About the job

About The Organisation

NHS Orkney is committed to delivering excellent care to our 22,000 residents. Whether you’re new to the NHS or bringing experience from elsewhere, your skills will make a real difference.

Our modern healthcare facility, The Balfour, brings together inpatient care, emergency services, outpatient clinics, diagnostics, GP practices and the Scottish Ambulance Service. We’re also investing in services across our outer isles, ensuring high-quality care reaches every corner of Orkney.

We are guided by our core values that shape everything we do Open and honest, Respect and Kindness from how we care for our patients to how we support each other as colleagues.

About Orkney

With over 70 islands 20 of them inhabited Orkney offers a unique blend of natural beauty, close-knit community and an opportunity for adventure. From dramatic coastlines and rare wildlife to rich cultural traditions and active lifestyles, it’s a place where compassion thrives and every day brings something new. Regularly named one of the UK’s best places to live, Orkney offers a lifestyle that’s both fulfilling and inspiring.

The Position

We are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated UK-NMC Registered Nurses to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care across our multidisciplinary teams. As a key member of the team, you will help maintain excellent standards of nursing practice and, in the absence of the Senior Nurse, take responsibility for managing the clinical environment, resources and day-to-day leadership. Working in partnership with colleagues, patients and families you will uphold the NMC Code and ensure safe, compassionate and research-informed care is delivered at all times.

As part of your job application you will be asked an assessment question, please note this will be used as part of our short listing process.

The Candidate

You must be a UK-NMC registered nurse with experience in an acute and/or medical nursing setting, confident in delivering high-quality and evidence-based care. You will bring proven experience of working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

Location, Working Pattern and Contract Duration:

This post will be based at The Balfour

This post is on a relief as and when required basis.

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NHS Orkney.

Benefits And Salary

Did you know NHS Scotland salaries are higher than those in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland?

The salary for this post is Band 5 £33,295 £41,483 and if residing on Orkney, you’ll also receive a Distant Islands Allowance of £1,657 pro rata per annum, adding extra value to your rewarding career with us.

NHS Orkney also offers an attractive pension scheme, wide range of work life balance policies, employee assistance programme and various discounts to both local and national retailers.

Further Information

If you share our vision and are ready to be part of Team Orkney, we’d love to hear from you. Your rewarding career starts here!

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional requirements you would like to request, please contact

For further guidance on the recruitment process and tips for creating a strong application, please refer to our Candidate Application Pack.

To find out more about this opportunity please contact Emma McGuigan or Michelle Mackie

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check.

NHS Orkney is an equal opportunities employer committed to advancing equality and particularly welcomes applications from groups of people currently underrepresented within the workforce. We are a committed participant in the Disability Confident Leader Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for our vacancies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies.