Clinical Nurse Specialist - Infection Prevention and Control
Job overview
Are you an experienced Infection Prevention and Control Nurse ready to take the next step in your career and join our team of finalists of the Nursing Times Awards? Whether you're already qualified or nearing completion of your IPC qualification, we have an exciting opportunity for you. DGT IPC won the 2025 IPS international award for nurturing IPC talent and you would be joining this small, friendly, and forward-thinking IPC team. We are paper light in our approach, and a digitally driven, data focused team that values and fosters innovation along with continuous improvement. Our work is in supporting the Trust across its acute hospital sites and community bases, making a real impact on patient safety and care quality. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in IPC, you’ll provide expert advice, lead on infection surveillance, prevention of outbreaks; when required - management, supporting proactive and reactive interventions at the patient bedside. You’ll also deliver training, conduct audits, and drive improvement initiatives that shape the future of infection prevention across our services. The role will entail being a clinically focused practitioner who works with operational staff at the point of care delivery, based on our sites and in the IPC offices.
This position will not be supported for visa sponsorship. All applicants are expected to have valid right to work document to work in the UK when applying for this position.
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What we’re looking for:
A dedicated and experienced IPC nurse with strong clinical insight and a passion for patient safety, ability to work with data and research based findings to shape and influence good infection prevention on the front line.
Someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and is confident working across multiple sites and community services with no two days the same, an ability to respond to arising issues and situations that require dynamic decision making.
A professional with the flexibility to travel and the drive to make a difference.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we’ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical responsibilities:
Produce and maintain surveillance information on new MRSA and Clostridium difficile isolates, GNBSI organisms, other mandatory surveillance system pathogens, notifiable infections, ensuring reporting is prompt and within agreed time deadlines i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly.
In line with national mandatory targets and reporting requirements, assist and work closely with IPCSC, Matron, in production of graphs and charts towards the preparation and provision of reporting of MRSA, Clostridium difficile, and GNBSI rates to UKHSA, and internal reports to Infection Prevention and Control Committee, Quality Committee, development of report writing skills, & cross cover with the Matron IPC to develop draft reports, contributing to the accurate data, and drawing on themes, trends around patient safety, clinical effectiveness and clinical quality.
Utilise the Trust software such as Datix to record, and pull out incident information, actions, bring these to closure.
Collate all the relevant information from a variety of sources to enable accurate and timely submissions of data in accordance with national mandatory targets.
Lead in delivering an annual schedule for the various audit programmes undertaken. This includes environmental/clinical practice audits. Undertake follow up actions as directed post audit/ site visits.
Input data from completed audits and prepare accurate draft reports. Distribute completed audits to the relevant Divisional Leads, and
Please see attached job description for further information.
Our staff are our most valuable asset. We are committed to making staff feel appreciated, supported and included in the Trust’s successes. Our mission is to be an outstanding place to work providing the very best care for our patients and excellent career opportunities for our staff. Everything we do is guided by our core values and behaviours, identified by our staff and embedded throughout the organisation.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement
We have the highest CQC rating of all Acute NHS Trusts in Kent and Medway (Good). The CQC highlighted that managers promoted a positive culture that supported, valued staff and created a sense of common purpose based upon shared values.
The Trust is a great place to work, stay, develop a career and enjoy a healthy work life balance. We have made and are delivering on a wide range of commitments to staff; health and wellbeing; equality; diversity and inclusion; access to education and career development. During 2020 we sett up quality councils, driven by our staff to create a culture of shared governance and quality improvement.
We have a strong focus on innovation and improvement. Part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ (GSTT) ‘Healthcare Alliance’ we are introducing new models of care to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Our association with GSTT also gives staff wishing to develop their skills excellent opportunities to work across numerous specialities.
As our local population increases, our services and skills are expanding and adapting to meet demand. We are continuously looking at best practice models to enhance and improve the services we offer.
The Trust provides services at Darent Valley Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital, for a local population of over 500,000 people.
If you would like to be part of our innovative and forward thinking team putting patients at the centre of all we do, we invite you to #joinourfamily.
The NHS are striving towards “we work flexibly” as a workforce, we want to ensure that you can work in a way that is best for us, our patients, and importantly for you. We offer many flexible working opportunities, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement for you and if it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note this vacancy may close earlier than stated to aid efficient processing of applications. To ensure your application will be considered please submit it at your earliest convenience. If you have not heard from us within 21 days of the closing date please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.
Please note, that due to the limited number of car parking spaces, car parking permits will be allocated subject to compliance with the Trusts eligibility criteria and availability of spaces. Permit holders are not guaranteed a car parking space.
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is a smoke free organisation. To improve public health smoking or vaping is not permitted anywhere on the hospital site.