Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice
To be first point of contact for patients requesting contact with Primary Care for specified conditions, to carry out a full health assessment of their health care needs, based on highly developed nursing knowledge and skills. To provide advice, initiate treatment, and refer to the GP on-call as appropriate.
Prescribe products to meet the needs of patients within the practice population.
To run minor illness clinics to manage early diagnosis of illness and refer as appropriate should further intervention be required.
Refer to other primary, community and secondary care members within locally developed pathways.
To work in a partnership with general practitioners, practice nurses and other professionals to develop protocols, standards, and audit tools to facilitate effective delivery of care.
Identify, assess and diagnose patients with complex health needs across the practice population.
Lead the introduction and use of technical and specialist nursing treatments for patients with complex healthcare needs.
Lead and develop programmes to improve health and well-being and meet the specific needs of communities, groups, and individuals.
Work with others to change policies to improve health and well-being and reduce inequalities.
Lead the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practice to improve the services offered by the practice nursing team.
Work with other members of the practice team in the implementation of specific aspects of the NSFs.
To be competent in dealing with general nursing care of the patient within the surgery. Examples of this include wound care, venepuncture, and electrocardiography.
Management of chronic disease
Diagnosis, monitoring, and development of individual management plans; agreeing these as appropriate with the patient and other health professionals.
Therapeutic monitoring
Checking compliance with and adherence to appropriate treatments using a holistic patient-centred approach.
Recognising abnormalities.
Identifying the impact of treatment and implementing or recommending changes as appropriate.
Wound care and management
Assessing routine wounds including trauma.
Assessing [and prescribing] to support good wound management in complex situations.
Patient health checks
Working with patients to develop a management plan where health problems or potential health problems are identified.
Identifying health trends and public health issues and working with the team and others to combat these.
Risk assessment
Recognising issues and gathering sufficient information to refer(eg drugs; domestic violence; child protection; vulnerable adults; senior patients; social problems).
Health screening
Providing in depth monitoring and advice as appropriate and working with the patient in deciding on management plans.
Considering the issues in the light of the practice population.
First contact
Working as an autonomous practitioner on more complex cases.
Ear care
Dealing with more complex problems and prescribing if appropriate.
Mental health
Ensuring that appropriate systems are in place for effective patient monitoring.
Administrative and Professional Responsibilities
Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team.
Involvement in policy developments for clinical issues with the practice, providing the nursing input to any decision-making processes affecting the care of patient.
To foster multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working in the development of practice initiatives.
Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports.
Education, Training and Professional Development
Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development and develop and maintain a personal learning plan in line with revalidation requirements.
Contribute to the education of primary and community care clinicians of all disciplines with special responsibility for nursing staff.
Create a learning environment that promotes the concept of lifelong learning.
Contribute and participate as required in any research projects within the practice.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
To target health promotion activities according to the epidemiology/health needs of the practice population and the area indicated by the Health Improvement Programme.
To be involved in the organisation of health promotion and chronic disease management programmes within the practice.
To manage and audit the national and local screening programmes with the practice population.
Special requirements of the post
- Registered General Nurse
- First level degree or equivalent
- To work in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct
- Independent Prescriber V300 qualification
- To have at least three years community nurse experience (District Nursing, Health Visiting or Practice Nurse experience)
- Ability to self-motivate, organise and prioritise workload
- Excellent communication skills
- Knowledge of current clinical based practice
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance
- Knowledge or current professional issues relating to nursing
Confidentiality
Staff must behave in a professional and discreet manner at all times.
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.
Patient and professional confidentiality is of prime importance. Any breach of confidentiality can result in immediate suspension/dismissal.
Health and 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 including correct use of use of:-Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disposable equipment, decontamination/ sterilisation, safe management of waste/ sharps disposal and good practice guidelines.
Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
Equality and Diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
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.
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.
