Divisional Deputy Head of Nursing | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

We are seeking an exceptional senior nursing leader to join our Medicine Division as Deputy Head of Nursing. This is an exciting and influential opportunity to play a key role in shaping high-quality, patient-centred care across a fast-paced and diverse division. As Deputy Head of Nursing, you will work closely with the Divisional Head of Nursing, senior clinicians, and operational leaders to ensure our medical services run safely, efficiently, and in line with best practice. You will provide visible and authoritative leadership across the division, supporting clinical teams, driving quality improvement, and championing an outstanding patient experience. This role combines strategic leadership with operational oversight. You will contribute to service development, lead on quality, safety and governance, and support inpatient flow across Medicine. At times, you will also undertake clinical shifts and coordinate care during periods of operational pressure, ensuring the highest standards of nursing professionalism are upheld. The successful candidate will be an experienced senior nurse with a proven record of leading teams, improving services, managing risk, and delivering high-quality care in an acute hospital environment. You will bring excellent communication, strong decision-making ability, and a collaborative approach to leadership. Most importantly, you will exemplify our Trust values-Respect, Compassion, Honesty and Teamwork-and inspire others to do the same. The post holder will anticipate and effectively respond to communication barriers, ensuring patients, families, and carers are fully informed and that consent for treatment and care plans is appropriately maintained. They will act as a key resource for staff, offering guidance on local, Trust, and national policies, procedures, and clinical guidelines to ensure patient safety and robust clinical governance are upheld at all times. The post holder will understand and apply the legal safeguarding frameworks that support the identification and protection of vulnerable adults. They must be familiar with statutory safeguarding procedures and Trust guidance and ensure that all appropriate referrals are completed promptly when required.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It serves a population of around 470,000 people, a figure that can increase significantly with visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £740 million. RCHT is responsible for the provision of services at three main sites with approximately 780 inpatient beds: Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro St Michael's Hospital in Hayle West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School. Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities, and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation. The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles. This plays a vital part in attracting and retaining highly skilled teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals who support the care of well over half a million people each year.

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
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