Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
To assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients to include treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education.
To share workload and responsibilities with GP, making the best use of clinical skills within the practice.
Provide a service complementary to the GPs.
To provide high quality care.
Job Responsibilities:
Providing assessment, screening and treatment services and health education advice
Provide nursing treatments to patients in participation with general practitioners or independently to agreed protocols.
Provide general and specific health screenings to the practice patients (within agreed protocols) with referral to general practitioners as necessary.
Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments with referral to GPs as necessary.
To assess, plan and evaluate nursing care to meet the needs of individuals and groups in the practice population.
To undertake health screening, health surveillance and therapeutic treatments based on best available evidence in order to improve health outcomes.
Supplies and equipment Treatment room and other areas
In conjunction with the practice manager, ensure the maintenance of equipment and stock levels relating to patient care.
Pathological specimens and investigatory procedures Following appropriate training, undertake the collection, storage and despatch of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, smears etc and ensure the cleanliness of any equipment so used. Perform any investigatory procedures requested by the GPs.
Administrative and professional responsibilities Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team.
Ensure accurate notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes on the clinical computer system as appropriate.
Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice.
Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports.
Attend and participate in practice meetings as required.
Assist in the formulation of practice philosophy, strategy and policy and develop appropriate protocols.
Research projects Co-operate and participate as required in any research projects within the practice.
Student/staff education and training Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the induction of all members of practice staff with special responsibility for nursing staff.
Liaison
- Maintain effective liaison with other agencies and staff concerned with patient care and with all other disciplines within the practice, with appropriate regard to confidentiality.
Professional development
- Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development.
Confidentiality:
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
- In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
- Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.
Health & Safety:
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security, to include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
- Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
- Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
- Reporting potential risks identified.
Equality and Diversity:
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional Development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
Communication:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
The post-holder will:
- Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate.