About this role
Job summary
We are delighted to offer an exciting permanent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Bladder and Bowel Service. We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Registered Adult Nurse with an interest in continence care and improving patient outcomes to become part of our specialist team.
Based at Bensham Hospital, the Bladder and Bowel Service is a small, specialist team providing care and support across the Gateshead area. The service operates Monday to Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm, offering an excellent work-life balance.
The purpose of this Band 5 role is to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for patients experiencing bladder and bowel problems by delivering high-quality continence assessments and treatment in line with NICE guidelines.
This is an excellent opportunity for a nurse who is passionate about delivering person-centred care, developing specialist knowledge, and making a real difference to patients' health, wellbeing, and independence.
Main duties of the job
As a valued member of the Bladder and Bowel Service, you will work collaboratively with colleagues, patients, carers, and partner organisations to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care and achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and their families.
Key responsibilities include:
Assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating individualised care plans to meet the needs of patients with bladder and bowel conditions. Delivering hands-on clinical care to patients registered with a Gateshead GP in a range of community settings. Supporting and contributing to innovative models of care to improve patient pathways and experiences. Promoting and maintaining a culture of patient safety by ensuring effective systems, processes, and clinical practices are in place. Contributing to the development and maintenance of a positive learning environment Encouraging health promotion, self-management, and informed patient choice Supporting the continuous improvement of clinical practice Working collaboratively with colleagues Facilitating safe, efficient, and effective patient pathways, ensuring timely access to assessment and treatment Assisting in the education, supervision, and development of new staff members andstudents
About us
Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.
Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.
We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.
Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.
We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.
The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.
Job description Job responsibilities
Working closely with our experienced specialist nurses, the successful candidate will contribute to a wide range of clinical activities, including:
Undertaking comprehensive continence assessments and providing evidence-based advice and treatment for bladder and bowel conditions. Delivering care in a variety of settings, including patients' homes, residential and nursing care homes, face-to-face clinics, and telephone consultations. Assessing requests for continence products from residential and nursing homes and determining the most appropriate products to meet individual patient needs. Delivering education and training sessions for care home staff, covering continence promotion, assessment, and management. Undertaking Trial Without Catheter (TWOC) procedures and supporting patients discharged from hospital with catheters in situ, facilitating safe catheter removal where appropriate. Participating in the review and management of patients with complex catheter-related needs, with the aim of reducing complications such as recurrent catheter blockages and catheter-associated issues.
To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate the following:
Registered Adult Nurse with a Diploma or Degree in Nursing. Current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) and a commitment to undertaking further specialist training to support safe, effective, and evidence-based practice. Strong IT and digital literacy skills. A genuine interest in continence promotion and the assessment and management of bladder and bowel dysfunction. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills. A commitment to demonstrating and upholding the values and behaviours of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust. Access to a vehicle and the ability to travel independently throughout Gateshead to meet service requirements.
Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates who can demonstrate:
Experience of working within community healthcare services. Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team. Knowledge and experience in continence care, bladder and bowel services, urology, or colorectal nursing. Leadership or management experience, either formal or informal. Experience of caring for frail older people and those with complex healthcare needs. Involvement in service development, quality improvement initiatives, and change management projects. Experience of supporting or participating in clinical audit activities. Experience of clinical supervision, mentorship, or staff development. Excellent team-working skills with the ability to build effective professional relationships. A flexible and adaptable approach to service delivery and changing service needs. Evidence of proactive collaboration across professional and organisational boundaries to improve patient care. Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to positively influence practice. Completion of the Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor programme.
This role would suit an enthusiastic nurse who is passionate about delivering high-quality patient care, developing specialist expertise, and contributing to the ongoing improvement of bladder and bowel services across Gateshead.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
NMC Registered Nurse and Degree/diploma in Adult Nursing
Experience Essential
Experience of working in an NHS provider Service as part of a team
Desirable
Experience of working in Bladder and Bowel Service, Continence Service, Gynaecology, Colorectal or Urology
Experience Essential
2 years post NMC registration experience
Desirable
Experience of working with patients to support continence
Skills Essential
Excellent communication skills
Desirable
Leadership skills
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 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bensham General Hospital
Fontwell Drive
Bensham
NE8 4YL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)