Junior Sister / Charge Nurse - Older Persons Assessment Unit (OPAU)

Job Overview PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN INTERNAL ROLE OPEN TO EMPLOYEES OF THE RUH ONLY We are looking for an experienced registered nurse with evidence of strong leadership skills and an enthusiasm in caring for elderly patients.

This role provides an opportunity to develop your clinical knowledge, leadership and management skills while being supported by an experienced MDT team.

As Junior Sister/Charge Nurse you will provide expert care and manage quality of care, service delivery and effectively and compassionately lead the team.

The Older Persons Assessment Unit is a 20‑bedded front‑door acute frailty assessment unit , providing rapid assessment and early intervention for older adults who present with acute or complex needs.

In addition, OPAU has Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) capacity , including 7 trolleys and 2 chair spaces , enabling us to manage patients promptly, avoid unnecessary admissions, and support effective patient flow across the hospital.

Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to deliver high‑quality, patient‑centred care that promotes independence, dignity, and safe, timely discharge planning.

Main duties of the job

As the nurse in charge, you will play a pivotal role in the daily delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care. You will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of your clinical area, ensuring that care is delivered in accordance with Trust policies and procedures, and that accurate records are maintained.

You will be a leader for the team and demonstrate daily your leadership skills, ensuring the welfare of patients and your team are prioritised.

You will be a mentor to junior staff, carrying out one to one meetings, appraisals and managing attendance and professional development.

Working for our organisation

At the RUH we put people at the heart of what we do, working together as one team to make a difference for our patients, each other, and our community. No matter what your role is, we value everyone’s contribution in supporting the exceptional, person-centred care we pride ourselves on.

We are proud to be in the top 20 best hospitals to work for in the country.

We are committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive environment. This can be seen in our growing community of staff networks – celebrating successes and creating opportunities to listen and learn. We value our differences, champion kindness and civility, and truly believe that diversity makes us stronger.

A culture of learning, developing and innovating is the thread that runs throughout our whole organisation. We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential.

We value staff wellbeing, with a well-established programme of support. We believe in a holistic approach spanning all aspects of living a healthy life, including physical, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing. We’ve even got a pool!

We are committed to supporting you and hope you want to join our team. In the meantime, find out more about living and working the beautiful historic city of Bath, learn about our extensive package of staff benefits, and read about how we’re providing healthcare fit for the future with the landmark Dyson Cancer Centre and our passion for research.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about the role.

Person specification

Essential Essential criteria

• 3 years experience at band 5 level

desirable

Desirable criteria

• Experience coordinating in an acute hospital ward

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applications. We strongly encourage you to complete and submit your application in good time to ensure it can be considered.

Documents to download

• band 6 OPAU (PDF, 307.4KB)
• Join the RUH (PDF, 1.3MB)

Further details / informal visits contact

Name CLAIRE MARSH Job title senior sister Email address clairemarsh2@nhs.net Telephone number 01225 826956

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Royal United Hospital

Combe Park

Bath

BA1 3NG