Choosing your preferred area of interest may be your biggest decision – So below is information on working for the Southern Trust and the nursing services we provide to support you as you make this important choice.
Acute Service Directorate
The Acute Services Directorate provides services across two main hospital sites: Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital.
Craigavon Area Hospital is situated minutes from Junction 11 of the M1 motorway and offers the full range of acute services including a 24-hour Emergency Department and inpatient beds in a wide range of areas as well as outpatient services. The hospital also offers a wide range of diagnostic and therapy services.
Daisy Hill Hospital is situated in Newry and just a short distance off the A1 and again offers a wide range of services similar to the Craigavon site.
The Acute Services Directorate is split into three Divisions as detailed below:
Acute Medicine
Nurses working within MUSC (Medicine and Unscheduled Care) will have the opportunity to nurse and treat patients across the entire medical specialty spectrum e.g Cardiology, Neurology, Respiratory, Stroke Services etc. Within MUSC there are increasing opportunities for nurses to undertake the role of Clinical Nurse Specialists or Advanced Practitioners in specialty settings. Through evidence based, nurse led decision making and individualized pathways, patients can be kept at their optimum. Experience gained by nurses working within Medicine will be a solid foundation on which to progress and develop their future career pathway.
Unscheduled Care
Nurses working within unscheduled division are facilitated with access excellent induction and training programmes with Clinical Educator’s in both ED’s to provide support, guidance and ensure new registrants are equipped with appropriate skills and knowledge to help them to achieve their full potential and progress within the departments. The Unscheduled Care team also offer a rotational programme between ED, AMU and Ambulatory where staff can experience all of these elements of unscheduled care and then choose at the end of 12 months which area to continue working in. There are also opportunities to undertake post graduate courses in Specialist Practice and Non-Medical Prescribing which can lead to specialist posts such as Emergency Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Clinical Practitioners.
Integrated Maternity and Womens Health (IMWH)
IMWH comprises of two Maternity /Gynaecology units, CAH and DHH with approximately 6000 births per annum. This covers the full range of Antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal Care and Outpatient, Inpatient and Day Case Gynaecology/Genito Urinary Medicine. We are keen to recruit, develop and retain Nursing and Midwifery staff. There are opportunities for staff development and career pathways in line with changes in service development, Royal College Guidelines and the Regional Strategy for Maternity Services.
Cancer and Clinical Services (CCS)
CCS includes a full range of cancer services from Outpatient clinics (Oncology/Haematology), screening, cancer treatments to include Chemotherapy, and supportive treatments such as blood transfusions, biologic therapies (radiotherapy not provided in SHSCT), acute oncology and palliative care/end of life care. Patients either having been diagnosed or receiving treatment for their cancer require skilled competent nurses who are able to communicate with patients and their families in a caring and empathetic manner providing them with safe, controlled and caring environments. Nurses working in this specialist area will find the work challenging, rewarding and emotionally demanding.
ATICS, Surgery and Elective Care (Perioperative) For more information on perioperative nursing, click HERE
ATICS consists of Pre-operative assessment, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Recovery, and ICU: Nurses working within ATICS are part of a highly trained and skilled workforce, allowing them to work alongside anaesthetists and surgeons maintaining a controlled safe environment for patients undergoing elective or emergency operations. Nurses are given the opportunity to work in a Pre-operative Assessment, Day Case theatres and In-patient Theatres and recovery areas over three sites trust wide (Craigavon, Newry and Dungannon). ICU nursing staff are able to provide technically complex care and treatments alongside fundamental nursing care including good communication and providing comfort to patients and relatives in very stressful times.
The Surgery and Elective Care component is an innovative and high performing elective and emergency surgery service across two acute hospitals. The current surgical specialties include; General, Colorectal, Breast, Urology, ENT Trauma and Orthopaedics. We have a number of day units including a range of outpatient services, a fracture and orthopaedic outpatient unit, a urology outpatient unit and elective admission wards. The highest standard of nursing and surgical care is provided for our patient population. There is a commitment to support staff with a wide variety of training with a focus on holistic patient care and excellent experience.
Older People and Primary Care Directorate
The Older People & Primary Care Directorate has posts based in hospital and community settings as follows:
Lurgan Hospital provides Consultant led multi-disciplinary services for frail, older people with complex care needs both in an in-patient and outpatient setting. There are currently 51 assessment and rehabilitation beds inclusive of a Stroke Unit. Services are continuing to develop and expand in order to meet the complex needs of older people.
South Tyrone Hospital provides Consultant led in-patient services consisting of 45 beds, and outpatient rehabilitation services for frail older people as outlined in Lurgan Hospital, as well as a comprehensive range of day surgery, outpatient day procedures, diagnostic and treatment support services for a range of specialties.
Community Nursing in line with the ethos of ‘Care in the Community’ aspired to in Transforming Your Care (2012) the Southern Health and Social Care Trust offer a wide range of services provided in or close to the homes of our local population. These services attract career development opportunities, as well as support for nurses who wish to specialise in care of the older people with complex comorbidities or long term conditions. These services include; District Nursing, Acute Care at Home Service, (a consultant led service) delivered in the home to older people who are acutely unwell, as well as Specialist Primary Care Services including Palliative Care, Diabetes, Respiratory, Stroke, Parkinson’s, Heart Failure and a range of other teams.
Children and Young Peoples Directorate
As part of a £14.5 million plan to modernize hospital services for children and young people across the Trust a new Craigavon Paediatric Outpatient Centre opened in October 2017. The Elective Paediatric Surgery Unit in Daisy Hill Hospital was officially completed in 2018 and the service is currently under review to become operational in the near future.
Craigavon Area Hospital facilities include:
- Paediatric Blossom Centre
- Paediatric Ward – admits general medical and emergency surgical patients
- Paediatric Out-patients
- Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit (SSPAU)
- 16 bedded neonatal unit
- Rainbow baby clinic
Daisy Hill Hospital facilities include:
- Paediatric Ward – admits general medical, ENT and surgical patients
- Special Care Baby Unit
- Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit
- Paediatric Out-patients
South Tyrone Hospital facilities include:
- Paediatric Ward – caters for Ambulatory Paediatric patients
- Paediatric Out-patients.
Paediatric out-patient clinics
- Banbridge Health Centre
Community Children’s Nursing Teams (CCN)
- Craigavon, Armagh & Dungannon,
- Newry, Mourne & Banbridge
These teams have a close relationship between staff at Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals. This allows for continuity of care between acute and community services for children and their families, especially those with complex health care needs. There is good interface between the CCN teams and Acute Services (Craigavon, Daisy Hill and South Tyrone) for discussing and referring children with co-morbidities for assessment and review to prevent hospitalisation.
On a daily basis the CCN Service seeks to:
- Support children and families with a nursing need,
- Reduce and prevent hospital admission/ attendance,
- Facilitate earlier discharge from hospital,
- Provide palliative and end of life care,
- Provide training and supervision of health care workers, classroom assistants and parents.
Health Visiting and School Nursing Service
The Health Visiting and School nursing service comprises of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who are health visitors or school nurses. These nurses are on Part 3 of the NMC register and have completed a further year of a specialist degree. There are also public health staff nurses and health visiting and school nursing assistants working within the service. The teams deliver the regional child health promotion programme – Healthy Child Healthy Future (HCHF), to all children 0 to 18 years and their families. This includes core health reviews at home and school, at certain stages in a child’s development, promoting and delivering immunization programmes and providing targeted interventions for children and families who require additional support. The service has a significant role in working collaboratively with other statutory and voluntary agencies in addressing key public health priorities. There are seven health visiting teams in the Trust. In school nursing the teams are based in six sites across the Trust and there is also a Trust wide school immunization team.
Mental Health and Learning Disability Directorate
Delivery of Mental Health Care has changed dramatically over the past number of years. Following the Bamford Review of Adult Mental Health services and Transforming Your Care, there is a greater emphasis on providing care as close to the persons own home. There has been significant progress in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust in providing community based mental health services that offer an alternative to In-patient care. These include:
- Home Treatment Crisis Response Services.
- Primary Mental Health Care Teams and Resource Centres with an increased focus on providing psychological therapies.
- Support & Recovery Teams providing recovery focused support and treatment to Dungannon areas.
Each of these service areas offers exciting career opportunities for mental health nurses. For those individuals who require in patient care this is delivered in the modern purpose built Bluestone Mental Health Unit.
Bluestone Mental Health Unit provides 74 en-suite bedrooms for the Trust’s population in the Craigavon, Banbridge and Newry and Mourne areas, services for adolescents and the over 65 functionally mentally ill. A Resource Centre, Outpatients Department, ECT Department and Shared Therapy Suite enhance the award winning state of the art purpose-built facility. Some in-patient beds are currently provided on the St Luke’s Hospital site, Armagh.
Within the Bluestone site at Craigavon there was the addition of two units in 2014. Dorsy a 10 bedded Learning Disability Treatment and Assessment Unit and Rosebrook a 10 bedded psychiatric intensive.
The Bluestone Unit provides a therapeutic patient centered recovery model for those clients most in need of service. The Unit is enhanced by a community service infrastructure to support those requiring support and treatment. The Trust has also recently developed an Eating Disorder Service, and a Crisis Response and Home Treatment Service.
Memory Services
Within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, there are Mental Health Nursing Opportunities to work within a multi-disciplinary team providing a specialist, holistic, multidisciplinary response for those people with Dementia and their carers. The Service is comprised of three teams (Armagh and Dungannon, Craigavon and Banbridge, Newry and Mourne), and undertakes assessment in clinics, hospital and in people’s own homes. See below comments from nurses working in our Service:
“As a nurse with the memory team my nursing moments involve supporting patients and their families from the diagnosis, helping them to come to terms with their condition and helping them to live well with dementia.”
“In the Memory Service, we have some exciting nursing moments ahead as we help to improve our service for people with dementia and their carers. It is a really dynamic and evolving discipline with lots of diversity and opportunities for promotion.”
The Service’s aspiration is to become a centre of excellence in the field of dementia assessment and care in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
Learning Disability Nursing
Within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, people with Learning Disability are cared for in the following areas:
- Dorsy Unit Bluestone ( Assessment Treatment Unit)
- Oaklands, Armagh and Carrickore, Newry (Respite Unit for children)
- Supported Living schemes in various locations across the Trust (Adults)
- Respite Units (Adults)
- Community Nursing Services (Adults/Children)
- Behaviour Support Team (Adults)
- Specialist Services, including Forensics, Epilepsy, Community Access and Health Facilitation Crises Team/Home Treatment
- Day Centre’s and Social Education Centre’s.
For current job vacancies please visit https://jobs.hscni.net/
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Our Values
We will;
• Treat people fairly and with respect
• Be open and honest and act with integrity
• Put patients, clients, carers and community at the heart of all we do
• Value staff and support their development to improve our care
• Embrace change for the better
• Listen and learnOur Priorities
• Providing safe high quality care
• Maximizing independence and choice for our patients and clients
• Supporting people and communities to live healthy lives and to improve their health and wellbeing
• Being a great place to work, valuing our people
• Making best use of resources
• Being a good social partner within our communities -
Benefits of Working for the Southern HSC Trust
There are many benefits of working for the Southern Trust. The Trust offers competitive remuneration packages with excellent Terms & Conditions of Service. Below are some points to highlight;
ANNUAL LEAVE AND STATUTORY / PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
27 – 33 days annual leave depending on service plus 10 statutory / public holidays.HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES
The Trust offers a wide range of Human Resource Policies to underpin the value that is placed on its staff such as:
• A range of Work Life Balance/Flexible Working Policies;
• Child Care Voucher Scheme;
• Cycle to Work Scheme;
• Savings on Social and Leisure Facilities;
• Excellent Employee Health & Well-being Support;
• Free Parking across the Trust sites;
• A strong commitment to Equality of Opportunity.CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Trust offers a strong preceptorship programme, rotational opportunities and ongoing continuous professional development through Annual Personal Development Reviews.MODERN FACILITIES
The Trust is continually updating its facilities to ensure modern ‘State of the Art’ care environments for all its service users and staff.HSC PENSION SCHEME / HPSS SUPERANNUATION SCHEME
One of the leading pension schemes available, Trust staff may choose to join the Health & Social Care Pension Scheme. Further information may be obtained from the HSC Pension Service Website at www.hscpensions.hscni.net . Applicants who are already members of the HPSS Superannuation Scheme may continue with their current arrangements.FURTHER INFORMATION ON THESE AND OTHER POLICIES ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
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Induction
All newly registered nurses & midwives will receive corporate and professional induction, and also a local induction within their area of work, which shall provide essential information in relation to their professional and clinical responsibilities and will also incorporate mandatory training.
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Preceptorship
A robust Preceptorship programme will be undertaken by all newly qualified nurses and midwives. This programme has been designed to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence of new registrants and support them to meet the probationary requirements of the Trust and is based on the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).
All new registrants will be allocated a preceptor who will provide supervision and support for the duration of the programme.
If you join the Nurse Bank only as a New Registrant you will be facilitated to complete the Preceptorship programme. -
Education and development
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is committed to helping you develop in your current job and to equip you in fulfilling your career ambitions. We provide an excellent range of development activities, each carefully selected to help staff at all levels achieve successful and rewarding nursing and midwifery careers.
There are a wide range of education and development opportunities available – these will be discussed with you when you start your job and during your development review.
The Trust will provide:
• Mandatory training necessary for the safe provision of services
• Education and training necessary for service developments within your clinical area
• Professional development opportunities.The Trust works in partnership with the Clinical Education Centre, the Leadership Centre, Queens’s University Belfast, Ulster University and the Open University. Nursing and midwifery staff who undertake courses which have been commissioned through the DHSSPS Commissioning Plan receive time for the course and travelling expenses to attend lectures.
There is easy access to the QUB library on the Craigavon Area Hospital site and a library on the St. Luke’s Hospital site which have a wide collection of books, journals and computing facilities.
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Revalidation
Professional revalidation helps nurses and midwives demonstrate that they practise safely and effectively. Revalidation builds on existing renewal requirements by introducing new elements which encourage nurses and midwives to reflect on the role of the Code in their practice and demonstrate that they are ‘living’ the standards set out within it. Southern Health and Social Care Trust actively work with each registrant to ensure they meet the revalidation requirements as set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
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Development of practice
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is committed to the development of practice and it aims to identify, develop and promote best practice through clinical supervision, work-based learning and reflective practice to realize the full potential of individual registrants and clinical teams.
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Personal development plan (PDP)
All nurses and midwives will have a development review annually. This is a process of reviewing individual progress, setting objectives and identifying development opportunities. The review is an opportunity to look at achievements and to set new objectives for the forthcoming year.
Any learning and development needs arising from the objectives can be discussed and planned with your line manager.
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Rotational programmes
The Trust can offer Rotational Programmes across different programmes of care. This is dependent on the expressed interest from a sufficient number of applicants. Places available on Rotational Programmes are aligned with current and imminent vacancies, either within or across Directorates.
The Rotational Programme aims to provide new Registrants with the opportunity to gain experience, develop skills and enhance knowledge across a variety of clinical settings. It also incorporates preceptorship, induction and offers access to group clinical supervision and can contribute towards revalidation.
Examples of pathways available on Rotation Programmes may include:
12 Month / x3 four month placement pathway Acute Directorate
12 Month / x3 four month placement Pathway OPPC Directorate
12 Month / x4 three month placement pathway across Acute and OPPC Directorates
NB: If you are interested in accessing a Rotational Programme please make this known to the person on the Recruitment Team who is liaising with you.
- SHSCT Benefits
