Staff Nurse - Rheumatology | Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Posting date:	13 June 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£29,970 - £36,483 Per Annum
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	13 July 2025
Location:	St Helens, WA9 3DA
Company:	St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7255039/409-7255039

Summary

Are you an enthusiastic Staff Nurse looking for a new challenge?

Applications are invited for the post of Rheumatology Staff Nurse within the award winning Rheumatology department at St Helens Hospital.

We are looking for an innovative nurse who would fit into this highly motivated team. You will be an experienced Band 5 nurse who wishes to develop as a Rheumatology Staff Nurse through a fully supported and structured training programme. No prior experience in Rheumatology is necessary.

The Rheumatology specialist nursing service works within a multi-disciplinary team providing holistic care for patients including Day Unit treatments, nurse-led clinics, disease and drug education sessions, advice via a telephone Advice line service, provision of a safe and effective blood monitoring service, and assisting in delivery of consultant led outpatient clinics.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to work in a genuinely multi-disciplinary team environment. The post is based within the Rheumatology Day Unit at St Helens Hospital and will include the day to day running of the day unit to include logistics, appointments, education and the administration of rheumatological therapies in line with NMC, National and Trust policies.

An Enhanced DBS Certificate, with the checking of both the Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists is required for this post.
• Develop and extend scope of professional practice to include venepuncture, cannulation and the administration of rheumatological therapies in line with NMC, National and Trust policies.
• To undertake the day to day running of the day unit clinics including logistics, admissions and discharge, arranging appointments for treatments, infusions or education.
• To collect data required for the British Society of Rheumatology Register for these therapies.
• To co-ordinate the prescribing of these therapies, including requests for repeat prescriptions.
• Education of patients and carers
• To assist with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health education MDT programmes for patients and carers with rheumatological conditions.
• To empower patients with rheumatological conditions to realise and maintain their potential in relation to health and wellbeing through one-to-one contacts and MDT education programmes by facilitating improved knowledge on disease management, medication and its effects on daily living.

DMARD therapy

To be a point of referral for patients commencing on disease modifying drug therapy, including education, consent, monitoring requirements.

To prevent adverse effects on health and wellbeing through education and monitoring of patients on DMARD therapy.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

KEY DUTIES
• Develop and extend scope of professional practice to include venepuncture, cannulation and the administration of rheumatological therapies in line with NMC, National and Trust policies.
• To undertake the day to day running of the day unit clinics including logistics, admissions and discharge, arranging appointments for treatments, infusions or education.
• To collect data required for the British Society of Rheumatology Register for these therapies.
• To co-ordinate the prescribing of these therapies, including requests for repeat prescriptions.
• Education of patients and carers
• To assist with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health education MDT programmes for patients and carers with rheumatological conditions.
• To empower patients with rheumatological conditions to realise and maintain their potential in relation to health and wellbeing through one-to-one contacts and MDT education programmes by facilitating improved knowledge on disease management, medication and its effects on daily living.

DMARD therapy
• To be a point of referral for patients commencing on disease modifying drug therapy, including education, consent, monitoring requirements.
• To prevent adverse effects on health and wellbeing through education and monitoring of patients on DMARD therapy.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Development & delivery
• Administration of intravenous, Intramuscular and subcutaneous treatments
• To be involved in planning, development, implementation and evaluation of rheumatology service.
• To ensure all treatments are within national guidelines or evidence-based practice where available aiming to improve standards and minimise clinical risk
• To participate in working parties developing policy change within department which impacts on all service users
• Adhere to departmental policies in use of equipment including ensuring competence of others through training and supervision of practice
• Assist in the development of policies and procedures within the rheumatology service
• To act as a catalyst for change, reviewing service and clinical provision through audit/research, identifying areas for development and implementing change

Professional Development
• To maintain own clinical professional development by keeping abreast of any new trends and developments and incorporating them as necessary into service delivery.
• To support junior staff with their professional development
• To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and personal development plan (PDP).
• To participate in the supervision scheme.
• To attend and contribute to local or national conferences in own field of expertise
• To be an active participant in enabling the department to maintain Customer Service Excellence status.
• To attend and take part in in-service training within the Rheumatology unit.
• To participate in the organisation and delivery of internal/external/national courses.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
• To ensure that all patient information is confidential and is not disclosed to a third party except with permission of the Nurse in charge.
• To keep patient records up to date on a day-to-day basis following any interaction with patients or relatives
• To ensure all unit documentation is completed.
• To assist with and carry out any input of data that is required for the departmental databases.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
• To assist with induction programmes, preceptorship and mentorship of new staff as appropriate.
• Completion of the trust’s intravenous administration course
• To appropriately assist in the promotion of the learning environment. Participating in the supervision and assessment of Health Care Assistants, Student nurses and Cadets as appropriate.
• To participate in the in-service training programme, delivering presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, tutorials, training sessions in-house and externally, attending external courses and undertaking reflective practice.
• To be an active participant in enabling the department to maintain Customer Service Excellence status.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Participate in meetings pertinent to the unit
• Establish and maintain good communication within the unit, Division, Trust and agencies outside the trust.
• To consistently use resources efficiently
• To be actively involved in risk management and clinical audit programmes.
• To ensure safe custody of patients property.
• To report all accidents, hazards, incidents and complaints in accordance with Trust policies and assist in investigation of them as required.
• Comply with Health and Safety Policies.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• Maintain efficiency and minimise any waste.

RESEARCH & AUDIT
• To participate in local audit/research projects relating to the use of Rheumatological therapies
• To collect data required for the British Society of Rheumatology Register for these therapies.


This advert closes on Friday 27 Jun 2025

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