Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Ophthalmology Outpatients - RVI
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Saturday cover)
- Job ref
- 317-2025-36-13-DR
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Town
- 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 16/09/2025
Employer heading
Nurse Specialist
Band 6
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
We would welcome applicants to join our dynamic eye emergency team in a nurse specialist role and combing this with the responsibilities of junior sister. Working in a fast paced specialist area you would be trained and supported to achieve competence in triage, ophthalmic assessments, diagnosing and treating urgent eye conditions.
You will have the competence to exercise clinical autonomy as you will be responsible for the review of eye emergency patients independently overseeing their care; assessing planning, implementing, evaluating and discharging of patient care. This will include history taking, physical examination and the requesting of diagnostic procedures and clinical investigations.
- Interview Date: 16th September 2025
- 37 hours 30 minutes/week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
Other aspects of the role include;
To work in a fast-paced eye emergency department which operates over a 6 day week.
To maintain high standards of patient care.
To work alongside the team but as an autonomous practitioner.
To see a fluctuating caseload of patients dependent on service demand.
To become confident in identifying and treating a variety of ophthalmic conditions in sub specialties.
To support and coach colleagues as a senior member of the team.
To support the department manager, using leadership skills and organizational skills to maintain high standards in the department.
To educate and train others in emergency eye conditions.
Working for our organisation
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To examine and treat patients as appropriate to skill/ training level.
- To ensure compliance with our clinical governance framework.
- To be adaptable to the needs of the service depending on the variety of patients attending.
- To continue to enhance existing skills; learn new skills.
- The role will require you to assist in service improvement and development.
- Provide specialist advice to support and facilitate high quality, individualised care to patients and relatives/carers without supervision in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team in line with local and national targets.
- The specialist role will involve dealing with complex situations and having to take appropriate action in an acute setting.
- To provide education and training to colleagues and primary care areas.
- Set, monitor, and evaluate standards of care in partnership with other members of the team to ensure deliver of holistic care and planning future developments with ophthalmology.
- To develop skills to assess and interpret specialist information within ophthalmic diagnosis and take appropriate action based on protocols.
- Undertake clinical procedures that require dexterity and accuracy, including slit-lamp skills examination, fundoscopy and gonioscopy
- Will be responsible for organising eye emergency staff within the requirements of the team allocations and work plan.
- To be confident in triaging urgent patients and make clinical decisions independently.
- Maintain and develop skills and knowledge relevant to the speciality of ophthalmology and act as a role model to help colleagues develop knowledge and skills.
- Work in conjunction with Senior sisters to ensure smooth running of the department and deputise in the absence of senior sister
Job Purpose
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust define a nurse specialist as a qualified nurse where the primary purpose of role is to provide guidance and support based on advanced level knowledge to patients, carers and health professionals concerning a specific disease/condition.
- Within the sphere of specialist practice:
- Is working towards advanced knowledge and skills within specialist sphere of practice.
- Contributes to the facilitation of the planning, delivery and evaluation of care pathways for a designated group of patients.
- Support the development of nursing practice within the specialist field and contribute to the body of nursing knowledge.
- Contributes to training and education within specialist area
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Meets Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements for mentorship if relevant to role
- Evidence of on-going continuous professional development
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant NHS policy or project specific policy context
- Has understanding / experience of adult / child safeguarding
- Understanding of Emergency Eye conditions and treatment
Desirable criteria
- Understanding of basic Neuro Ophthalmology
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good IT skills
- Effective report writing skills
- Able to work independently and as a member of a team
- Effective organisation and time management skills
Desirable criteria
- Change management skills and involvement in project work
Experience
Essential criteria
- Some post registration experience within related specialist area of practice
- Extended clinical practice underpinned by training and assessment
Desirable criteria
- Research or audit experience
- Evidence of contribution towards education and training programmes
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse (appropriate to branch)
- Current NMC registration
- Diploma plus specialist qualifications / experience within specialist area; prepared to take degree level study
Desirable criteria
- Degree in health related subject
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Louise Crowe
- Job title
- Matron
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2139812
- Additional information
Please contact sister Amy Griffin or Kath Hague directly in the Eyes Emergency department to discuss.
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