Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will have the required level of training and competence and will work within Patient Group Directions (PGDs) when these are available.

They will audit specialist skills and develop them as necessary. They will attend prescribing updates as necessary.

Key Responsibilities:

Family Planning/Sexual Health/Screening/Hormone Replacement Therapy

• Assessment of presenting problems and appropriate management of complex problems (GOSH, Family Planning Services etc)

• Appropriate referral to multidisciplinary team mental health/protection issues

• Assess, plan, diagnose, administer and monitor family planning/sexual health needs and advise within scope of professional practice and specialist role

• Undertake screening as advised by the Public Health agenda (cervical screening/Chlamydia screening)

• Assess, advise for intrauterine devices

• Assess, advise and fit implanon/nexplanon devices

• Assess patients and treat Hormone Replacement Therapy within scope of professional practice and personal prescribing formulary once achieved competency in this area

Management of Chronic Disease:

• Identify significant abnormalities

• Assessment, monitoring and develop individual management plans for the patient within scope of practice

• Adherence to the recall system ensuring regular patient review

• Identify and appropriately refer to the multidisciplinary team for support

• Work towards Chronic Disease Diplomas identified in appraisal

Therapeutic Monitoring

• Recognizing abnormalities

• Checking compliance with and adherence to appropriate treatments using an holistic patient-centered approach

• Recommending, implementing and identifying the impact of treatment on patients and making changes/prescribing as appropriate within the individuals scope of practice

Wound Care and Management

• Assessment of routine wounds including trauma

• Implement individual Care plans for wound management

• Refer to multidisciplinary team as per wound guidance (2020)

• Support wound management in complex situation

• Assess patients and treat within scope of professional practice

Health and Wellbeing

• Perform New Patient Checks and Cardiovascular Health Checks according to local guidance

• Obtain appropriate information using a lifestyle questioning approach and identifying appropriate health promotion issues

• Develop individual management plans to manage identified potential/health problems

• Assess, plan, develop, implement and evaluate programs to promote health and prevent adverse effects on health and well-being

• Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that encourage patients to have a healthy life, and apply principles of self-care

• Deliver opportunistic health promotion using opportunities as they arise

• Recognize, assess and refer patients to the multidisciplinary team presenting with mental health issues

Travel Health

• Assess and provide full guidance to patients travelling abroad taking into account health/well-being/sexual health/long term medical problems

• Administer travel vaccinations according to local policy and PGDs

• Refer to multidisciplinary team re complex issues

Immunisation Schedules

• Administer appropriate immunisations schedule for adults

• Work within guidance of PGDs and The Green Book

• Refer to the multidisciplinary team if outside of guidance

• Maintain register and develop searches to ensure schedules as kept to

First Contact

• Assess patients and advise on minor ailments within scope of professional practice

• Assess patients and refer to multidisciplinary team members as appropriate

• Intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations

• Give effective emergency care within individuals scope of practice

Communication:

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

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

Utilise communication skills to support patients to adhere to prescribed treatment regimens

Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication

Act as an advocate when representing the patients and colleagues viewpoints to others

Liaise appropriately with the multidisciplinary team

Adhere to local policy and guidance when dealing with communication/information

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

Use different ways of communication eg Video calls as the service/patient requires

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

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

Maintain accurate registers and use the recall system on EMIS

Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review

Take part in regular Clinical Supervision and appraisals

Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems including Significant Event Audit

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

Adhere to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate

Support and participate in shared learning across the practice and wider organization

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

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

Ensure clear understanding and utilisation of referral mechanisms within the practice

Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded in own practice

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

Ensure clean and tidy work areas

Support the Health Care Assistant with ordering and stock rotation

Undertake mandatory and statutory training

Manage and apply infection control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines

Apply policies that reduce environmental health risks, and remain culturally sensitive

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 with patient information, in order to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and audit processes

Manage information searches using the internet and 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

Adhere to local guidance and policy regarding information

Learning and development:

Act as mentor to Health Care Assistants or students assessing competence against set standards as requested and if appropriately qualified

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

Protocol/guideline development within the practice

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

Participate in NVQ training and mentorship as required within the practice

Ensure mandatory training needs are met

Ensure updates within scope of professional practice

Engage in regular reflection and Clinical Supervision with appropriate other

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.

TASKS UNDERTAKEN BY EXPERIENCED PRACTICE NURSE

1. ECGs both routine & urgent
2. Dressings/wound management
3. Venepuncture
4. Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising the patient accordingly
5. Chaperone
6. Cervical Cytology
7. Contraception/Family Planning/Sexual Health consultations
8. Blood Pressure monitoring
9. Suture/Staple Removal
10. Swabs
11. Minor Injuries
12. Heights and Weights/waist circumference
13. Emergencies within scope
14. Vaccinations/Immunisations children and adults
15. Telephone Calls/triage within scope
16. Minor Ailments assessment and treatment
17. Supervise HCA/Phlebotomists/junior Nurses
18. Treatment room/clinic room stock/ordering and checking supporting HCA
19. Cleaning of equipment supporting HCA if necessary
20. Asthma reviews within scope
21. Spirometry
22. CHD
23. Diabetes reviews within scope
24. Hypertension reviews within scope
25. Travel medicine within scope
26. Emergency equipment checks if required
27. New patient medicals/CVD checks/Urinalysis
28. Insertion of Prostap
29. Ordering of supplies as needed

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification: RN/Adult Nursing, NMC Registered.

Desirable

• Special interest Diabetes, COPD and Sexual Health.

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

Oaklands Medical Centre

Address

St. Anns Walk

Middlewich

Cheshire

CW10 9BE

Employer's website

https://www.oaklandsmiddlewich.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)