Team Leader - Scrub Practitioner

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated Band 6 Staff Nurse/ODP to join King’s Day Surgery theatres scrub team, providing the highest standard of intra-operative care. This post is open to internal candidates only. We seek an experienced Scrub Practitioner with extensive General Surgery experience (open and laparoscopic), ready to take on a leadership role within our multidisciplinary team. Our service supports both adult and paediatric patients from a diverse demographic, performing a wide variety of procedures across multiple specialties. The successful candidate will scrub and circulate across specialties and receive training to develop competence. Experience in all areas is not essential but a strong willingness to learn is key. Following training and competence in ophthalmic procedures, the postholder will join the Ophthalmology On-Call Team, although this will not be immediate. Applicants should be aware the role includes working on termination of pregnancy lists. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem solver, open to change, and reflective to support continuous improvement in patient care and team performance. We offer a supportive working environment, ongoing professional development, and a collaborative team valuing clinical excellence.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will take clinical responsibility for a designated speciality, managing workload and resources effectively. High standards of clinical practice are essential, delivering expert, holistic care to perioperative patients and their families. Compassion, reassurance, and respect for patients’ rights, dignity, and safeguarding are vital qualities.

As Scrub Team Leader, the postholder will be a key resource within the unit and Care Group, maintaining excellent scrub skills and consistently modelling best practice. A strong theatre presence is required to ensure safe, person-centred care.

Leadership duties include upholding Trust governance, promoting patient safety and dignity, and driving continuous quality improvement. The postholder will support colleagues, role model professionalism, and champion learning and accountability.

Managerial responsibilities include acting as Floor Coordinator in the absence of senior managers—carrying the unit bleep, resolving issues, escalating when needed, and maintaining clear communication.

Promoting positive team dynamics is essential.
The candidate will support junior staff through supervision, mentorship, and contributing to development plans, building competence and confidence.

This pivotal role blends clinical expertise with leadership and quality assurance. We seek a committed, passionate leader confident in fostering a positive theatre culture and excellence in patient care.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Practice:

1. To adhere to the NMC / HPC Code of Professional Conduct at all times.
2. To demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the department.
3. To assess, plan, implement and evaluate the needs of patients on an ongoing basis, co-ordinating the care given by all members of the clinical team.
4. To accurately assimilate and interpret clinical information about the patients’ condition, instigate appropriate remedial action and promptly report changes.
5. To act as a resource person to others, providing accurate information, advice and support to the multidisciplinary team, patients and their relatives.
6. To ensure that accurate records are maintained reflecting both changes in the patient’s condition and the treatment delivered.
7. To ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, and ensure that this is presented in a sensitive way and one that they understand.
8. To ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and to be actively involved in auditing practice in conjunction with Line Manager and practice development staff.
9. To ensure that practice is evidence based and with support assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area.
10. To uphold high standards of perioperative care, according to existing policies and standards.
11. To support the process of continuous quality improvement, assisting in audits etc to formally evaluate standards of care and assist in the implementation of changes in the light of such findings.
12. To organise patient transfers both within and outside the department, escorting ill patients as requested.
13. To contribute to the health education of patients and their families, ensuring that all patients receive appropriate advice and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
14. To actively support the implementation of the Trust nursing / local perioperative strategy and uphold the ethos of the local philosophy.

Education and Research:

1. To act as a mentor to junior staff members, responsible for the orientation, supervision and ongoing development of junior and student learners, in conjunction with Line Manager and Practice Development staff.
2. To act as practice supervisor / assessor, responsible for completing competency documents for junior staff within agreed timeframes.
3. To act as a mentor to students undertaking further education as requested, ensuring a positive learning experience and facilitating the development of their clinical skills.
4. To contribute to the wider educational activities within the Care Group – ensuring attendance at and contributing to the delivery of educational activities to the Multi-disciplinary team within the Care Group.
5. To promote and encourage the application of research and of evidence based practices.
6. To participate in any research projects conducted in the clinical area as appropriate.
7. To act as “link nurse“(i.e. for infection control, tissue viability) ensuring attendance at and contribution to Trust wide meeting and responsible for ensuring dissemination of relevant information from these to all staff within the Unit.

Management

1. To manage the clinical workload effectively, ensuring care is prioritised appropriately.
2. To contribute positively towards the delivery of a cost effective service, adjusting staffing levels to meet demand and assisting the clinical co-ordinators to keep within agreed resources.
3. To assist with the ongoing organisation of the unit, including responsibility for a designated area of practice within department on a daily basis, to ensure optimal theatre utilisation at all times, facilitating timely admission and discharge of patients.
4. To act as a team leader to an identified group of staff, monitoring and documenting the development of their clinical skills.
5. To develop own skills in recruitment and retention, sickness management and performance management as determined by line manager.
6. To actively support the process of risk management and health & safety – upholding relevant policies to promote this and ensuring incidents are reported appropriately (in writing) and helping identify ways of preventing errors and accidents to both patients and staff.
7. To make a positive contribution to service development affecting the clinical area and positively influence other to adapt to change.
8. To actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving local (informal) complaints and supporting the clinical co-ordinators to investigate formal problems.
9. To assist with the monitoring of stock levels of clinical stores and technical equipment, resolving any shortfall as appropriate.
10. To maintain standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the clinical area, actioning remedy as appropriate and reporting deficits to Matron and/ or Service Manager, as appropriate.
11. To communicate varied and complicated information (verbally and in writing) in a way that is understood and gets the important facts across.
12. To carry the Unit bleep/phone as Floor Coordinator as required, resolving local problems/ conflicts, keeping managers/others informed and maintaining positive team dynamics across the Care Group at all times.
13. To take a leadership role in crisis situations, resolving problems as necessary.
14. To maintain confidentiality with regard to personal information pertaining to staff.
15. To attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required

Personal Professional Development:

1. To work within and accept responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of clinical competence and ensure clinical currency as new technologies are introduced.
2. To keep up to date with NMC / HPC, Trust and Care Group policies and guidelines and to adhere to these at all times.
3. To be a fully active and committed member of the multidisciplinary team operating in the Care Group
4. To demonstrate an insight into own professional development, contributing to the process of identifying own educational and clinical training needs in conjunction with the clinical co-ordinator.
5. Participate in own Individual Performance Review and after suitable training, to be responsible for undertaking timely reviews for own team of junior staff.
6. To ensure own educational commitment is at least sufficient to maintain professional body’s requirements and to ensure own mandatory training certificates are current, in liaison with Line Manager.
7. General Statement:

The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well being and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.

1. To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
2. To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
3. To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 1st level Registered General Nurse/HCPC Registered
• Further professional studies relevant to the clinical area
• Mentorship programme or equivalent teaching qualification

Skills and Competencies

Essential criteria

• Communication skills – able to relate and communicate with patients and staff at all levels and from different professions. Adapts communication style as necessary and is able to work with and through others.
• Team building and working skills – able to lead a team to achieve results
• Problem solving skills – able to respond to unexpected issues and provide first line response and to identify appropriate sources of secondary support

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable clinical expertise, relevant to the area.

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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