Mental Health Nurse - Older Persons Inpatient Unit

Job summary

If you are a compassionate Registered Mental Health Nurse who wants to make a genuine difference to the lives of older people, this is an opportunity to join a specialist inpatient service where your skills and clinical expertise will have a lasting impact every day.

Based within our specialist older persons' mental health inpatient unit in Taunton, you will support people experiencing acute mental health needs, including severe depression, psychosis, mood disorders and dementia. Working as part of a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, you will help deliver person-centred care that promotes recovery, independence and dignity for patients and their families.

Our service places great importance on building strong relationships with relatives and carers. We recognise the vital role they play in supporting loved ones and work closely with them throughout a patient's journey, providing ongoing support and involvement in care planning.

You'll join a welcoming and supportive team committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care while encouraging learning, development and continuous improvement.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

As a Staff Nurse within our specialist inpatient service, you will:

• Deliver compassionate, evidence-based nursing care tailored to each patient's individual needs.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care to support positive outcomes and recovery.
• Build therapeutic relationships with patients, families and carers, offering support, guidance and reassurance.
• Work closely with doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and community teams to provide coordinated care.
• Contribute to safe, effective discharge planning and smooth transitions back into the community.
• Administer medications safely and monitor patients' physical and mental health needs.
• Act as a patient advocate, ensuring dignity, choice and individual preferences remain at the centre of care.
• Support and mentor healthcare support workers, junior colleagues and students.
• Contribute to service improvement, quality initiatives and the ongoing development of best practice.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breath-taking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job description

As a Band 5 Mental Health Nurse within our specialist older persons' inpatient service, you'll play a key role in supporting patients through some of the most challenging periods of their lives.

Your day will involve building therapeutic relationships with patients, carrying out comprehensive mental and physical health assessments, developing personalised care plans, and delivering evidence-based interventions that promote recovery, wellbeing and independence. You'll use your clinical judgement to monitor progress, identify risks, and respond to changing needs, ensuring patients receive safe, compassionate and effective care throughout their admission.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you'll collaborate closely with doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and community colleagues to provide joined-up care and support successful discharge planning. You'll also work alongside relatives and carers, recognising the important role they play in a patient's recovery journey and ensuring they feel informed, supported and involved.

This is a varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same. You may be supporting a patient experiencing acute depression or psychosis on Pyrland Ward 1, or helping individuals living with dementia and complex behavioural needs on Pyrland Ward 2. In every situation, you'll be encouraged to deliver person-centred care that preserves dignity, promotes choice and achieves the best possible outcomes for patients and families.

We're looking for a registered Mental Health Nurse who is compassionate, resilient and committed to delivering outstanding care. You'll hold current NMC registration and have experience working in a relevant clinical environment. Strong communication skills, the ability to work effectively under pressure, and a genuine passion for older persons' mental health are essential.

In return, you'll join a supportive team that values learning and professional development. You'll have opportunities to develop specialist skills in older adult mental health, dementia care, physical healthcare and clinical leadership. You'll also be encouraged to contribute to service improvement projects, quality initiatives and the ongoing development of best practice across the service.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a meaningful difference every day while developing your career within a supportive and experienced team, we'd love to hear from you.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Mental Health Nursing.
• Registered Mental Health Nurse with active NMC registration.

Experience

Essential

• Have a commitment to continuous professional development.
• Have experience in a relevant clinical setting.

Desirable

• Experience of supervising junior staff

Additional Criteria

Essential

• PMVA level 4 or physically able to complete
• Have a good knowledge and understanding of current nursing practice and national guidelines.

Desirable

• Understanding of audit and quality improvement processes.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact:

Jo Harvey

jo.harvey@somersetft.nhs.uk

01823368225