Nursing and Midwifery

Nursing

No two days are the same in nursing – it’s one of the most dynamic and rewarding roles within the NHS. And with ongoing training and the support of your team, you’ll be able to make it exactly what you want it to be.

Newly qualified and experienced nurses have the opportunity to work across four different divisions: Medicine, Surgery, Women’s and Children’s and Emergency Medicine.

Our nurses play a vital role in helping us provide the very best care for every patient, every day.

Our preceptorship programme

All newly registered band 5 practitioners are placed on our preceptorship programme. The programme is fully multi-disciplinary with nurses, midwives, therapists, biomedical scientists and more.

The programme supports newly registered staff to incorporate both management and leadership knowledge and skills into their practice. It also allows new registrants to build a network of support and knowledge across the trust and across disciplines; supplying the tools needed to enhance successful future career progression.

Band 6 and Band 7 Development programmes

Our leadership and management programmes aim to support our Band 6 and 7 Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional staff in their roles and contributes to the development of the Trust as a clinically led organisation. Sessions within the programmes assist ward-based and specialist team clinical leaders to build a picture of what good Nursing, Midwifery and AHP leadership and management looks like, and provides staff with the skills required to lead through others and to negotiate organisational processes and practices.

Post Graduate Pathway

The post graduate pathway aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of staff, which in turn leads to better patient care and outcomes. The programme supports staff in the management of medicine administration in addition to the following:

• The Peripheral Intravenous Administration study day is open to all Band 5 staff who need to administer intravenous medication in their clinical area. All staff have to pass a calculation test before attending. The training includes infusion pump training, pharmaceutical aspects, peripheral devices, intravenous preparation and administration principals. On returning to their clinical area all attendees undergo supervised practice before completing their competency.
• Peripheral Venepuncture and Cannulation training is a four-hour training session. It is aimed for staff who need to obtain blood samples and site peripheral venous access devices within their clinical setting. Staff must be competent in the administration of peripheral intravenous medication before attending.

Training includes theory of both venepuncture and cannulation, related anatomy and physiology and practical demonstrations of both procedures. All attendees are required to demonstrate both skills on artificial arms, before returning to their clinical area, where they will undergo supervised practice; before completing their competency.

Midwifery

Our maternity service provides ante-natal and post-natal care for approximately 7,000 women per year. We are committed to the Continuity of Carer model set out in Better Births.

The women in our care have a choice of place of birth: home, birth centre and delivery suite.

Each birth is very special to us and we strive to make every woman’s journey memorable.

Building on our existing work around normalising birth, we have created a number of Continuity of Care pathways for women in line with Better Births. These include a well-established birth centre of 15 years, a dedicated homebirth team, and a full range of obstetric facilities befitting a large district general hospital.

What we can offer you

• Be part of a friendly, committed team that strives continuously to improve what we do.
• A preceptorship programme for midwives over nine months with a three-month elective placement to support you to consolidate your midwifery skills.
• All-round experience in a progressive environment, with the potential for individuals to develop a full range of midwifery skills in an acute hospital and community setting.
• Extensive in-house mandatory training programme covering PROMPT through to Safeguarding Children Supervision, as well as opportunities for further career development.