Travel Nurse Vacancy
Travel Health Nurse Specialist
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Are you interested in travel health? Are you looking for an opportunity to use your skills in a friendly small team environment? Do you wish you could get more time to spend with patients?
Would you like to join Scotland’s leading provider of medical, psychological and travel health support, helping care for people committed to making a positive difference in the world or those who are travelling overseas for work and leisure?
If so, this may be an ideal opportunity for you!
About HealthLink360
Founded in 1983, HealthLink360 is a Scottish charity and Scotland’s leading provider of medical, psychological and travel health support to mission and aid agency workers and volunteers, who undertake overseas work in challenging and often hostile environments; as well as those who work within the UK. Delivered with care and empathy, we provide health and resilience support at every stage of an individual’s mission, journey or assignment. Our vision is for a flourishing and effective global caring community who are making a positive difference in the world.
Complementing our medical and psychological services, our travel clinic is based at Carberry near Edinburgh and is open 3 days per week (currently Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday).
Regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, we provide individual tailored travel health consultations, travel health advice and vaccinations to clients travelling for both work and leisure. Our clients consist of mission and humanitarian agencies and their personnel, GAP year organisations, those in church leadership, families, young people as well as members of the general public.
You can read more about us on our website
About the role
The role, which is based in our Carberry travel clinic will see you meeting with clients to provide comprehensive travel health consultations contextualised to their needs and travel plans. You will provide them with the necessary information to enable them to make an informed decision regarding travel health treatments and preventative measures. You’ll deliver risk assessment information, and will issue vaccinations and appropriate medications following agreed protocols, patient group or patient specific directions. You will maintain clear and accurate clinical records according to written protocols. You will report to the Medical Co-ordinator overseeing the travel clinic. You will have the opportunity to participate in regular team training and other learning activities. You will contribute to HealthLink360’s continued good practice in areas such as infection control, pharmacy compliance and vaccines management, through the use of audit and service development.
Authorised to practise in the UK, as either a Registered Nurse with current NMC registration, you will bring relevant experience to support your interest in travel health medicine. With demonstrable experience of a ‘Band 6’ NHS role or equivalent, you’ll ideally have experience in travel or tropical heath nursing, including vaccination experience and venepuncture. If you bring demonstrable experience in community or school nursing, practice nursing or occupational health, you are also welcome to apply. A job description and person specification is shown below.
We are ideally looking to appoint 2 part time roles (to work over Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) as follows:
2 days per week (15 hours per week)
1 day per week (7.5 hours per week).
Exact working hours/days will be agreed with the successful candidate(s).
Why work at HealthLink360?
We offer a friendly working environment, a fair level of pay (from £20.69/hr according to skills and experience) and an interesting and varied role.
If a knowledge refresher is required we will provide funding for you to complete Travel Health Education training prior to starting the role.
You’ll join a small but dedicated team and a not for profit organisation with a clear ethos and over 40 years’ experience.
We are situated in the beautiful grounds of Carberry Tower just outside Musselburgh, Edinburgh (so own transport is necessary).
To Apply
If you wish to be considered for this post, please submit a copy of your CV and covering letter to ndavies-jones@healthlink360.org. The closing date for applications is Monday 28th April 2025.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. The provisional date for interviews is Friday 2nd May 2025. A successful candidate will be required to provide details for 2 referees and appointment will be subject to satisfactory PVG Disclosure.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Title: Travel Health Nurse Specialist
Working Hours: We are ideally looking to appoint up to 2 roles as follows:
2 days per week (15 hours per week)
1 day per week (7.5 hours per week).
Our travel clinic is currently open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Exact working hours/days will be agreed with the successful candidate(s).
The purpose of the job: To provide a holistic, high level of evidence- based travel and related health care to HealthLink360 clients.
Accountability: The postholder is accountable to:
The Medical Co-ordinator for oversight of standards of working practice, continuous professional development and personal conduct.
Other travel clinic nurses for coordination of day to day client care, general organisation, equipment and stock control.
Responsibilities:
Working within your own professional capacity and according to the NMC professional code of conduct and HealthLink360’s policies, the responsibilities of the role are as follows:
To provide all clients with a comprehensive consultation and risk assessment to enable them to make an informed decision regarding travel health treatments and preventative measures
To provide travel and related health advice, tailored to the individual and using up-to date and evidence- based sources of information
To plan appropriate client vaccination schedules and issue appropriate medications following agreed protocols, patient group or patient specific directions.
To maintain clear and accurate clinical records for each client appointment according to written protocols
To contribute to HealthLink360’s continued good practice in areas such as infection control, pharmacy compliance and vaccines management, through the use of audit and service development.
To participate in learning activities (both individual and team-based) with a view to increasing autonomy and expertise as a Travel Health Nurse Specialist, within budget and time constraints
To share knowledge and expertise with other members of the team, as appropriate
To support the smooth running of the organisation by maintaining and stocking the clinic facilities and consulting rooms, performing regular checks of clinical areas and ordering vaccines/medicines as required.
Other tasks as may be reasonably required
Key outcomes:
Your personal and professional motivation and conduct will be in sympathy with HealthLink360’s vision, mission, values and Christian ethos
Evidence of good practice and professional development will be seen through peer review, annual appraisal, appropriate learning activities and revalidation
Periodic feedback of client experience will indicate levels of client satisfaction, quality of care and inform quality improvement activities
Written Policies and Protocols will guide your professional practice and you will contribute to reviewing and updating these in accordance with current thinking and best practice
Your client records will be accurate and complete, whether paper or electronic
Clinic stock, equipment and cleanliness will be maintained according to agreed levels and standards
Limits of authority:
The postholder will not make purchases on behalf of HealthLink360 without permission from the Managing Director or Office Coordinator.
Any vaccination or medication which cannot be issued under a Patient Group Direction must be issued under a Patient Specific Direction, authorised by the duty doctor.
No clients will be seen without the presence of a second member of staff in the centre.
Infants should only be vaccinated when there are two members of clinical staff in the building
Appraisal and job description review will be held after an initial probationary period and thereafter on an annual basis.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Required Qualification, Registration and Experience:
Essential:
Registered Nurse authorised to practise in the UK and holding current NMC registration
Demonstrable experience of working in a ‘Band 6’ NHS role or equivalent
Demonstrable experience in travel or tropical heath nursing is preferred. This should include vaccination experience and venepuncture. Candidates with demonstrable experience in community or school nursing, practice nursing or occupational health are also welcome to apply.
Desirable:
Foundation/ Diploma in Travel Medicine
Evidence of professional development beyond basic nursing training
Substantive NHS or comparable nursing positions in addition to work with HealthLink360.
Knowledge and Skills
Demonstrable relevant professional knowledge acquired through training and experience
Good all-round knowledge of adult health and health issues
Working knowledge of vaccination administration and storage
Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative without close supervision and also as part of a small team
Ability to provide individuals with necessary information to assist them in making choices about their own health
Knowledge of legislation and good practice in relation to issues around client confidentiality and data protection
Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written and the ability to communicate with people from all walks of life, including young children
Commitment to CPD/education and willingness to undertake any necessary travel health training
Good organisational and time-management skills
Computer literate and ability and willingness to use electronic client record software
Personal experience of travelling or overseas living/ working or an understanding of the range of issues faced by those travelling or working overseas, particularly in a humanitarian context
Ability and willingness to be involved in the delivery of group travel health presentations and preparation programmes
Understanding of HL360 Vision, Values and Ethos
Willingness to work under HealthLink360’s vision, values and ethos which embody the following:
Christian organisational ethos and values of care, compassion, stewardship, service and respect
Care of the whole person
A client/person centred approach
Prayerful direction
Continuous improvement
Physical and Mental Requirements
Prolonged concentration for client consultations either face-to-face or by phone;
Accurate and timely recording of client consultations
Long periods of sitting; light physical effort walking between rooms and up and down stairs
Requirement to use a VDU during the working day to document client appointments, access travel health information, updates and training
Some willingness to be flexible according to service demands eg extra hours during busy spells or very occasional ‘out of hours’ availability for training programmes.
Car driver
Other Requirements
A successful candidate will be required to provide:
o Details for 2 referees
o Proof of qualifications.
o Immunisation status and proof
o Record of annual appraisal from substantive NHS post.
Appointment will be subject to:
o Receipt of satisfactory references
o Satisfactory PVG Disclosure.
o Confirmation of entry on NMC register
o Confirmation of ID to check they are eligible to work in the UK.