, you'll continue to provide direct clinical leadership within the unit. You'll support the management of shifts, coordinate care delivery, assist with complex clinical interventions, and provide expert advice to colleagues across the wider organisation. Your ability to remain calm, decisive, and supportive in challenging situations will help maintain high-quality care and positive outcomes for babies and families.
You will also play an important role in quality improvement and clinical governance, using evidence, audit findings, and national guidance to identify opportunities for improvement and implement meaningful change. By championing best practice, supporting innovation, and encouraging reflective learning, you'll contribute to the ongoing development of a high-performing neonatal service.
We're looking for someone who combines specialist neonatal knowledge with a genuine passion for teaching, coaching, and empowering others. You'll be a confident communicator, skilled relationship-builder, and positive role model who thrives in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
In return, you'll join a supportive team committed to excellence in neonatal care, where your expertise will be valued, your professional development encouraged, and your contribution will have a lasting impact on both colleagues and families.
If you're ready to help develop the next generation of neonatal professionals while continuing to deliver exceptional care, we'd love to hear from you.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse part 1, 7, or 10 of the NMC register.Specialist Neonatal Intensive Care Qualification.Teaching/Mentorship Qualification
Desirable
Supervisory Management QualificationR23 Enhancing Neonatal Nursing Care.
Experience Essential
Experience of clinical leadership of a team.Post registration experience in neonates.Teaching ability and experience.Ability to undertake complex drug and fluid calculations.
Desirable
Management experience
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship 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 Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Address Musgrove Park Hospital
Musgrove Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 5DA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)