Go back Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Bladder & Bowel Specialist Nurse, Band 6
The closing date is 20 January 2026
Bladder & Bowel Specialist Nurse, Band 6 (15 hours a week)
Provide specialist knowledge, as an expert to healthcare professionals, service users and carers in regard to the identification, assessment, management and treatment of bladder and bowel dysfunction within the Secondary and Primary Care setting, including providing countywide outpatient clinics and Residential Homes assessments within Gloucestershire.
To plan and participate in the delivery of on going evidence based education programmes and information packages to both Primary and Secondary Healthcare professionals, promoting the specialty of bladder & bowel health, promotion, and prevention of incontinence. It will also include the management of intractable incontinence.
Working autonomously within the County of Gloucestershire to include the multidisciplinary team across Gloucestershire Care Services and all other local Community Trusts, voluntary agencies and across services i.e., social services, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc.
The proposed interview date is: 4th February
Main duties of the job
- Provide a specialist assessment making autonomous clinical decisions on care and treatment of bladder & bowel dysfunction and the management of incontinence, advising on a range of management options e.g. continence aids, devices and product supplies. This often means dealing with barriers of understanding and obtaining information from a third party.
- You will be an expert clinician, giving advice, and selecting supplies and administering medical devices (indwelling & intermittent catheters, penile sheaths etc).
About us
We are a small team of specialist nurses and administrative team providing a countywide service across Gloucestershire. We provide a specialist assessment service ,making autonomous clinical decisions on care and treatment of bladder & bowel dysfunction and the management of incontinence, advising on a range of management options e.g. continence aids, devices and product supplies.
Access available resources within the hospital and community, facilitating nursing practice are based on current evidence based advances in bladder & bowel care.
General Work
- Frequently required to change work pattern to respond to calls from service users/carers.
- The job frequently requires periods of concentration (4hrs) in out patient clinic/ Residential Homes.
- Dealing with frequent interruptions in the office situation, therefore work is unpredictable.
- The post does require the carrying of heavy equipment for clinics and teaching sessions - weight of 7-10 kg.
- The post does require regular periods of Lone Working - follow Trust Policy.
- An ability to travel between locations within the county of Gloucestershire on a daily basis. Therefore a full UK Driving License is required for Countywide Working.
Job responsibilities Clinical/Key Responsibilities
- Provide a specialist service underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience for adults with a bladder or bowel dysfunction.
- To manage a caseload of patients who require specialist bladder & bowel care. Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records on care delivery.
- Provide specialist advice and support to users and carers, Allied Healthcare Professionals, and home care workers who are involved in the care of adults with bladder and bowel dysfunction, frequently communicating sensitive information, requiring persuasive and reassurance skills.
- Monitor assessments and the provision of incontinence products for clients with intractable incontinence and ensure comply with the Trust Policy for the provision of products.
- Act as an expert clinician, advice, and select supplies and administer medical devices (indwelling & intermittent catheters, penile sheaths etc ) and pharmacology to manage bladder & bowel dysfunction care needs.
- Responsible for dealing with highly sensitive and confidential information that may be contentious and could lead to conflict.
Professional Development, Education and Training
- Have good knowledge of the principles of teaching and learning.
- Supporting others to develop knowledge and skills assist in the provision of countywide education and training for hospital staff, primary care staff, and wider communities including Residential and Nursing Home care staff, pre and post registration students and others involved with the delivery of health and social care.
- Service user/carer teaching and information giving - participate in the development of information sheets and patient leaflets for complex and sensitive bladder and bowel issues, i.e. Catheter Care, Intermittent catheterisation, bowel management etc.
- Developing service user/carer education materials.
- Teaching, mentorship and coaching. Including conference presentations.
Management and Leadership
- Developing higher levels of autonomy including assessing and managing risk.
- There will be frequent times of lone working.
- Identify need for change, lead innovation and manage change, including service development.
- Demonstrate negotiation and influencing skills.
- Networking.
Planning and Organisation
- Co operation with other healthcare professionals within the multi disciplinary teams and to gain an understanding of their professional role.
Research and Development
- Ability to access research/use information systems.
- Critically appraisal/evaluation skills.
- Involvement in research.
- Involvement in audit and service evaluation.
- Ability to implement research findings into practice including use of and development of policies/protocols and guidelines.
- Publications.
Communications and Working Relationships
- To co operate with other healthcare professionals within the multi disciplinary team and to gain an understanding of their professional role and responsibilities.
- To work alongside, and liaise with the:
- Lead Nurse for the Gloucestershire Continence Service
- Gloucestershire Continence Service Team
- Service users and carers/relatives
- Consultants and medical staff within the Trust
- Healthcare providers within Secondary and Primary care settings
- Voluntary and statutory organisations
- Company representatives NHS Supply Chain, Attends etc.
- Continence patients focus/support groups
Improving quality and developing practice
- Identify own personal development needs and maintain continuing professional development.
- Identify clinical audit opportunities and the clinical audit department to monitor the effectiveness and standard of clinical service interventions within the continence service.
- To actively participate in monitoring of standards and audit of clinical practice which is research based and supports National frameworks.
- To promote and use evidence based practice in the development of local policies and guidelines.
Mandy Butler (Lead Continence / Urodynamic Specialist Nurse)
Person Specification Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
- Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council) or Physiotherapist
- Experience of teaching , assessing, training large groups
- Good computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook/Diary management
- Proven organisational skills
- Ability to work autonomously (and frequently working alone)
- Full UK Driving Licence
- A recognised Continence qualification or experience in the promotion and management of incontinence, women's and men's
- Experience of urodynamic investigation will be advantageous not essential.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
£38,682 to £46,580 a year (pa pro rata if part time)