Job responsibilities
Job summary:
The practice nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing Personal Medical Services to the patients of practice.
Job responsibilities:
Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs
Cytology
Wound care / ulcer care/Doppler
Removal of Sutures
New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis
Travel Clinic
ECGs
Asthma/Peak Flow Readings/Spirometry
Venepuncture
Hypertension Management
Ear syringing
Routine immunizations/Childhood immunisations
Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings
Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
Chronic Disease Management Asthma, Diabetes, COPD etc
Contraception
Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate
Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by partners and Practice Manager
Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within a range of assigned tasks
Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required.
On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visits
Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post
Diabetes, seeing patients, assisting them to control diabetes and ensuring Qof in this area is kept up to date.
Diabetes, seeing patients, assisting them to control diabetes and ensuring Qof in this area is kept up to date.
Asthma, seeing patients, assisting them to control asthma and ensuring Qof in this area is kept up to date.
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 confidential
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons, in accordance with practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & safety
The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
Spillage control procedures, management and training
Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
Maintenance of sterile environments
Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Equality and diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues by:
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