Rheumatology Nurse

Northumbria Healthcare - NHCT Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Ashington; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000

Job description

Main area Rheumatology Grade 5 Contract Permanent: subject to achieving competencies Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 319-7090422SC

Site Wansbeck General Hospital Town Ashington Salary £29,970 - £36,483 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/04/2025 23:59

Do you want to work in one of the best performing NHS organisations in England? Work for an organisation that was voted the best acute and combined acute and community trust in the country, based on the experience of its staff (NHS Staff Survey 2022). Work in an organisation that supports its staff and focuses on staff experience as much as it does the experience of its patients? You can live and breathe in an area that has the cleanest air, cost effective living, great nightlife, some of the best schools with a wealth of history available on your doorstep. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn’t, this is what you get when you work for Northumbria Healthcare and, this is…the Northumbria Way!

What the Northumbria Way means for you :

• Extensive staff health and well-being programme including access to our specialist Wellbeing Hub
• Support and connection through a variety of Staff Network groups
• A range of flexible working opportunities
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Access to lease car and home electronics scheme (qualifying criteria applies)
• Opportunities to improve your professional development through our vast training programmes
• On-site nursery places via salary sacrifice
• Access to savings scheme via salary sacrifice with Northumberland Community Bank

We are proud to be one of the country’s top performing NHS trusts – rated ‘outstanding’ overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We provide a range of health and care services to support more than 500,000 people living in Northumberland and North Tyneside across the largest geographical area of any NHS Trust in England. Our teams deliver care from hospitals, a range of community venues and people’s homes. Our hospitals include a specialist emergency care hospital (the first of its kind in England), three general hospitals and community hospitals. In the community we deliver a wide range of community and public health services.

If Northumbria Healthcare sounds like somewhere you could belong we would love to hear from you. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Whilst Northumbria Healthcare are a highly innovative organisation, the use of Third Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic nurse to join a friendly and innovative team of specialist nurses to train and work in the care of patients with Rheumatic Diseases. The post holder will need to have access to transport in order to travel across the Northumberland Healthcare Trust.

Following a framework of training to achieve competencies the post holder will be expected to become an independent practitioner after 18 months, becoming responsible for running their own caseload of patients. Providing effective care, expertise and support to the multidisciplinary team and ensure the provision of high quality care to patients.

Annex 20

This post falls within the provisions of Agenda for Change Annex 20 - Development of Professional Roles, whereby upon completion of an agreed set of competencies you may move onto the next pay band without the need for an application for a post at a higher level.

At the end of 18 months if all competencies are satisfactorily met the candidate will advance to a band 6 Specialist nurse role.

Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the closing date once the required number of suitable applications have been received.

Main duties of the job

• Following a period of training and development in line with the RCN Rheumatology Competency Framework the post-holder will become involved in the running of nurse-led outpatient and telephone clinics, supporting the patient advice line and participating in multi-disciplinary meetings.
• The candidate will also participate in the monitoring programme for patients on disease modifying medications.
• Excellent communication, organisational and IT skills are required.

Working for our organisation

We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, covering one of the largest geographical areas of any NHS trust in the country. Leading in innovation and quality – opening a state of the art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. Do you want to work in one of the best performing NHS organisations in England? Work in an organisation that supports its staff and focuses on staff experience as much as it does the experience of its patients? You can live and breathe in an area that has the cleanest air, cost effective living, great nightlife, some of the best schools with a wealth of history available on your doorstep. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn’t, this is what you get when you work for Northumbria Healthcare, this is the Northumbria Way! Please read ‘applicant guidance notes’ before submitting your application.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• The specialist nurse role requires an awareness of the mechanism of the diverse diseases under the rheumatology speciality and how to assess disease activity.
• A full understanding of the many disease modifying drugs used to manage these conditions.
• Teaching patients to safely self-administer biologic and DMARD therapies.
• An empathy and understanding of the patients social, emotional and health needs, acting as an advocate for the patient at all times.
• Ensure effective communication between all members of the MDT both internally and externally to the Trust.
• Request and interpret diagnostic and monitoring investigations as required.
• To act as an expert nurse, advising and supporting other healthcare workers in the management of patient care.
• To support the medical team.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times.
• To continue to develop clinical skills and personal knowledge.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered nursing qualification
• Registered Mentor. Mentorship Qualification or relevant equivalent qualification (essential requirement for post, expectation this will be completed within an 18 month period).

Knowledge

• Knowledge of infection control policies & procedures
• Knowledge of rheumatological diseases
• Previous experience of working in a rheumatology setting

Applicants who are members of the Armed Forces, and those who have a disability that requires support in the work place (two ticks pledge) and who meet the essential criteria will be interviewed under the Trust's interview guarantee scheme.

We recognise the positive value of diversity and inclusion and are committed to a workforce that is diverse, equal and inclusive. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME people are currently under-represented in our workforce as well as other under-represented groups such as LGBT+ and disabled candidates. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, we have a Gold award from the Defense Recognition Scheme, and we are delighted to support Apprenticeships, Age Positive and are a mindful employer.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to attend interview please make the recruitment team aware as soon as possible by calling our HR Recruitment Team on 0191 203 1415 option 2.

Applicants who meet the Fit and Proper Person Requirements (FPPR) will require additional pre-employment checks in line with CQC and NHS England statutory guidance.

Make sure to read the ‘applicant guidance notes’ before submitting your application and make sure you know everything there is to know before joining our fantastic trust!

Certificate of Sponsorship

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust proudly hold a sponsor licence. In order to provide sponsorship you and the role you are applying for must meet UKVI eligibility requirements. Please check your eligibility prior to submitting an application. Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please note that it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their own DBS certification if a DBS check is required for the post. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first monthly pay.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Joann Evans Job title Lead Rheumatology Specialist Nurse Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07518916939