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Job summary

Main area
Rheumatology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Fixed term: 10 months (Maternity Cover)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday)
Job ref
193-7579067NCG-A
Employer
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Berkshire Hospital
Town
Reading
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
30/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Staff Nurse - Rheumatology (Fixed Term 10 Months)

NHS AfC: Band 6

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements.  The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.  

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us.  We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.  

Job overview

Band 6 Rheumatology Senior Staff Nurse

**This is a fixed-term/secondment opportunity for 10 months to cover maternity leave.**

We are pleased to offer an exciting fixed-term/secondment opportunity for a dynamic and motivated individual to join our Rheumatology Team at Royal Berkshire Hospital.

This role is ideal for someone passionate about improving patient safety, experience, and outcomes, with a particular focus on promoting independence and preventing hospital admissions.

What We’re Looking For:

  • A confident educator – Someone who enjoys sharing knowledge and is comfortable teaching both patients and colleagues. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential.
  • A lifelong learner – We value individuals who are committed to ongoing professional development, including advancing skills in history taking and prescribing, and staying current with research and clinical guidelines.
  • Excellent communicator – High standards of spoken and written English are required. Experience in audits and research is desirable.
  • Clinical experience – Familiarity with Biologic and DAWN monitoring is advantageous, though full training will be provided for the right candidate.

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact during a key period of service delivery. If you’re enthusiastic about patient-centred care and admission prevention, we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

Adhere to Departmental, Trust, and British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) protocols and guidelines, including conducting relevant investigations, data collection, research, and audits.

Deliver Rheumatology-specific education to staff, patients, and their families/carers.

Ensure the smooth operation of the Rheumatology service in the absence of senior nurses, providing both clinical and leadership support to the team.

Support the development of specialist strategies, policies, and plans that enhance capacity and resilience across the Trust, aligned with the Trust-wide strategy.

Collaborate closely with Rheumatology Consultants, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, and Homecare services to ensure robust monitoring of patient conditions and act in accordance with specialty instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Work in partnership with clinicians, care group leaders, and administrators to deliver the strategic vision of the Rheumatology service.

Provide specialist clinical services across the acute trust for Rheumatology patients.

Participate in local and national clinical audits in collaboration with Rheumatology teams.

Deliver clear, accurate, and courteous advice line support to patients, working autonomously and documenting all communications on EPR and DAWN systems.

Working for our organisation

Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.

The CQC rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

Our "CARE" values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the role.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential criteria
  • Current Registered Nurse, Degree level
  • Resuscitation-minimum of Intermediate Life Support
  • Mentorship / Assessor/ facilitator/ coaching qualification
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of recent clinical practice in specialist area and evidences of recent appropriate experience
  • History taking, Assessment and Diagnostics module

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant post registration experience
  • Demonstrate excellent role modelling
  • Demonstrates excellent team-working
Desirable criteria
  • Recent clinical experience in related client group
  • Understand blood monitoring and remote surveillance service

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Florence Nightingale FoundationNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark 2024

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Shirley Lee
Job title
Lead Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01183226553
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