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Job summary

Main area
Ophthalmology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
249-8175584
Employer
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Ophthalmology OPD Great Western Hospital
Town
Swindon
Salary
£32,073 - £39,043 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
07/08/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Staff Nurse - Ophthalmology

NHS AfC: Band 5

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital. 

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated Registered Nurse to join our friendly and supportive Ophthalmology team.

This role is ideal for someone looking to develop new skills and knowledge within a specialist area, or for a nurse who already has ophthalmology experience and is looking to further enhance their expertise. Working alongside experienced clinicians and nurses, you will provide high-quality care to patients across a range of ophthalmology services.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate nurse with excellent communication skills and a commitment to delivering outstanding patient care. In return, we offer a welcoming team environment, comprehensive training and ongoing professional development opportunities.

If you are looking for a rewarding role where you can grow your skills, develop specialist expertise and make a real difference to patients, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

Support clinicians with visions , visual acuity , OCT's Biometry , Nurse led Pre assessment , nurse led admission / discharge - support intravitreal injection clinics / minor ops 

1.   To be an effective practitioner with the ability to develop clinical expertise in the care of patients in the outpatient setting. To include performing visual acuity, tear osmolarity tests, syringing of lachrymal ducts, instilling medication, removal of sutures, assisting medical staff in clinic/ minor operations and performing eye dressings, performing other ophthalmic diagnostic tests. Day surgery, Pre op clinics

2.      Instillation of eye drops once fully competent and have achieved the competency standard

3.      Act as second checker for patients undergoing intra vitreal injections

4.      Opportunity at a later stage of undertaking nurse led intra vitreal injection clinics

5.      Coordinate to support the Senior nurses

6.      Telephone triage

7.      To assist in the orientation and support of new staff and students to the unit, working together as a team.

8.      Plan, deliver and evaluate compassionate nursing care to meet the patients individualised needs.

9.      Ensure the highest standards of care and safety are maintained.

10.  To document observations, results, decisions, and actions etc. effectively in patient’s notes and communicate these effectively to appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team and as appropriate, to carers.

11.  To be responsible for the assessment of individual patients using the appropriate programme/models of care and ensuring co-ordination and implementation of the discharge assessment process and appropriate multi-disciplinary referrals.

12.  Responsible for the safe custody and administration of medicines, using a range of routes (once competency achieved) within the NMC Standards for Administration of Medicines and adhering to local policy.

13.  To support the nurse in charge with the day-to-day planning, the delivery of a high-quality nursing service and the continuous improvement of the ophthalmology service.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.      Promote patient involvement in care planning, Implementing, and sustaining communication systems to keep patients and their relatives/families informed of treatment and progress

2.      To ensure effective communication is achieved and maintained of sensitive information, regarding the patient assessments and clinical details.

3.      To act as a role model, ensuring high quality, professional standards are maintained and always delivered.

4.      Provide legible and comprehensive patient records to agreed Trust and NMC standards and guidelines

5.      Assess patient’s suitability for discharge following medical review and instigate discharge planning arrangements. Liaise with multidisciplinary teams as appropriate to assist in complex discharge planning.

6.      To develop and maintain effective communication links with all levels of staff within the Trust and external agencies.

7.      To participate in the audit cycle of clinical practices and procedures including infection prevention & control initiatives

8.      To participate in quality account initiates Benchmarking

9.      Assist in the monitoring and protecting of groups and individuals whose health and well-being may be at risk e.g.: vulnerable adults.

10.  To participate and contribute appropriately in research, service modernisation, clinical governance and National Service Frameworks.

11.  To be responsible for developing and sustaining own knowledge, clinical skills and professional awareness in accordance with PREP requirements and to maintain a professional portfolio with evidence of reflective practice.

12.  Actively encourage service users & carers for feedback and work with dept. team to develop action plans to address issues

13.  To act as a role model and promote the Trust’s STAR values.

For further details, please see the  attached  Job Description

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NMC Registration
  • Qualification /Experience in teaching and assessing
  • Experience of working in Ophthalmology
Desirable criteria
  • ENB 346 Ophthalmic Nursing or equivalent

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Recent experience nursing patients in an acute setting or recently completed a Return To Nursing course
  • Able to demonstrate effective consolidation of nursing knowledge and practice after qualification and Preceptorship
  • Working within a multi-disciplinary team environment
  • Evidence of continuing professional development.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveDisability confident leaderInvestors in People: GoldCare Leaver CovenantStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jessica Mason
Job title
Senior Sister
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01793 604872
Additional information

Tim vines Lead specialist nurse [email protected]

Karen walker Sister [email protected] 

Tel 01793 604861

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