Staff Nurse

Job overview
Are you a dedicated, compassionate RMN or RNLD committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?
We're creating Kent and Medway's first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking talented RMNs/RNLDs to help us deliver this vital service.
As a key member of the multidisciplinary care team, you will have continuing responsibility to assess, plan, deliver and evaluate care, communicate findings, influence change and promote health, best practice, patient safety and experience.
Please note that the start date for this post will be February 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.
We are unfortunately unable to accept applications from newly qualified nurses at this stage. Given the high acuity and complexity of the environment, our priority is to establish a core team of experienced nurses to support the safe opening of the new PICU.
If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.
All positions also benefit from a High Cost Area allowance.
Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

• Carry out comprehensive, systematic nursing assessments which take account of relevant mental, physical, social, cultural, psychological, spiritual, and environmental factors, in partnership with the patient and others through interaction, observation and measurement.
• Work collaboratively with other disciplines, patients and their carers to agree a holistic person-centred care plan that addresses the needs identified through assessment.
• To deliver and evaluate safe, competent patient centred-care in partnership with the service user and their carers to support recovery.

Working for our organisation
Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).
While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.
You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.
We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.
We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
What is High Cost Area Allowance?
The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.
As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.
5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly) (2025 figures).
Please refer to the attached job description for full details and main responsibilities of the role.

Person specification

Qualifications & Experience

Essential criteria

• BSc Nursing - RMN/RNLD
• Current NMC registration
• Experience of Mental Health/Learning Disabilities settings and or working with people with Mental Health/Learning Disabilities conditions.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a PICU/Inpatient/Female Ward
• Post registration mentorship qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience within Inpatient setting

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.