Job summary
- Main area
- Elderly Care / Medicine for Older People/General Medicine/Integrated Medicine
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent: Full time
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday)
- Job ref
- 156-8354696
- Employer
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Cornwall Hosptial
- Town
- Truro
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/11/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Ward Leader
Band 7
Job overview
Are you an exceptional nurse leader ready for your next challenge?
As Ward Leader, you will provide visible, compassionate, and effective leadership to a multidisciplinary team, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centred care within a busy inpatient environment. You will be professionally accountable for the operational management of the ward, leading on quality, patient safety, workforce development, patient flow, and service improvement.
You will work closely with the Clinical Matron, medical colleagues, and the wider multidisciplinary team to create a positive culture that promotes excellence, continuous learning, and innovation. As a role model for professional practice, you will inspire and support staff to deliver outstanding care, ensuring patients and their families receive the best possible experience.
The successful candidate will be an experienced registered nurse with strong leadership skills, a passion for developing others, and a commitment to driving quality improvement. They will be responsible for maintaining high standards of clinical care, ensuring compliance with governance and regulatory requirements, and leading the team to achieve key performance, safety, and quality objectives.
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking leader who is committed to making a lasting difference to patient outcomes, staff wellbeing, and the future development of the service.
Main duties of the job
The Ward Leader provides clinical, operational, and professional leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and compassionate patient care.
Key responsibilities include:
Leading the day-to-day management of the ward and maintaining safe staffing levels.
Providing visible leadership and support to nursing and multidisciplinary teams.
Promoting high standards of patient safety, quality, and patient experience.
Managing incidents, complaints, risks, and safeguarding concerns, ensuring learning is embedded into practice.
Supporting patient flow, bed management, and effective discharge planning.
Leading staff recruitment, appraisal, performance management, wellbeing, and professional development.
Ensuring compliance with Trust policies, clinical governance, and professional standards.
Managing ward resources effectively, including workforce, equipment, and budgets.
Leading audits, quality improvement, and service development initiatives.
Working collaboratively with the Clinical Matron and multidisciplinary teams to deliver operational and strategic objectives.
Acting as a role model for Trust values through compassionate, inclusive leadership.
Supporting service transformation and continuous improvement to enhance patient outcomes.
The post holder will maintain clinical credibility and contribute to direct patient care when required.
Working for our organisation
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is at the heart of acute and specialist care for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We care for a population of around 470,000 people, a number that increases during visitor seasons. We employ around 6,700 staff, united by a shared commitment to deliver safe, high‑quality care. We provide services across three main hospital sites, with around 780 inpatient beds:
Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro
St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle
West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance
As a teaching hospital, we’re proud to work in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, the University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School, supporting the next generation of health professionals. We’re committed to staying at the forefront of medical advance; investing in our people, developing our facilities, and expanding the specialist care we can offer locally so more patients can receive the care they need closer to home. We have a growing reputation for research and innovation that helps shape better care for the future. The Knowledge Spa, located on our Truro site, is a vibrant hub for medical, nursing and professional education across clinical and non‑clinical roles. It plays a vital role in attracting, developing and retaining highly skilled teams.
We are driven by one clear ambition, Outstanding Care for One and All, care that’s safe, kind and high-quality. We are RCHT.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.
To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:
Identity Checks
Professional registration and qualification checks
Employment history and reference checks
Occupational Health clearance
Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
Right to work in the UK
For further information please visit:
https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation
We reserve the right to close this advert early.
We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
- Degree in Nursing or equivalent professional qualification
- Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to leadership and clinical practice
- Compassionate, visible, and approachable leader
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of workforce planning and e-rostering systems
- Experience analysing and using performance data to drive improvement
- Acts as a positive role model for Trust values and behaviours
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of leading and managing teams
- Knowledge of governance, risk management, and patient safety frameworks
- Resilient and adaptable under pressure
Desirable criteria
- Practice Assessor/Mentorship qualification
- Experience of managing budgets and resources
- Ability to influence and lead change
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
- Natalie Keogh
- Job title
- Clinical Matron
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07502799811
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