Job summary
- Main area
- nurse
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (7 day rota)
- Job ref
- 153-CO05272-B
- Employer
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bournemouth and Poole
- Town
- Bournemouth
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 31/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Discharge Nursing Associate
Band 4
As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.
We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.
We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.
We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.
At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.
As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.
Job overview
We are pleased to announce an exciting vacancy for a Band 4 Discharge Nursing Associate to join our UHD Integrated Discharge Team at UHD hospital!
The Integrated Discharge team across UHD is an extremely dynamic, innovative and supportive multidisciplinary team who are passionate in enacting a discharge to assess (D2A) model for discharge out of hospital, as outlined in the National Hospital Discharge Service Requirement Policy and reginal Home First: FutureCare model. The team supports the clinical areas in the hospital multi-disciplinary team working with external partners to plan discharge in line with the patient’s wishes, their next of kin/ representatives to achieve a safe and timely discharge.
This post is an opportunity to be involved in providing support in complex discharge planning , working as a member of the Transfer of Care Hub and liaising with external partners to expedite safe and timely discharge for our patients.
The post holder will be expected to work weekends and Bank holidays as the service operates 7 day / week. This position will be based across both Poole and Bournemouth hospitals.
This role requires NMC Nursing Associate Registration.
Closing Date: 31st Dec 2025
Interview Date: 12th January 2026
Main duties of the job
- The primary purpose of the post holder is to provide a visible presence across UHD to deliver supervision, training, and support for the discharge facilitators/ keyworkers.
- To ensure a consistently safe, responsive and patient-focused service provided by the Discharge Facilitators/ Keyworkers.
- To escalate issues as appropriate to the Clinical Discharge Leads in the discharge team
- To act as the discharge expert to coordinate and facilitate safe and timely discharge.
- To work in partnership with the MDT, social services, integrated care board, discharge services team and voluntary agencies regarding simple and complex needs identified during the admission process to provide effective discharge planning to patients and their representatives that facilitate discharge
Working for our organisation
UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.
If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.
UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.
AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To be first point of contact for queries from the discharge facilitators/ keyworkers
- Work autonomously with support from the Clinical Discharge Leads, Cluster leads and wards across both UHD sites supporting with monthly meetings for information sharing and training
- To support discharge facilitators/ keyworkers with pathway plans and signposting to appropriate resources.
- Work within the limits of your knowledge, seeking advice from Clinical Discharge and Cluster Leads in relation to potential or actual problems in a timely fashion according to the severity of the situation.
- Maintain accurate documentation and ensure appropriate people and services are kept up to date of changes
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Nursing foundation degree qualification -Nursing Associate Qualification
- NMC registered Nursing Associate
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in an acute hospital
- Experience of working in a team
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team under appropriate supervision
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of involvement in support and development of less experienced staff
- Planning complex discharge experience
- Knowledge of related legal frameworks for discharge, social and health care
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Understands the scope of the role of the Nursing Associate
- Knowledge of complex discharge planning
- Knowledge of when to seek advice and escalate appropriately
Desirable criteria
- Understand the scope of the Nursing associate role in context of the team and the organisation
- Understand how the nursing associate role may contributes to service development
Other requirements specific to the role
Essential criteria
- Able to interact with people at all levels
- Excellent interpersonal skill
- Capable of workload prioritisation
Technical skills
Essential criteria
- Intermediate IT skills
- Effective communication skills (verbal and written) and good interpersonal skills
- Understands and practices the principles of confidentiality
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the Dorset Healthcare system
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Val Horn
- Job title
- Directorate Manager Discharge Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 019 3173
- Additional information
Katie Reed - snr clinical lead 0300-019-5931
Chris Bowden Snr Clinical lead 0300-019-8398
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