Transitional Care Lead Nurse

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

The Neonatal Transitional Care Lead Nurse plays a pivotal role in delivering and leading high-quality, safe, and compassionate care for newborns who require additional support at birth but do not need admission to a neonatal unit. This includes babies with needs such as temperature regulation, feeding support, treatment for jaundice or hypoglycemia, or those exposed to maternal substance use.

The post-holder will lead the development and coordination of the transitional care service, working closely with maternity, neonatal, and community teams to ensure seamless, family-centered care that keeps mothers and babies together wherever clinically appropriate.

This role also presents an exciting opportunity for service development, with the potential to help establish aNeonatal Outreach Team. This evolving aspect of the role would focus on supporting early discharge, home monitoring, parental education, and continuity of care for infants transitioning from hospital to home.

Main duties of the job

• Provide expert clinical leadership and oversight of the transitional care service.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized care plans for babies requiring transitional care.
• Collaborate with the wider multidisciplinary team to support safe early discharge and reduce unnecessary neonatal admissions.
• Promote and embed family-integrated care principles to support parental involvement and bonding.
• Act as a clinical educator and mentor to nursing and midwifery staff within transitional care.
• Support and lead quality improvement initiatives and audits to enhance care standards and outcomes.
• Maintain high standards of infection control, documentation, and safeguarding practices.
• Engage in workforce planning, staff development, and rota coordination for transitional care services.
• Being part of the scoping, planning, and potential implementation of a Neonatal Outreach Team to:
  
  • Provide follow-up care at home for babies discharged from transitional or neonatal care.
  • Support parents with feeding, jaundice monitoring, and ongoing neonatal care needs.
  • Reduce readmissions and improve family satisfaction and outcomes.
  • Enhance links with community nursing, health visiting, and safeguarding services.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

If you would like to learn more regarding the role, please refer to the job description.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 5 years post Registered Nurse (Child) or Registered Midwife with active NMC registration
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures or where to find them
• Substantial post-registration experience in neonatal and/or transitional care settings
• Strong leadership and team coordination abilities
• In-depth understanding of neonatal transitional care principles and national guidance (e.g., BAPM, NICE, NHS Long Term Plan)

Desirable criteria

• - Practice Assessor/Supervisor qualification
• - Evidence of involvement in service improvement, change management, or innovation
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures
• Capable of working independently while also collaborating across multidisciplinary teams

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• Excellent clinical assessment and decision-making skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with families and professionals

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in working with families in a family-centered or family-integrated care model

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of involvement in service improvement, change management, or innovation

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

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