Registered Nurse

Go back Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 18 January 2026

Now is the time to be part of a healthcare transformation. The new NHS 10-Year Plan puts community care at the centre of service delivery--shifting resources closer to where people live and promoting prevention over hospital admission.

As a member of a community-based NHS trust, you’ll be at the forefront of this change. Work in integrated neighbourhood teams, delivering joined‑up care alongside GPs, mental health professionals, social workers, and voluntary services. Benefit from new roles, clear career pathways, apprenticeships, and personalised development support.

The plan also brings new workforce standards: improved flexible working, mental health support, safe workplaces, and strong protections against discrimination. With greater investment in underserved areas and a focus on reducing health inequalities, your work will have local impact and national importance.

Community trusts are leading the way in digital innovation, using tools like virtual wards to reduce admin and improve patient care.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, this is your chance to help deliver a modern, inclusive, and community‑focused NHS.

Our community hospital nurses provide complex nursing care in an in‑patient setting.

As a community hospital nurse, you’ll:

• assess the healthcare needs of patients on admission
• monitor the quality of care they’re receiving with us
• be professionally accountable for its delivery

Your patients could be any age, but they’ll often be elderly, while others may have been recently discharged from acute hospital, be terminally ill or have physical disabilities.

As a Band 5 Nurse you will work as part of a team to keep people safe and well in Hawkhurst. You will use your clinical judgement to support evidence‑based care planning and make sure that people who use our services have a good experience.

“One of the big differences for me is the time we can give to our patients. We really get to know them.” – Val, community hospital nurse.

Rated “outstanding” by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values: compassionate, aspirational, responsive, excellent.

We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This is not visible to anyone involved with short‑listing or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short‑listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission.

The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit us both.

See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways.

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Nursing vacancies are also open to Student Nurses and Newly Qualified Nurses.

Job responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not…