Neonatal Senior Staff Nurse Jobs 2026: Apply In Reading Now

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an experienced neonatal nurse to step up into a senior role on its Buscot ward in Reading, and this one is a permanent post rather than a fixed term cover. The vacancy is for a Band 6 Neonatal Senior Staff Nurse, it pays between £39,959 and £48,117 a year, and applications close at 11:59pm on Thursday 19 November 2026. If you already hold a neonatal qualification and you are ready to lead a team caring for the smallest and most vulnerable patients, this article explains what the job involves, what you will need, and whether it is the right move for you.

What this neonatal senior staff nurse job is

The role is Neonatal Senior Staff Nurse, Band 6, based on Buscot ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire. It is a permanent post, full time at 37.5 hours per week, worked as 11.5 hour day and night shifts on an internal rotation. The salary is £39,959 to £48,117 per annum. The job reference is 193-8392060UCGB6-SSN, and the closing date is 19 November 2026 at 23:59. One point to note: the advert says the vacancy will close automatically once 50 applications have been received, even if that happens before the closing date, so applying early is the sensible move.

Where you would be working

Buscot ward is the neonatal unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and it looks after babies who need special care, high dependency care or intensive care. The unit has 16 cots, made up of 2 intensive care cots, 6 high dependency cots and 6 special care cots, plus 8 transitional care cots on the postnatal ward. Reading is a large town in Berkshire with fast rail links to London and Oxford, so the hospital draws staff from across the Thames Valley. The Trust describes its values as CARE: compassion, aspiration, resourcefulness and excellence, and it says it supports flexible working wherever possible, with requests considered on an individual basis.

Is this neonatal senior nurse job for you?

This job suits a neonatal nurse who is confident working without supervision and ready to take the lead. You would be expected to plan, implement and evaluate care for babies who need intensive, high dependency or special care, to attend deliveries and assist with resuscitation and stabilisation of newborns, and to lead a team of staff in emergency and acute situations. You would also mentor and supervise junior staff, students and parents, act as a resource for colleagues, and take a lead in an agreed area of neonatal care, from service development to quality improvement projects. If you enjoy teaching, leading and making decisions under pressure, this post will fit you well. If you are still building your neonatal experience and want a more supervised Band 5 role first, this senior post may be a step too soon.

What you would be doing day to day

As a Band 6 senior nurse on Buscot ward, you would take responsibility for a defined group of babies, assessing, planning and delivering their care in negotiation with their families, and acting as an advocate for each child. Your work would include attending the labour ward, guiding and directing other staff in the assessment and care of babies, and leading the team when a situation turns urgent. You would also complete and contribute to audits and quality improvement work on the unit, help recruit and retain team members through professional leadership, and keep your own practice current in line with the NMC Code of Conduct. The role includes the internal rotation of day and night shifts, and you would be expected to keep developing your own education, research, clinical and leadership skills.

Qualifications and experience you will need

To apply, you must hold appropriate UK professional registration. The essential requirements are:

• NMC registration
• Newborn Life Support (NLS)
• A neonatal course, the Qualification in Speciality (QIS)

One year of post QIS experience is listed as desirable, along with quality improvement experience and a leadership qualification. You will need the experience and confidence to work without supervision in a neonatal unit, to support junior staff and parents, and to live within your clinical responsibilities and recognise your own limitations. The post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. One important note: the advert itself makes no statement about Skilled Worker visa sponsorship, so sponsorship is not something this article can promise. What the advert does require is appropriate UK professional registration.

What Royal Berkshire offers

Beyond the permanent contract and Band 6 pay, the Trust offers a senior role in a 16 cot neonatal unit with real scope to lead, from taking charge of an agreed area of care to running quality improvement work and supporting the development of junior staff and students. The Trust says it is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, with reasonable adjustments made for disabled applicants where possible, and a guaranteed interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. Flexible working is supported wherever possible. For informal enquiries about the role, Malgorzata Stanikowska, ward manager, is named on the official advert and can be reached on 0118 322 7434.

How to apply for the Royal Berkshire neonatal senior staff nurse job

Applications are made online through the official NHS Jobs advert, and applying is free of charge. Open the vacancy, read the full job description and person specification, complete the form and submit it before 11:59pm on 19 November 2026. Because the advert closes automatically once 50 applications have been received, do not wait until the final day. Have your NMC registration details, your NLS certificate and your neonatal course qualification ready before you start, and prepare examples that show how you lead a team, support junior colleagues and parents, and manage the care of babies who need intensive or high dependency support.

Apply for the Band 6 Neonatal Senior Staff Nurse job at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading on NHS Jobs

Why this Reading neonatal nursing job is worth a look

A permanent Band 6 post in a busy neonatal unit, in a hospital with fast links to London and Oxford, is a strong next step for a neonatal nurse who is ready to lead. The pay is the standard NHS Band 6 range, the hours are full time on a day and night rotation, and the role offers mentoring responsibility, team leadership and quality improvement experience that builds towards more senior roles. With the 50 application limit in place, the window could close well before 19 November, so the best time to apply is now.