Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Clinical:

• Provide first point of contact for patients presenting with undiagnosed problems, using history taking, physical examination, problem solving and clinical decision making skills to reach a working diagnosis and management plan in partnership with patients and their carers
• Undertake Practice based consultations for emergency or routine problems including management of exacerbations of long term conditions
• Undertake telephone consultations, clinics, home visits and participate in our same day service during Practice opening hours
• Instigate diagnostic tests or investigations in Primary Care and interpret findings/reports within the scope of your practice, discussing the results and implications with your patients
• Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence based practice
• Refer patients directly to other services using appropriate referral pathways
• Provide preventative healthcare and advice
• Provide medical support as required to patients
• Ensure safe handover of care within and outside the Practice as appropriate
• Work directly with members of the Practice team and support integrated patient centred care working with wider Primary Care / Social Care networks
• Identify Community Health needs and participate in the development of patient/family centred strategies to address them
• Contribute to the Practice quality targets to consistently achieve high standards of save, evidence based, cost effective patient care and service delivery
• Act upon alerts and reminders during consultations

Clinical Governance:

• Demonstrate a continuous improvement approach to your clinical care
• Participate in audits as indicated
• Report all near miss or adverse incidents to the appropriate person in the Practice
• Attend Significant Event Analysis Meetings

Professional:

• Maintain your professional registration and license to practise as applicable to the role, working within the latest applicable codes of professional conduct
• Demonstrate clinical leadership
• Pro-actively promote your role within the Practice

Team Working:

• Understand own role and that of others, 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 effective and friendly team-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 and GPs, prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded in own practice
• There could be clinical emergencies which mean that a clinician may have to be flexible with their working-time - patient care and safety should be the priority
• Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery
• Participate and support projects as agreed with the practice management team

Management of Risk:

• Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients. If in doubt, always seek assistance
• 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 national guidelines
• Apply policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all
• Ensure that measures have been taken to protect personal immunology in accordance with Practice policy including hepatitis B and measles

Communication:

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive and professional 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
• Represent the Practice in a positive, professional and caring manner
• Act as an advocate when representing the patients' and colleagues' viewpoints to others

Learning & Development:

• Participate in continuing professional development opportunities to keep up to date with evidence based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role to meet clinical governance guidelines for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and a Personal Development Plan (PDP) utilising a reflective approach to practice
• Undertake statutory and mandatory training as required by the Practice
• Undertake, as required, a variety of research and analysis tasks associated with the improvement of clinical care, medical diagnosis and treatment where appropriate
• Promote and support a learning culture within the Practice and assist in clinical instruction, mentoring and supervision of other learners that may periodically be attached to the Practice
• Contribute to regular multi-disciplinary and/or Practice educational meetings
• Work closely with other clinical staff and administrative managers in the setting up and/or improving of Practice systems for monitoring/measuring performance against Clinical Governance and Quality Indicator targets
• Provide additional services to the Practice that meet the needs of the population
• Undertake additional training where necessary to provide these enhanced services
• Awareness of and compliance with all relevant Practice policies/guidelines, e.g., administering/prescribing medications (if relevant), confidentiality, data security and protection, health & safety, annual QOF Assessment of the Practice / local initiatives
• Meet timescales/deadlines for audits and written returns to ensure the Practice meets quality standards

Health & Safety:

• Comply at all times with the Practice Health & Safety policies by following agreed procedures and policies for safe working and reporting incidents
• Comply with all applicable legislation and regulatory guidelines

Equality & 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 marginalised groups to access quality care

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse / Paramedic
• On Masters pathway to advanced clinical practice

Desirable

• Non-Medical Prescribing qualification

Work-related attributes, qualities, competencies

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously within the scope of Practice and to work as part of a team both through communication and sharing workload
• Good communicator and empathy skills with patients
• Ability to organise and prioritise work effectively
• Ability to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressures
• Ability to manage high pressure situations e.g., clinical emergency
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver safe and effective healthcare
• Evidence of continual learning and professional development
• Understands limits of own competence and impact of behaviours on others
• Car driver, able to perform home visits within Practice area

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with GPs in Primary Care
• Evidence of training modules or courses relevant to the role; demonstrate strong patient assessment skills
• Demonstrate in depth knowledge of common or important medical conditions
• Experience of supporting other clinicians in clinical decision making
• Evidence of knowledge and skills for maintaining confidentiality
• Training & management of common minor illnesses / injuries
• Clinical supervision training and experience
• Experience in research programmes
• Experience in designing & implementing protocols and clinical guidelines

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Clinical skills in line with clinical / telephone triage, consultation skills, assessment, examination, providing advice, treatment & referral for Practice population
• Ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families
• Ability to work well with a range of clinical colleagues and wider staff team
• Knowledge of audit principles and evidence of participation in audit/quality improvement projects
• Communication skills; written, verbal and electronic
• Teaching and mentorship experience in a clinical setting
• IT skills, competent to use clinical systems, microsoft, word, excel, NHSmail

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).