Job responsibilities
The post holder is an experienced nurse, who acting within their professional boundaries, will provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of their care. They will demonstrate safe, clinical decision-making and expert care for patients within the general practice. They will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary general practice team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures, and providing nurse leadership as required. In order to work at this level, NMC requirements for advanced practice must be met.
1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
To deliver a high standard of patient care as an Nurse Practitioner (NP) in general practice, using advanced autonomous clinical skills, and a broad and in-depth theoretical knowledge base
- To deliver a high standard of patient care as an Nurse Practitioner (NP) in general practice, using advanced autonomous clinical skills, and a broad and in-depth theoretical knowledge base
- To manage a clinical caseload, dealing with presenting patients needs in a primary care setting
2. JOB DIMENSIONS
To manage own clinical workload in general practice responding effectively to patient need and ensuring patient choice and ease of access to services.
- The development and use of referral pathways for NPs to the local acute NHS Trust services.
- To mentor and support other nurses in developing and maintaining clinical skills
4. PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
A. CLINICAL ROLE: The post-holder will:
- Provide the choice of direct access to a NP, both in the Practice and over the telephone, for the general practice population
- Make professionally autonomous decisions for which he/she is accountable
- Instigate necessary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret findings/reports
- To prescribe safe, effective and appropriate medication as defined by current legislative framework
- Provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective, individualised patient care
- Offer a holistic service to patients and their families, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support, with an emphasis on prevention and self-care
- Promote health and well-being through the use of health promotion, health education, screening and therapeutic communication skills
- Refer patients directly to other services/agencies as appropriate
- Assist the Practice leads in developing and delivering specialist primary care services, such as long term disease management (diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease and hypertension)
- Work with mutli-disciplinary team within the Practice, and across the wider health economy, to promote integrated and seamless pathways of care
- Contribute to the practice achieving its quality targets to sustain the high standards of patient care and service delivery
Participate in identification of community health needs and develop patient/family-centred strategies to address them
Help develop and set up new patient services and participate in initiatives to improve existing patient services
- Be aware of and contribute to planning and delivery of practice-based commissioning
- Visit patients in their own homes and in nursing and care homes to provide support, treatment and management for their conditions.
B. TEACHING AND MENTORING ROLE:
The post-holder will:
Promote a learning environment for patients, nurses and other health professionals.
- Contribute to the teaching for existing staff, such as medical students, NP students, GP registrars, Health Care Assistants, within the Practice.
C. PROFESSIONAL ROLE:
The post-holder will:
Promote evidence-based practice through the use of the latest research-based guidelines and the development of practice-based research.
- Monitor the effectiveness of their own clinical practice through the quality assurance strategies such as the use of audit and peer review
- Maintain their professional registration
- Participate in continuing professional development opportunities to ensure that up-to-date evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role is maintained
- Work within the latest NMC Code of Professional Conduct
- Record accurate consultation data in patients records in accordance with the latest NMC guidance and other pertinent standards
- Keep up to date with pertinent health-related policy and work with the practice team to consider the impact and strategies for implementation
- Work collaboratively with colleagues within and external to the practice.
- Demonstrate leadership
- Pro-actively promote the role of the NP within the Practice, and externally to key stakeholders and agencies
D. MANAGERIAL ROLE:
The post-holder will:
Participate in clinical supervision for the nursing team, and act as nurse advisor to other members of the Primary Healthcare team where required
Encourage and develop teamwork within the practice.
Help the practice operate in a cost-effective manner.
Identify and manage nursing care risks on a continuing basis.
Participate in practice meetings.
Participate in audits and inspections as appropriate.
Work closely with the doctors and administrative managers in the setting up and/or improving of practice systems for monitoring/measuring performance against Clinical Governance and Quality Indicator targets.
Ensure that all Practice Policys are fully implemented
5. HEALTH AND SAFETY/RISK MANAGEMENT
The post-holder must comply at all times with the Practices Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures and reporting incidents using the organisations Incident Reporting System.
The post-holder will comply with the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990).
6. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The post-holder must co-operate with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment. Co-workers, patients and visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.
7. RESPECT FOR PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
The post-holder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
8. COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
The post-holder will establish and maintain effective communication pathways with the following :
Internal
NP colleagues
GPs
Specialist Team Leaders
Practice Nurses
All Nursing Staff
All administrative staff
External
Medical and Nursing Colleagues in the Acute Trust
NP colleagues in the whole of local area
9. SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS
- The post-holder is required to travel independently between practice sites (where applicable) and patients homes and to attend meetings etc hosted by other agencies.
- The post-holder will have contact with body fluids ie, wound exudates; urine etc while in clinical practice.
