Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
The
post holder is an experienced nurse who, acting within their professional
boundaries, will provide care for the presenting patient from initial history
taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate safe, clinical
decision-making and expert care, including assessment and diagnostic
skills. The post holder will demonstrate
critical thinking in the clinical decision making process. They will work collaboratively with the
general practice team to meet the needs of patients.
The
post holder will support the Practice in continually reviewing how we deliver
our nursing services to meet increasing patient demand, recommending and
implementing change to ensure we are delivering a modern, efficient and
coordinated service.
Clinical
Responsibilities:
- Assess, diagnose, plan,
implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients
presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis.
- Be involved in actively recruiting patients to research studies
- Clinically examine and
assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective,
and plan clinical care accordingly
- Assess, diagnose, plan,
implement and evaluate interventions/treatments for patients with complex
needs. Proactively identify,
diagnose and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing a
long-term condition (as appropriate)
- Monitor and develop individual
management plans; agreeing these as appropriate with the patient, carers
and other health professionals
- Diagnose and manage both
acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non-drug-based treatment
methods into a management plan
- Prescribe and review
medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and
in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice
protocols, and within scope of practice
- Provide telephone assessment
to patients and invite them to attend the surgery if appropriate
- Work with patients in order
to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments
Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter
medication on medication regimens, side-effects and interactions
- Demonstrate critical
thinking and skills in clinical decision-making.
- Prioritise health problems
and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or
emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care
- Support
patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy
lifestyles, and apply principles of self-care.
- Assist in the development of
programmes to improve health and well-being and meet the specific needs of
communities, groups and individuals
- Work with others to change
policies to improve health and well-being and reduce inequalities
- Lead implementation of
specific aspects of the Quality Outcome Framework.
- Ensure Infection Control
standards are applied and adhered to
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. You 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 as defined in
the practice Health & Safety Policy, 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 recognises 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:
In
addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses
and/or study days necessary to ensure that NMC professional development
requirements are met, 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 recognise the importance of effective communication within
the team and will strive to:
- Communicate
effectively with other team members
- Communicate
effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise
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.
