About the Organisation:
NHS Orkney is committed to delivering excellent care to our 22,000 residents. Whether you’re new to the NHS or bringing experience from elsewhere, your skills will make a real difference.
Our modern healthcare facility, The Balfour, brings together inpatient care, emergency services, outpatient clinics, diagnostics, GP practices and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We’re also investing in services across our outer isles, ensuring high-quality care reaches every corner of Orkney.
We are guided by our core values that shape everything we do Open and honest, Respect and Kindness from how we care for our patients to how we support each other as colleagues.
About Orkney:
With over 70 islands 20 of them inhabited Orkney offers a unique blend of natural beauty, close-knit community and an opportunity for adventure. From dramatic coastlines and rare wildlife to rich cultural traditions and active lifestyles, it’s a place where compassion thrives and every day brings something new. Regularly named one of the UK’s best places to live, Orkney offers a lifestyle that’s both fulfilling and inspiring.
The Position:
As Senior Charge Nurse for Outpatients and Pre-Assessment, you will provide visible, professional and clinical leadership across both services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective patient care. You will hold continuing responsibility for the management and development of the Outpatients Department and Pre-Assessment Service, leading a skilled multidisciplinary team to deliver excellent clinical outcomes and an outstanding patient experience.
Working closely with medical, nursing and allied health professional colleagues, you will coordinate patient care pathways and ensure services are responsive, efficient and centred on the needs of patients and their families. You will lead a team of registered nurses, associate practitioners, senior healthcare support workers and student nurses, creating a positive and supportive environment that promotes professional development, accountability and continuous improvement.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the operational management of the department, including workforce planning, performance management and budget oversight. Through strong leadership and effective resource management, you will ensure services are delivered in line with local and national standards, organisational objectives and best practice.
You will play a key role in driving service development and quality improvement, leading the implementation of evidence-based practice, developing clinical protocols and guidelines, and ensuring patients have access to high-quality information that supports their care journey. In addition, you will provide leadership for the Pre-Assessment Service, ensuring patients are appropriately assessed, prepared and supported ahead of treatment or procedures.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated nurse leader to influence service delivery, champion excellence in patient care and contribute to the ongoing development of outpatient and pre-assessment services within NHS Orkney.
The Candidate:
You will be a first-level registered nurse with substantial post-registration experience, including previous experience at Band 6 level. Educated to degree level, or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience, you will have a strong commitment to continuous professional development and delivering high-quality patient care.
The successful candidate will bring proven clinical expertise within a relevant specialty, alongside experience of service improvement, change management and supporting the development of others through mentorship and preceptorship. You will be a credible and approachable leader, able to motivate and influence multidisciplinary teams while maintaining positive working relationships across staff groups.
You will possess excellent communication, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and contribute to service development. Strong digital literacy is essential, including experience using Microsoft Office applications and clinical information systems. A Non-Medical Prescribing qualification is desirable, although candidates willing to undertake the qualification are encouraged to apply.
Location, Working Pattern and Contract Duration:
This post will be based at The Balfour
The successful candidate will work Full Time 36 hours per week
This post is Permanent
It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NHS Orkney.
Benefits and Salary:
Did you know NHS Scotland salaries are higher than those in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
The salary for this post is Band 7 and if residing on Orkney, you’ll also receive a Distant Islands Allowance of £1,719 pro rata per annum, adding extra value to your rewarding career with us.
NHS Orkney also offers an attractive pension scheme, wide range of work life balance policies, employee assistance programme and various discounts to both local and national retailers.
Further Information:
If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Your rewarding career starts here!
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional requirements you would like to request, please contact [email protected]
For further guidance on the recruitment process and tips for creating a strong application, please refer to our Candidate Application Pack.
To find out more about this opportunity please contact Sara Murray by email [email protected]
This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.
NHS Orkney is an equal opportunities employer committed to advancing equality and particularly welcomes applications from groups of people currently underrepresented within the workforce. We are a committed participant in the Disability Confident Leader Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for our vacancies.
