Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Clinical care delivery – general

• Carry out nursing interventions and measurements for patients using clinical judgement.

• Administer medications by injection with the appropriate legal authorisation.

• Recognise health promotion opportunities and give brief, focussed lifestyle advice using motivational interviewing techniques which may include:

- Alcohol screening

- Smoking cessation

- Weight management

- Sexual health

• Undertake initial assessment of patients presenting with wounds, produce treatment plans and refer to other services as necessary.

• Measure circulation by recording Ankle Brachial Pressure Index and applying compression therapy to patients with venous leg ulcers.

• Remove wound closure materials including sutures, clips and staples.

• Take samples for the cervical screening programme according to recognised standards.

• Provide ear care including removal of cerumen and provide education and advice.

• Administer vaccines to adults and children according to the UK immunisation schedule.

• Provide a pre-travel health service including administration of vaccines and advice after undertaking appropriate risk assessment.

• Administer prescribed therapies such as contraceptive injections, vitamin B12, and depo neuroleptic medications recognising side effects and contraindications.

• Develop and follow referral pathways for patients with specialist needs.

• Undertake risk stratification and care planning for those with complex needs contributing to admission avoidance strategies.

Sexual health

• Provide health promotion advice on prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections, take sexual history and initiate investigations.

• Advise women on suitability of oral and long term contraceptive methods and be aware of local referral pathways.

• Use protocols and Patient Group Directions for dispensing of emergency contraception.

Long term conditions

After appropriate training:

Provide a nurse-run asthma/diabetes/COPD service to patients to include screening, diagnosis, ongoing management and referral to other agencies in line with NICE guidance and Quality and Outcome Framework indicators.

Quality assurance/service support

• Participate in quality improvement and innovations e.g. audit, significant event analysis and development of protocols and new services.

• Recognise opportunities to reduce inequalities and unwarranted variation in health care for the practice population as outlined in nursing framework Leading Change, Adding Value (May 2016)

• Liaise with practice manager and clinical system provider to improve standard of nursing documentation and information retrieval e.g. new read codes and formulation of templates.

• Coordinate in-house meetings to develop the nursing service and where appropriate wider practice systems.

• Develop effective systems for ongoing supervision of all health care staff, including mentorship for preceptor programmes and contributing to revalidation needs of nurse colleagues.

• Liaise with external agencies and commissioners to develop nursing service in local area.

• Analyse data and develop initiatives to improve uptake of national screening and immunisation programmes including coordinating new vaccination campaigns.

• Where relevant for the nursing team, ensure correspondence and safety alerts are actioned.

• Develop and present business cases to the practice partnership in response to changing demand.

• Advise on the cost-effective purchase of assets, equipment and other resources including staff costs.

• Access databases and other guidance and critically appraise information and relevance for nursing service.

• Coordinate in-house training for clinical team including expert speakers and developing other learning opportunities.

Personal/professional development

• Complete statutory training/updating and mandatory training as defined by the practice.

• Complete skills-specific training and regular updating.

• Participate in an annual individual performance review maintaining a record of own personal and professional development including the requirements of NMC revalidation.

• Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance. Identify gaps in knowledge and skills and how further learning can enhance delivery of nursing service.

Health and safety

• Identify and address risks in work activities working with practice nurse manager and practice manager.

• Follow appropriate infection control procedures.

• Maintain work areas in a tidy and safe manner

• Communicate effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet people’s needs.

Equality and diversity

• Act in a way that recognises people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies and current legislation.

• Respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered first level nurse
• Relevant nursing degree
• Mentor/teaching qualification

Desirable

• Clinical supervision training and experience
• Independent non-medical prescribing qualification

Knowledge

Essential

• Applicants must demonstrate:-
• Full understanding of the current NMC Code and Scope of Professional Practice.
• Sound clinical knowledge of current nursing practice.
• Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the post
• Management of patients with long term conditions and health promotion strategies
• Knowledge of clinical governance issues in primary care
• Accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse led service

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health economy
• Knowledge of case finding / outreach services

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to communicate assertively, effectively and sensitively with patients and clients across a range of workplace situations.
• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for their own personal and continuous development. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to identify, challenge and report potential risk / clinical risk situations.
• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to effectively organise and plan their work.
• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to analyse and assess situations and make judgements to make informed decisions.
• Applicants must demonstrate the ability to work effectively as part of the multi disciplinary team.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate IT literacy.

Experience

Essential

• Post registration experience, ideally of two years which should have been in a general practice setting
• Management of long term conditions
• Involvement in implementing and using protocols and clinical guidelines
• Experience of audit

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).