Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical

• To be responsible for the delivery of basic Practice Nurse services to the practice population. Supported by senior nurses within the practice they will deliver care within the boundaries of their role, focusing on health prevention, monitoring of long term conditions and screening activities.
• To perform a wide range of treatment room duties i.e. venepuncture, wound care, removal sutures/clips, ear syringing, therapeutic injections, adult and childhood immunisations, ECGs, spirometry and peak flow readings, Dopplers, blood pressure, blood glucose monitoring and medication reviews.
• To develop and provide health promotion programmes and screening for chronic diseases; offering health education and lifestyle advice in the areas of smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise, and sexual health/contraception to promote health and prevent disease.
• To review patients with chronic diseases and provide monitoring, management, follow up, supporting patients to adopt health promotion strategies that encourage healthy lifestyles and apply principles of self-care and referral in accordance with practice protocol and national guidelines.
• To supervise and support Health Care Assistants and act as a mentor to students assessing competence against set standards as requested.
• To respond and provide emergency nursing care within the surgery when the situation arises.
• To work independently and autonomously, flexibly and competently, and refer to the GP or other health care professionals, either in primary or secondary care as the need arises.
• To maintain knowledge base and keep updated in all relevant clinical areas and attend all mandatory training and updates as recommended by the CCG.
• To attend practice meetings as required and to participate in development sessions.
• To undertake any additional duties, as may be required, according to competence and prior training and undertake other work and general duties as deemed necessary by the practice and for on-going personal development.
• Work within own competencies and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Administration

• To clearly document all consultations, treatments, tests and advice in the patients computer records.
• To input any other relevant information regarding the patients health and care into the computer records.
• To provide a telephone advice service to patients to give symptomatic advice or urgent GP appointments/or refer to other services. Make appointments where necessary.
• To participate in the development of practice protocols and guidelines in accordance with Clinical Governance and partake in clinical audit where appropriate.
• To inform relevant staff of any faulty equipment within the surgery and make sure it is not used until fixed i.e. all equipment is working correctly and is regularly checked and calibrated. Report potential hazards of equipment and/or furnishings. To make sure relevant person aware of need to re-order stock as necessary.
• Report any untoward/critical incidents and participate in debriefs as required. Completing Learning the Lesson Form if necessary.
• To participate in Clinical Supervision and Personal Development Reviews.

Professional Responsibilities

• Responsible for own professional practice and accountability according to NMC guidelines and to maintain effective registration.
• To acknowledge clinical limitations and not undertake any procedures for which one is not adequately trained and shows competency.
• Maintain knowledge and skills by attending educational updates and courses as required in accordance with continuing professional development.

Clinical Governance

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of sound clinical governance and risk management.
• Support the development/implementation on any new ways of working/policies that need to be introduced across the SAH.
• Support SAHC in operating a quality assurance but no blame culture that adheres to best practice around incident reporting and whistle blowing.
• Engagement with Patients, Internal and External Stakeholders
• Initiate, develop and maintain excellent third party relationships e.g. with CCGs, NHSE Area Teams, sub-contractor providers, patient groups, local community health teams and other stakeholders to grow, maintain and support service and performance delivery.
• To ensure patient surveys are undertaken, analysed and action plans are developed and acted upon

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.
• All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Equality and Diversity

The postholder 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-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development

The postholder 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.

Health and Safety

• The postholder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual and the practice infection control policy and published procedures.

Appraisal/ Objective setting

• The post holder will participate in an annual review of their performance during the previous year and agree objectives to be met in the next year. These will be reviewed at agreed points during the year. The annual appraisal will be undertaken by the Matron for Planned Care (line manager) and a designated GP Partner may be present.

Communication

The postholder 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.

Quality

The postholder 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.

Contribution to the implementation of services

The postholder 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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• 1st level Registered Nurse with at least 2 years post registration experience
• Post registration diploma or degree relevant to primary care
• Mentorship in Professional Practice award or equivalent Certificate in management of chronic disease respiratory/diabetes
• Certificate in management of chronic disease - respiratory / diabetes

Desirable

• 1 Year experience in Primary Care
• Family Planning Certificate
• Cervical cytology

Experience

Essential

• Basic IT Skills
• Comprehensive treatment room skills
• Facilitate learning of students and act as a learning resource
• Team worker
• Ability to work flexibly and autonomously
• Manage patients with chronic diseases
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Change-management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle
• Enthusiasm and team player
• Positive role model

Desirable

• Able to perform telephone triage

Knowledge/Understanding

Essential

• Health Promotion
• Primary Care
• QOF
• National Service Frameworks
• Caldicott
• Child Protection
• Vulnerable Adults
• Travel Health
• Confidentiality
• Health and Safety
• Chronic disease management

Desirable

• Driving Licence/Car owner

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

St Austell Healthcare

Address

1 Wheal Northey

St Austell

Cornwall

PL25 3EF

Employer's website

https://www.staustellhealthcare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)