Junior Sister/ Charge Nurse - Thomas Cook Children’s Critical Care Centre

Job overview

At the heart of King’s is the Variety Children’s Hospital (VCH) offering a wide range of services and specialities for children and young people at local, regional, and international level. Within the VCH is a 16 bedded Children’s Critical Care Centre providing both high dependency (HDU) and intensive care management. Working in the Children’s Critical Care Centre will provide you with the opportunity to care for Intensive Care and High Dependency patients admitted under a variety of specialties.

Support and development opportunities are vital in our philosophy of providing the best care to our patients and valuing our staff. Development opportunities are actively encouraged and you will be supported in gaining relevant qualifications.

We boast a fantastic education team who will support you with your ongoing training needs. They, with senior nurses and other colleagues, will help in supporting you via a comprehensive development programme including local competencies, and a clear career pathway.

The following post offers challenging opportunities for dynamic and highly motivated children’s nurses within the Children’s Critical Care Centre. We are looking for experienced nurses with a qualification in speciality course to join our team.

Main duties of the job

• Provides direct nursing care to patients requiring level 2&3 care in accordance with established policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Prioritises nursing care, recognises deterioration in patients condition and escalates to the senior nursing team /doctors immediately.
• With the supervision of senior staff competently manage critical care therapies i.e. Endotracheal tubes, tracheostomies, artificial ventilation, tools, inotropic therapy, paralysing
• agents and sedation.
• To carry out a thorough handover of a critically ill patient using a handover tool.
• To develop skills in analysing and interpreting complex data derived from patient monitoring and plan appropriate care with supervision of senior staff.
• To communicate with patients and significant others with empathy and reassurance regarding, assessment, care and treatment.
• To maintain accurate and comprehensive nursing records using appropriate documentation. This involves utilising EPIC.
• Ensure safe administration of medication in line with Kings College Hospital Medication Management Policy
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to promote good communication and a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care ; creating a great place to work ; leading pioneering research, innovation and education ; building strong and successful partnerships ; providing timely and efficient care ; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability .

We have also agreed four new organisational values – Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative – and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

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

• To adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and adhere to this at all times.
• To demonstrate clinical expertise in the care of any patients receiving treatment in the ward/ department.
• To assess, plan, implement and evaluate the needs of patients on the Ward on an ongoing basis, co-ordinating the care given by all members of the clinical team.
• To accurately assimilate and interpret clinical information about the patients’ condition, promptly report changes and instigate remedial action as appropriate.
• To act as a resource person to others, providing accurate information, advice and support to the multidisciplinary team, patients and their relatives.
• To ensure that accurate records are maintained reflecting both changes in the patient’s condition and the treatment delivered.
• To ensure that patients and their relatives are updated regularly with accurate information, and ensure that this is presented in a way that they understand.
• To ensure that Clinical Guidelines are implemented and to be actively involved in auditing practice in conjunction with Line Manager and practice development staff.
• To ensure that practice is evidence based and with support assist in the development of policies and protocols within the clinical area.
• To uphold high standards of nursing care, according to existing policies and standards.
• To support the Ward Managers and Modern Matron in processes of continuous quality improvement, formally evaluating standards of care and assisting in the implementation of changes in the light of such findings.
• 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.
• To actively support the implementation of the Trust nursing strategy and uphold the ethos of the local philosophy.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 1st level Registered Paediatric Nurse with active UK NMC registration
• Further professional studies relevant to the clinical area (e.g., PICU course)
• Mentorship programme or equivalent teaching qualification

Desirable criteria

• Degree in Nursing or Equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable clinical expertise, relevant to the area.
• Able to contribute to develop the workplace as a learning environment

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

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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• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

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