Research Sister/Charge Nurse/AHP/Midwife

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for a detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Do you want to make a difference? Are you looking for a new challenge to develop your clinical and research delivery skills? We have a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic Nurse, Allied Health Professional or Midwife with the appropriate skills and registration to join our research team to further a career in clinical research delivery.

At UHS we have a team of around 300 Research Nurses, AHPs, Midwives and Clinical Trials Assistants, working together across the Trust, within our award-winning teams to bring exciting research opportunities to UHS for the benefit of our patients and for the future of healthcare. The Research team is composed of multidisciplinary researchers from hospital and university backgrounds, embedded and working in collaboration with clinical services and teams, aiming to deliver a variety of studies to improve patient care and outcomes.

Our portfolio of speciality research at Southampton is one of the largest in the country and as a major acute teaching trust we run a wide range of complex interventional studies investigating new treatments, devices, and interventions. We also deliver observational studies gathering samples and information on disease aetiology progression and long-term follow-up. Research has never been more prominent and as a team at UHS we contribute to a wide range of studies both nationally and around the world.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to.

Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what’s possible for the role and service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

With appropriate support you will manage, co-ordinate and implement the PICNIC study across 3 UK sites, liaising with the study sponsor, local R&D colleagues and project management teams to conduct and deliver a safe, high-quality study. You will provide support to more junior team members within and external to UHS. You will utilise your clinical skills and research expertise through set-up and delivery and help to inform and support management of the team.

The role will involve screening, recruiting and follow-up of potential and enrolled participants at Southampton. You will work alongside our current team of Research Sisters/AHPs/Midwives who are committed to driving forward the research strategy here at UHS.

Enthusiasm, self-motivation, flexibility and drive will be required to ensure the success of this post and the PICNIC study. You will need excellent time management skills and must be able to troubleshoot and problem solve to ensure the smooth set-up and running of PICNIC supporting the Project Manager. Excellent communication skills are required to provide guidance and support to the 3 UK R&D departments, clinicians and the research delivery teams, liaising with research and clinical colleagues across departments. The ability to communicate with staff and colleagues at all levels and disciplines in an engaging manner is essential. Good IT skills will be required.

We currently have a vacancy for a 0.5WTE (18.75hrs/week) Band 6 research role, to be worked over a minimum of 3 days. This is an exciting opportunity to take up a new position supporting the set-up and management of a locally designed, multicentre study for heart attack patients. The PICNIC Study was designed and is led by Chief Investigator Professor Nick Curzen, Professor of Interventional Cardiology. PICNIC will recruit patients presenting with a heart attack – ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Through the development of an artificial intelligence program, PICNIC aims to risk stratify future patients presenting with STEMI and offer a tailored, more personalised treatment plan to reduce the risk of potential future clinical events such as further heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

Role

The role will initially focus on supporting trial set-up in collaboration with the Chief Investigator and Project Manager and will include:

• Support trial set-up in collaboration with the Chief Investigator, Project Manager and other relevant personnel. This will include contributing to patient-facing and study documents.
• Working with the Project Manager and Sponsor to ensure regulatory requirements are fulfilled and that all approvals and authorisations are in place for UK sites.
• Taking responsibility for applications as appropriate and assisting/advising participating investigators with local study requirements.
• Establishing links with key members of staff at the UK centres and ensuring essential documentation is in place.
• Monitoring trial conduct as appropriate to ensure protocol compliance, good patient management and ensuring Good Clinical Practice guidelines are adhered to.
• Acting as the main point of contact for PICNIC.
• Explaining promoting the trial (including newsletter production, website updates) to ensure wide participation and good accrual of and participants.
• Writing and submitting trial progress reports as and when required, including reports for trial funders and the Research Ethics Committee
• Screening, recruiting and follow-up of PICNIC participants at UHS
  
  

It is expected that the successful candidate will have met with the Chief Investigator Prof Nick Curzen and Project Manager Zoe Nicholas (F2F or via Teams) and is familiar with the details of the PICNIC study

Person specification

Qualifications / Training Required

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse/ Statutory Registered Allied Health Professional on relevant part of the NMC/HCPC register
• Educated to or working towards Degree level.
• Evidence of on-going professional / academic development.
• Mentorship qualification (or evidence of meeting the outcomes of the NMC standards)
• Clinical Skills certification relevant to role and specialty
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Specialist qualification.
• Degree in healthcare or biomedical science subject
• Certification Leadership or management course
  
  

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Extensive post registration experience, including considerable senior band 5 experience in clinical research or a relevant clinical speciality
• Knowledge and experience within a relevant / acute healthcare / NHS setting
• Understanding of personal accountability
• Logical and consistent work and career pattern
• Recent management or leadership experience
• Interest in Clinical Research.
• Knowledge of the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Knowledge of International Conference on Harmonisation/Good Clinical Practice (ICH/GCP).
• Provide evidence of teaching and supporting learners in practice.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Clinical Research experience.
• Experience as an NMC / HCPC sign-off mentor or clinical practice assessor.
• Experience of leading the delivery of a clinical research project.
• Experience of being a link nurse (e.g. infection prevention, Manual handling, fire warden, etc)
• Demonstrate ability to liaise / collaborate with MD
  
  

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together