Stroke Nurse Specialist

Go back University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

The closing date is 08 July 2026

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Brighton is looking for enthusiastic, motivated and committed Registered General Nurses to join its expanding team of Stroke Nurse Specialist (SNS) to support the stroke provision Sussex wide reconfiguration of services.

We are looking to employ qualified nurses with knowledge of stroke care & health policies relating to stroke with experience as a Band 5 nurse.

Based on the hyper acute Stroke ward you would be part of a team of SNS who are responsible 24/7 for managing a cohort of patients referred for specialist intervention.

This involves attending stroke emergencies, assessing & assisting with direct care for patients requiring thrombolysis &/or thrombectomy treatment. You will be participating in the pre alert system trial of video triaging patients in Sussex prior to transfer to hospital. Run TIA screening & support stroke consultants in clinics. Assist with data collection for audit & evaluating effectiveness of the service.

A Successful candidate for this job should be an RGN with a current NMC registration, have experience as a Band 5 nurse & experience / knowledge of stroke care and be able to work shifts that include weekends & nights.

To respond immediately to acute stroke emergencies within ED and across all inpatient ward areas.

Assisting the medical team to access acute stroke emergency cases as to suitability for thrombolysis / thrombectomy.

Cannulating patients, performing venepuncture, ECG's and neurological observations with NIHSS assessments.

Closely monitoring the GCS and vital signs of acute stroke emergencies and rapidly communicating concerns.

Navigating acute stroke emergencies through the agreed Pathway in a timely manner, ensuring all necessary investigations are processed and reviewed.

Accompanying acute emergencies to CT scanning departments.

Commencing agreed treatment with thrombolysis agents and closely monitoring the effects. Provide care, information and psychological support to the patient and next of kin.

Transferring patients from the emergency care centre to the neuroradiology department for the thrombectomy pathway or the hyper acute stroke ward.

Provide direct nursing care to patients undergoing thrombolysis.

To be competent in coordinating the TIA screening service according to agreed protocols.

To provide reports and summaries on individual patients as required.

To attend and participate in team meetings, stroke, thrombolysis and thrombectomy governance.

To promptly answer video triage iPad whilst maintaining confidentiality, completing appropriate documentation and post call actions.

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in.

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level
3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Please note:
This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.

If you do not meet the sponsorship requirements, and you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.

We welcome applications from those who currently hold a UK NMC registration. If you currently hold an overseas nursing qualification and require sponsorship we are not currently direct hiring Internationally Qualified Nurses.

Under the direction of the Stroke Team Leader, manage a cohort of patients referred for specialist intervention, care and support within the Hyper Acute stroke service.

To work as part of a team of specialist stroke nurses, providing acute thrombolysis service, thrombectomy service, and TIA screening.

To work closely with the ward team, supporting with education, attending ward handovers, MDT meetings, clinical governance.

To assist in the development of the thrombolysis, thrombectomy service and it moves forward with its 5 year growth plan as the regional territory unit for Sussex.

Run TIA screening and clinics.

Participate in data collection for audit activity developing auditing methodologies to monitor the effectiveness thrombolysis and of the thrombolysis pathway, especially nursing components.

To participate in Nurse lead video triage and assist in the…