Nursing
Nursing Introduction - Careers
At North Bristol NHS Trust, we will support you to be the best nurse that you can be. From day one, you will benefit from strong nursing leadership, experienced role models and a structured support network to maximise your wellbeing and professional development.
Roles include:
- Registered Nurse.
- Healthcare Support Worker.
- Nursing Associates.
- Return to Practice Nurse.
Our clinical teams provide patient centered care over a wide range of specialties in our five clinical divisions:
- Medicine Division – specialties include Cardiology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Complex Care, Elgar Enablement Unit, Complex Assessment Unit.
- Anaesthesia, Surgery, Critical Care and Renal Division – specialties include Intensive Care, Renal and Haemodialysis, Surgical Admission – Surgical Assessment Unit, Vascular, Burns and Plastics, General Surgery, Theatres and Medirooms.
- Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Division – Stroke, Neurosurgery, Spines, Pain, Elective Orthopaedics, Trauma, Neurology, Rheumatology, Neuropsychiatry, Neurophysiology, Bristol Centre for Enablement, Neuropathology, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy.
- Women and Children’s Health Division – Neonatal Intensive Care and Gynaecology.
- Core Clinical Services Division – Outpatients and Interventional Radiology.
We support our nurses to gain experience in all areas and can build a bespoke rotation to support the career pathway of your choice.
What specialties could I work in as a Nurse?
Our clinical teams provided exceptional healthcare over a wide range of specialties in our five clinical divisions:
- Medicine Division – specialties include Cardiology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Complex Care, Elgar Enablement Unit, Complex Assessment Unit.
- Anaesthesia, Surgery, Critical Care and Renal Division – specialties include Intensive Care, Renal and Haemodialysis, Surgical Admission – Surgical Assessment Unit, Vascular, Burns and Plastics, General Surgery, Theatres and Medirooms.
- Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Division – Stroke, Neurosurgery, Spines, Pain, Elective Orthopaedics, Trauma, Neurology, Rheumatology, Neuropsychiatry, Neurophysiology, Bristol Centre for Enablement, Neuropathology, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy.
- Women and Children’s Health Division – Neonatal Intensive Care and Gynaecology.
- Core Clinical Services Division – Outpatients and Interventional Radiology.
We support our nurses to gain experience in all areas and can build a bespoke rotation to support the career pathway of your choice.
Nursing opportunities
Registered Nurse
Registered Nurse
×At North Bristol NHS Trust, we are proud to support our nurses in their careers with us, with opportunities available across the four pillars of nursing practice (Clinical Practice, Leadership, Education and Research).
We are a centre of excellence in acute and trauma services and host a wide range of specialist services including:
- Major trauma
- Burns
- Vascular
- Neuromuscular
- Stroke
- Neonatal Care
- Renal
For newly registered nurses, we have comprehensive support available through our newly revised Preceptorship programme.
Want to find out more? Book a place at an upcoming event to meet our teams or explore current roles available below.
Healthcare Support Worker
Healthcare Support Worker
×Healthcare Support Workers are a core member of the team delivering direct care to patients and supporting registered practitioners to deliver high quality, compassionate health care to people in accordance with assessed needs and a care plan. The HCSW role revolves around patient contact so you will need to have a caring approach, be a team player and have great communication skills to be able to provide the high level of patient care we strive to provide.
Here at North Bristol Trust, we offer 3 Healthcare Support Worker roles:
Healthcare Support Worker (Band 2)
This role is ideal for candidates who are new to care or have little experience. You will carry out a range of non-clinical healthcare tasks, under the direct supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. A Healthcare Support Worker will be expected to undertake a range of daily living tasks including;
- helping patients feel comfortable and move around
- monitoring patients and performing basic health checks
- washing, dressing patients and helping them go to the toilet
- serving meals and helping to feed patients
Trainee Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Band 2-3)
This role is for candidates who have a Level 3 Qualification in any subject, Level 2 Functional Skills, and are keen to progress their nursing career. You will initially be paid at Band 2 until you have completed the essential training and ready to be progressed to Band 3.
If you have no care experience, you will complete the Trust induction programme, which includes the Care Certificate. You will then commence the Senior HCSW development programme once you have sufficient experience and ready to learn the clinical skills required, this will be a minimum of 5 months into the role.
If you have at least 6 months care experience, as well as holding the educational requirements, on starting with us, you will go through a Senior Healthcare Support development programme. The length of this training will be determined by your experience, qualifications and readiness to perform clinical duties, but could be in little as 8 weeks.
You will need full support from our Learning and Development Team and your line manager to be progressed into the Band 3 role.
Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Band 3)
This role is for candidates who have a Level 3 Qualification in Healthcare, Level 2 Functional Skills and have some care experience. You will carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare, or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. As well as the tasks of a Band 2 HCSW, upon successful completion of your clinical skills training, you will also be expected to carry out a range of clinical duties with minimal/ no supervision, including:
- blood pressure monitoring
- oxygen saturation levels
- body temperature
- pulse rate and respiration rate
- glucose monitoring
- wound swabs
- collection and testing of urine, faecal and sputum samples
Whilst the Healthcare Support Worker roles may differ slightly, the shared aim between them, is to deliver high-quality patient care at all times.
Nursing Associate
Nursing Associate
×Our Nursing Associates work alongside our Healthcare Support Workers and Registered Nurses to deliver exceptional hands on care for our patients. To work as a Registered Nursing Associate, you must have completed the relevant qualification and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
For those working in the Trust who would like to complete their training, we can offer a Trainee Nursing Associate Apprenticeship. This training programme is a higher-level Apprenticeship that is two years in length,
The apprenticeship will lead to the attainment of a level 5 Foundation Degree on successful completion of the End Point Assessment. On successful completion, the individual would register on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Register.
Return to Practice Nurse
Return to Practice Nurse
×Working closely with the University of the West of England, we can provide a supported and structured route to return to practice for nurses with lapsed NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) registration.
All return to practice nurses at North Bristol NHS Trust are paid at Band 3 level whilst undertaking 450 hours of supernumerary clinical placement and a number of study days. We have a variety of placements available and strive to support our return to practice nurses to find a role with the working environment and contract that meets their needs. During placement, our return to practice nurses are assigned a practice supervisor and assessor to provide additional support, alongside the rest of the team.
After achieving the practice hours and academic requirements, we will offer a band 5 role in the same area so your transition is smooth with no need to re-interview.
University course fees are paid for by Health Education South West and return to practice students will also receive a bursary to support with childcare, travel and book costs.
To find out more, email our Return to Practice team: ReturntoPractice@nbt.nhs.uk
Your Nursing Career at North Bristol NHS Trust
Gemma Quijote - Ward Sister
×My journey in Team NBT
“I am incredibly proud of all the progress I have made in my career since joining NBT as an international nurse from the Philippines 21 years ago.
“NBT has given me the opportunity to progress professionally and provides support for all staff from diverse backgrounds to develop physically and socially. We have various means of support available for our wellbeing
“Not only does NBT continuously acknowledge hardworking staff, I have been awarded two PIMS, which are made in recognition of people who go above and beyond their job role; plus, an NBT hero award, but it also provides support and numerous ways to look after our wellbeing - I can’t thank NBT enough for all the benefits.
“During my time here, I have found friends who have become my work family. Working here was truly one of the best decisions I ever made!
“I ❣️ NBT and mabuhay (long live).”
Gemma Quijote - Ward Sister (Pictured)
Ling Luan - Registered Nurse
×"In my role as an Outpatient Nurse I assist doctors with minor surgery and other medical procedures. Working in outpatients gives me the opportunity to work in a range of specialities in different clinics. I make sure that the clinics are running smoothly and that patients are kept informed.
I joined NBT as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) 10 years ago! Whilst working as an HCA I saw how the nurses were making a difference to the patients' experience, so while I was working I completed my assistant practitioner training. It wasn't easy as English is not my first language. As an HCA I had plenty of experience in working in a lot of different clinics within outpatients.
I then decided to make the move and become a trained nurse, so five years ago I went to university and completed my nurse training. NBT has given me excellent learning opportunities and I am grateful for the support throughout my nursing career.
Being a nurse is part of who I am, I always wanted to be a nurse and take care of people. I am proud to work as part of a team and play my part in the safe running of this hospital.
I like relaxing with my family who are very supportive of my work. My hobbies include travelling, walking our dog, cooking and watch films."
Ling Luan, Outpatient Staff Nurse (Pictured)
Sandro Mangino – Healthcare Support Worker
×My journey in Team NBT – Healthcare Support Worker
“I have been a Healthcare Support Worker since 2016, so about six years.
“I first started in the NHS as a Housekeeper in 2014, watching the nurses and healthcare workers do their job, I found out that it was a job that I would be suited for and in September 2016 I made the move to HCA role.
“To me being a Healthcare Support Worker means that I am making a difference during a difficult time in people’s lives. Helping them get through a tough surgery, a chronic illness that requires hospital time or a life changing diagnosis. I am proud to be a Healthcare Support Worker because I know that my job (just like everyone else’s in the hospital) is vital and I am depended on during my shifts to help out the nurses do their job the way it is meant to be done. I feel proud that my job is helping those in need and it makes a huge positive difference in people’s lives.
“After my shifts I relax by going home and spending time with my partner and my little daughter. My hobbies are DIY and Archery.”
Sandro Mangino, Healthcare Support Worker (Pictured)
Priyanka Jamdade – International Nurse
×My journey in Team NBT – International Nurse
"I am a band 6 Nurse in Charge. I am a coordinator in the department along with my manager and we work together well as a team.
My role involves caring for patients to a high nursing standard and taking initiative to strive towards excellence. My role also consists of empowering and equipping those in the process of building their careers in nursing, such as students and newly qualified nurses.
"I’ve been in this profession for more than 15 years now and have enjoyed every moment. I completed my nursing in 2006 and that’s when my journey began. I worked in different parts of India and even had the opportunity to work at multi-speciality hospital in Dubai for more than seven years.
"I joined NBT in August 2020 as a band 5 nurse and within two years I was encouraged by my manager to progress to band 6.
"My main source of inspiration to become a nurse comes from an innate desire to help people and care for them in times of need. I am also a person who thrives on being challenged. I always have new goals to achieve, so nursing suits me as few other careers offer as much diversity and learning opportunities as nursing. Dealing with patients and their families and helping them through what is often a difficult time for them is satisfying and rewarding for me."
Priyanka Jamdade, International Nurse (Pictured)
Miranda Cushley – Maternity Support Worker (MSW)
×My journey in Team NBT
"My role involves supporting new mums and families on the postnatal ward.
"I have been a Maternity Support Worker for eight years. After starting as a housekeeper on the ward I could see the MSW job in action. The role really appealed to me, and I could see the positive impact it had on the new mums.
"I love supporting the new mums at the start of their parenting journey and enjoy providing reassurance and building their confidence. I support the midwives with various tasks to ensure the smooth running of the ward."
Miranda Cushley - Maternity Support Worker (Pictured)