Job overview

Are you a dedicated, compassionate Physical Health Nurse (RGN) committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?

We're creating Kent and Medway’s first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking a talented Physical Health Nurse to help us deliver this vital service. 

As a Physical Health Nurse, you will work collaboratively with the ward management team alongside clinical staff to support delivery of effective, high quality and safe patient-centred physical healthcare. You will play a crucial role in providing comprehensive care to patients, focusing on their physical health needs. You will work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary healthcare team to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care, with a strong emphasis on physical health promotion, prevention, and management.

Please note that the start date for this post will be January 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones. 

All positions also benefit from a High Cost Area allowance. 

Main duties of the job

• To ensure that the physical health needs are met for those individuals with mental illness are met whilst an inpatient on a Mental health Ward
• Develop staff knowledge to enhance their confidence and competence to enable them to recognise and address the physical health needs of acutely unwell patients within an inpatient unit. This includes developing their ability to collaboratively develop a person-centred care plan.
• Work in a challenging/often demanding driven environment
• Engage in audit and evaluation
• Be part of a team wishing to always improve the user experience of mental health services
• Support the management team in a leadership role
• Offer up-to-date training in physical health for all ward staff
• Liaise and build a working relationship within our local acute Trust hospitals.
• To be confident and competent to perform the relevant nursing physical health assessments, which includes the 6 parameters of the Lester Tool for all patients within 72 hours of admission, including all vital signs.
• To provide education either in a group setting or on a one to one basis for our patients concerning living a healthier lifestyle.

Working for our organisation

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and  Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD). 

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you. 

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men. 

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.  

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.  

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area Supplement: 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1303 per year and a maximum payment of £2198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly). The salary listed is inclusive of the High-Cost Area Allowance.