IPU Team Leader

This Team Leader post sits within the Inpatient Unit at St Peter & St James Hospice, where the holder oversees nursing staff, healthcare assistants and volunteers. The work combines clinical and managerial leadership with coordinating admissions, discharges and patient flow, and leading shifts as nurse in charge. Flexible shifts and a rolling seven-day senior on-call rota are part of the role.

Degree-level NMC registration is essential, with palliative care experience desirable.

• Provide clinical and managerial leadership for nursing staff, healthcare assistants and volunteers on the Inpatient Unit
• Coordinate admissions, referrals, discharges and CHC-funded patients, keeping patient flow and records accurate
• Lead clinical shifts as nurse in charge, managing safe staffing and workforce deployment
• Lead advance care planning and end-of-life discussions with patients and families
• Supervise, mentor and develop staff, including performance management, recruitment and induction of registered nurses, paramedics, nursing associates and healthcare assistants
• Lead quality improvement, clinical audit, risk assessments and incident investigations
• Contribute to clinical policies and procedures alongside multidisciplinary teams
• Assess, plan and deliver individualised palliative care addressing physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs
• Recognise signs of dying and initiate anticipatory prescribing to address symptoms
• Maintain practical clinical skills such as venepuncture, PICC line management, catheterisation and IV drug administration
• Plan and allocate staff by competency, workload and patient dependency across hospice services, and order medicines and supplies
• Support management of ward support volunteers, mentor student and return-to-practice nurses, and contribute to teaching and education

• Education to degree level (level six)

• Active NMC registration as a registered nurse

• Experience of assessing and planning patient care
• Experience of coordinating clinical shifts
• Handling patient and carer feedback, including complaints, sensitively and in a timely manner
• Knowledge of symptom control to guide the wider healthcare team
• Maintaining accurate written and computerised records under NMC guidance Skills & knowledge
  • Strong leadership and effective delegation
  • Empathetic, courteous approach to patients and their loved ones
  • Demonstrated leadership through engagement with innovation in practice
  Other
  • Ability to work flexible shifts and the senior nurse on-call rota on a rolling seven-day basis
  • Willingness to take part in own clinical supervision
  Nice to have
  • Mentorship qualification
  • Post-registration education in a relevant subject
  • Level 6 leadership qualification
  • Evidence of practice in a palliative care setting
  What’s offered
  • Supportive working environment
  • Opportunities for professional development
  • Opportunities for leadership growth