Shape your story at Newham Hospital

Working at Newham Hospital

Newham Hospital, located in Plaistow in the vibrant East End of London, cares for one of the most diverse populations in England. Our hospital offers you the opportunity to have a real and meaningful impact on improving the health of our community.

Our Work

We offer a full range of acute services including an Emergency Department which sees more than 400 patients per day and one of the largest maternity units in the UK with around 7,000 births per year. Our dedicated stroke unit is fully dementia friendly and we are implementing changes across our hospital to make the building more accessible to people with dementia. Our state-of-the-art Children’s unit was newly refurbished and reopened in 2017 bringing all children’s services together for the first time. The new unit allows children access to specialist clinics, community nurses and play equipment as well as in patient, day patient and outpatient care.

Your career

Our team here are committed to finding new and innovative ways of delivering healthcare to our community, working in partnership with community and specialist providers rather than through the traditional 'hospital model'. Working in these different settings can give you a valuable opportunity to understand and get to know your patients and their local area, allowing you to provide more bespoke care.

A particularly special aspect about working at our hospital is the number of opportunities available for you to develop professionally, meaning many staff stay with us for a long time.

Working in Newham

Life in this part of London is humming with activity and potential. The London Borough of Newham is home to West Ham United’s  54,000 seat stadium, originally built for the 2012 Olympics, and the ExCel convention centre – both ideally located if you enjoy a football match or gig. London City Airport is also a less than 10 minutes away, so if you’re planning to get away for the weekend you can do so with ease. We are also home to the Greenway, which is a great place to walk or cycle through east London and which is currently under development to make cycling to our hospital more accessible.

There are a host of activities taking place in the Olympic Park, and the Olympic legacy means you are never short of a sporting activity to take part in. If shopping’s your thing, you can’t go wrong with Westfield Stratford which has more 350 stores and is less 20 minutes away. If it’s food you’re after, the exotic and culinary delights of green street are a short bus ride away – a 15 minute journey you won’t regret!

You can easily experience everything life in central London has to offer as the transport links in Newham are second to none, with access to the district line, DLR and overground.

The Emergency Department at Newham Hospital is expanding and looking to recruit new staff to join our team.

The department sees and treats approximately 160,000 patients per year with a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, including interesting medical pathology and conditions rarely encountered in other departments. We strive to deliver a high standard of care to our patients and their families, and provide extensive in-house training led by our Professional Development Nurse.  Access to formal courses of education at local universities, the Barts Health Network and Capital Nurse is available to facilitate professional development. All colleagues are supported in practice by a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced team. We are proud of our family ethos and look forward to welcoming new members.

The surgical wards at Newham Hospital care for patients who have undergone a range of surgical procedures including colo-rectal, urology, general surgery, and ear, nose and throat procedures and those stepping down from the intensive care unit.

Our surgical division offers a bespoke rotational opportunity for experienced and newly qualified nurses. This unique opportunity will allow you to enhance and develop your skills across several specialties. We also offer an opportunity to apply for the 18-month surgical rotation program following successful completion of Preceptorship program to enhance your skills and experience.

 

Zara, a staff nurse, talks about what it's like to work in surgery on East Ham ward:

"Newham Hospital is a small, diverse and welcoming community. I chose to work at Newham due its diverse culture and opportunities for learning in a range of specialities. As soon as I began, I received fantastic support from my ward manager and practice development nurse (PDN) in setting objectives on what I hoped to achieve in my first year as a newly qualified nurse. I have been welcomed into a supporting working environment and have already been exposed to many opportunities including the Preceptorship programme, which I hope to finish in January alongside my cohort.

It can be daunting making the transition from a student nurse to a registered nurse, particularly in a busy surgical environment. However, each shift I feel supported by the team and encouraged by my manager to openly express any concerns I may have, if they arise.

I have also had the opportunity to attend numerous study days organised by my ward manager and PDN, e.g. palliative care, diabetes, stoma and wound management and more. I believe the support and knowledge I have gained in my first year as a newly qualified at Newham Hospital has given me the essential foundation skills to continue my development as a staff nurse and pursue greater opportunities in Newham.

Advice I would give to anyone thinking to apply is if you are an individual looking to learn and be part of a supportive working environment then Newham Hospital is the best place for you."

The specialist medicine wards at Newham Hospital are divided into respiratory, gastroenterology and haematology, and endocrine while the Older Persons and Acute Care wards are divided into a 48 hours acute admissions ward, a longer term older person’s services ward and a stroke and ortho geriatric ward.

As part of the medicine division team you will have the opportunity to attend specialist training as well as the trust training opportunities such as preceptorship, acute care skills, intermediate life support and leadership. The division fully supports opportunities for nurses to undertake further academic pathways and research, including attendance and presentation at conferences. 

Izee, a staff nurse, talks about what it's like to work in respiratory on Stratford ward. 

"I decided to take up nursing because I believe it is a privilege to serve humanity. I started my nursing career in one of the biggest hospitals in the Philippines and later decided to move to a smaller hospital to gain experience on what it is like working in a small community.

When I heard I was going to work at Newham Hospital, I was pretty excited because I knew I’d be working in a similar community hospital with a diverse population in the heart of East London.

Respiratory care has been one of my strengths as a nurse as I have plenty of experience in caring for patients with this type of illness. I was nervous on my first few days in Stratford Ward because it is a really a busy unit. However, I was well-supported by my ward manager and the rest of the team were quick to answer my questions and have continued to support, guide and build my confidence in caring for sick patients.

There is a lot of opportunities working at Newham Hospital and I have been given more chances to progress than anywhere else. The team will support you with high-level training that is essential to your growth as a qualified nurse in order for you to be prepared for whatever challenges and new opportunities you might encounter.

Our team is very welcoming, friendly, respectful, and accommodating. You’ll be inspired to go to work as each day brings new opportunities to learn and develop your skills.

We have this quote in our unit as our daily reminder, “Team work makes the dream work”. If you are ready to learn and work in a busy unit with a happy and supportive team, this is the place for you! '