Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job Responsibilities

To provide a high quality nursing care service based on the needs of the practice population which includes treatment, screening, preventative care and education.

Qualifications

RGN Qualification

Current NMC registration

Accredited training in chronic disease management

Cervical cytology qualification

Experience

Up-to date training in Childhood Immunisations

Up to date training in Cervical Cytology

2 years experience in a GP Practice

IT Skills in basic IT applications and in EMISWeb

The post holder will undertake a range of nursing assessments and provide appropriate care / treatment

Key responsibilities

Clinical Nursing Practice

• The Practice Nurse works independently using own initiative and is accountable for their own professional actions.
• Administers adult and child immunisations and vaccinations in accordance with national and local programmes.
• Is competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques.
• Ensures safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs and adequate stock levels are maintained

• Undertakes procedures to include venipuncture, glucose tolerance tests, BP management, urinalysis, peak flow, spirometry, new patient health checks, cytology and wound management

• Provides a comprehensive family planning advice and referral

• Undertakes collection, storage and despatch of pathological specimens includingintravenous blood samples, swabs, smears etc and ensure cleanliness ofequipment used.

• Performs any investigatory procedures requested by the GPs

• Recognises issues and gathers sufficient information to refer (e.g. drugs, domesticviolence, child protection, vulnerable adults, senior patients, social problems)

• Care and Programme Management

• Management of chronic diseases (including diabetes, asthma, COPD management, hypertension, CVD), undertakes the establishment and running of disease management clinics

• Initiates the process of diagnosis with patients suspected to have a chronic disease, referring to other clinicians as appropriate

• Manages programmes of care for all areas of womens health including providing and evaluating care under agreed local/national guidelines, protocols and patient group directions

• Maintains disease registers

• Participates in annual influenza campaign and COVID-19 vaccination (which may include evening or weekendworking).

• Undertakes annual review of patients understanding and ability to self-manage

  Health Promotion

• Initiates and carries out programmes of health screening, including new patient registration health checks

• Enables, encourages and supports individuals, families and groups to address issueswhich affect their health and social well-being

• Represents individuals and families interests when they are not able to do sothemselves.

• Provides healthy lifestyle and smoking cessation advice

• Develops and maintains the health promotion material within the Practice

  Communication

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment

• Communicate with and support patients who are receiving bad news

• Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need foralternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding,cultural background and preferred ways of communicating

• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication

• Estimate and maintain effective communication with individuals and groups within thepractice environment external stakeholders

• Act as an advocate when representing the patients and colleagues viewpoints toothers

  Delivering a quality service

• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

• Produce accurate and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures

• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality

• Deliver care according to the NSF and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines and evidence-based care

• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation

• Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities

• Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required

• In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care, responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate

• Evaluate the patients response to health care provision and the effectiveness of care

• Support and participate in shared learning across the practice and wider organisation

• Participate in the management, review and identify learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near-miss events utilising a structured framework (eg root- cause analysis)

• Participate in the performance monitoring review of the team, providing feedback as appropriate

• Understand and apply legal policy that supports the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, being aware of statutory child/vulnerable adult health procedure and local guidance

• Work within policies relating to domestic violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour, and refer as appropriate

  Team working

• Understand own role and scope in the organisation and identify how this may develop over time

• Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working

• Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence of those taking on delegated duties

• Ensure clear understanding and utilisation of referral mechanisms within the practice

• Accept delegation from other nurses, prioritise own workload and ensure effectivetime-management strategies are embedded in own practice

• Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impactingupon care delivery Participate in team activities that create opportunities to improvepatient care

• Participate in and support local projects as agreed with the practice managementteam

  Management of risk

• Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients

• Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines

• Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs is undertaken. Where appropriate, oversee the monitoring, stock control and documentation of controlled drug usage according to legal requirements

• Undertake mandatory and statutory training

• Apply infection control measures within the practice according to local and nationalguidelines

• Apply policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive andincrease access to health care for all

• Participate in the local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values andculture of general practice

  Utilising information

• Use technology as an aid to management in planning, implementation and monitoring, presenting and communicating information

• Review and process data using accurate Read codes about patients in order to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and audit processes

• Manage information searches using the internet and local library databases, for example, the retrieval of relevant information for patients on their condition

• Understand own and others responsibility to the individual organisation regarding the Freedom of Information Act

• Collate, analyse and present clinical data and information to the team using appropriate charts and/or graphs to enhance care

Learning and development

• Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments

• Assess own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate

• Make effective use of learning opportunities within and outside the workplace,
• evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back relevant information

• Provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in anenvironment that facilitates learning

  Equality and diversity

• Identify patterns of discrimination, take action to overcome this, and promote diversity and quality of opportunity

• Enable others to promote equality and diversity in a non-discriminatory culture

• Support people who need assistance in exercising their rights

• Monitor and evaluate adherence to local chaperoning policies

• Act as a role model in good practice relating to equality and diversity

• Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care. Assist patients from all groups to access quality care

Experience

Essential

• A demonstrable commitment to professional development
• Experience of working in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct
• Experience of Microsoft Office software
• Experience of dealing with the public/patients
• Experience of multi-skilled approach to Chronic Disease Management
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge and understanding of current national developments and trends in health care, quality assurance and practice development
• Assess and develop risk management protocols
• Implement strategies for quality assurance and quality audit
• Evidence of innovative practice
• Computer literate

Desirable

• Experience of diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses
• Experience of working with new technologies in health care practice
• Understanding of clinical coding in general and Read coding in particular
• Understanding of the health needs assessment process
• Experience of EMIS web

Qualities

Essential

• Able to demonstrate enthusiasm to developing nursing skills
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team
• Pleasant and articulate
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to work in a changing environment
• Able to use own initiative

Other

Essential

• Flexibility of working hours/ able to work at the desired times
• Experience of Primary Care
• Car driver/clean licence

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse
• Recognised qualification to diploma level or above
• Current NMC registration

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).