Job summary
- Main area
- Infection Control
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 252-6982583-G
- Employer
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Darent Valley Hospital
- Town
- Dartford
- Salary
- £50,008 - £56,908 per annum inclusive of allowances
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Nurse Specialist - Infection Prevention and Control
NHS AfC: Band 7
Job overview
Are you an experienced Infection Prevention and Control Nurse ready to take the next step in your career and join our team of finalists of the Nursing Times Awards? Whether you're already qualified or nearing completion of your IPC qualification, we have an exciting opportunity for you. DGT IPC won the 2025 IPS international award for nurturing IPC talent and you would be joining this small, friendly, and forward-thinking IPC team. We are paper light in our approach, and a digitally driven, data focused team that values and fosters innovation along with continuous improvement. Our work is in supporting the Trust across its acute hospital sites and community bases, making a real impact on patient safety and care quality. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in IPC, you’ll provide expert advice, lead on infection surveillance, prevention of outbreaks; when required - management, supporting proactive and reactive interventions at the patient bedside. You’ll also deliver training, conduct audits, and drive improvement initiatives that shape the future of infection prevention across our services. The role will entail being a clinically focused practitioner who works with operational staff at the point of care delivery, based on our sites and in the IPC offices.
This position will not be supported for visa sponsorship. All applicants are expected to have valid right to work document to work in the UK when applying for this position.
Main duties of the job
What we’re looking for:
A dedicated and experienced IPC nurse with strong clinical insight and a passion for patient safety, ability to work with data and research based findings to shape and influence good infection prevention on the front line.
Someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and is confident working across multiple sites and community services with no two days the same, an ability to respond to arising issues and situations that require dynamic decision making.
A professional with the flexibility to travel and the drive to make a difference.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we’ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical responsibilities:
Produce and maintain surveillance information on new MRSA and Clostridium difficile isolates, GNBSI organisms, other mandatory surveillance system pathogens, notifiable infections, ensuring reporting is prompt and within agreed time deadlines i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly.
Lead on representing IPC at MDT’s, incident meetings, outbreaks along with divisional colleagues, utilise this data against infection data and develop prevention strategies with the Governance lead, represent at national networks.
Work under the direction of but without supervision of the Matron Infection Prevention and Control (MIPC), to ensure health care associated infections data is kept, be involved in the analysis and reporting to relevant teams
In line with national mandatory targets and reporting requirements, assist and work closely with IPCSC, Matron, in production of graphs and charts towards the preparation and provision of reporting of MRSA, Clostridium difficile, and GNBSI rates to UKHSA, and internal reports to Infection Prevention and Control Committee, Quality Committee, development of report writing skills, & cross cover with the Matron IPC to develop draft reports, contributing to the accurate data, and drawing on themes, trends around patient safety, clinical effectiveness and clinical quality.
Utilise the Trust software such as Datix to record, and pull out incident information, actions, bring these to closure.
Collate all the relevant information from a variety of sources to enable accurate and timely submissions of data in accordance with national mandatory targets.
Lead in delivering an annual schedule for the various audit programmes undertaken. This includes environmental/clinical practice audits. Undertake follow up actions as directed post audit/ site visits.
Input data from completed audits and prepare accurate draft reports. Distribute completed audits to the relevant Divisional Leads, and
Departments/Wards filing these and related evidence.
Represent the team at webinars and local learning exercises and events; CBRN tests, EPRR drills, Kent and Medway ICB meetings, conferences.
Please see attached job description for further information.
Person specification
Education and Training
Essential criteria
- Registered General Nurse
- Part way through or completed IPC qualification at minimum undergraduate level modules in infection control, or can demonstrate they possess this
- Qualification in teaching, ENB 998 or equivalent, Student nurse mentorship qualification
- Course completion in Facilitation skills, and presentation skills.
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable criteria
- Clinical Audit training
- Outbreak management UKHSA
- SSIS UKHSA module
- Relevant IT Qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent IT skills.
- Understanding of current healthcare issues i.e. clinical governance, risk management and quality controls assurance
- Highly developed interpersonal skills, particularly negotiation and persuasion skills
- Able to deal with patients and service users sensitively.
- Presenting at meetings, education forums, delivering training to wide audience
- Able to work autonomously or as part of a team.
- Able to work to deadlines.
- Able to take meeting notes and actions at draft level.
- Ability to organize own time and prioritise work whilst also meeting service priorities.
- Knowledge and experience in the application of audit
- Ability to work with minimal supervision.
- Ability to travel to Trust sites, work in different locations, bases.
Desirable criteria
- Report writing skills
- Participation in policy development and standard setting
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in an acute NHS organisation recently
- Experience of infection control roles in health/social care setting.
- Experience of working in clinical health setting caring for patients.
- Experience in managing staff, resources
Desirable criteria
- Experience of surgical site surveillance programme
- QI methodology experience
- Representing Trust at external forums
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- General enquires
- Job title
- Infection Control
- Telephone number
- 01322 428812
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