Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner works autonomously and is accountable for own professional actions.

• Undertakes clinical nursing practice at an advanced level using expert knowledge and clinical skills to deliver holistic care to people accessing primary care services
• Assesses, diagnoses and treats patients attending surgery or via home visits with a range of acute, non-acute and chronic medical conditions
• Assesses diagnoses and treats patients in surgery or own home who require acute medical attention and refer to appropriate agency
• Directly admits patients to secondary care hospital in acute medical need
• Refers patients to other medical specialties for assessment if deemed appropriate
• Refers patients as appropriate to other members of the multidisciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations including referral for x-ray (once complete the required training as directed by x-ray department)
• Undertakes and interprets a range of diagnostic tests and routine clinical procedures e.g. cytology, venepuncture, blood pressure monitoring etc.
• Makes critical judgements of the highest order to satisfy the expectations and demands of the job e.g. first contact with patients presenting acutely and manages care in the presence and absence of protocols
• Makes decisions where precedents do not exist, where appropriate without recourse to others e.g. direct referrals of patients to hospital consultants without prior reference to other medical colleagues
• Advise and support others where standard protocols do not apply
• Work within professional guidelines and codes of conduct
• Works within all relevant practice policies and procedural guidelines e.g. infection control, chaperoning and risk management
• Extended and supplementary prescribing

• Develops and manages highly specialised programmes of care and care packages and provides highly specialised advice concerning care normally beyond the scope of normal working practice e.g. establishes differential diagnoses, management/treatment plans and makes referral as appropriate. Makes fast track referrals
• Communicates highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives and carers
• Initiates the process of diagnosis with patients suspected of have a chronic disease e.g. diabetes, COPD, asthma, IHD referring to other clinical staff as appropriate
• Contribute to practice targets e.g. QoF, Quality Contracts, DES/LES
• Audit outcomes against standards and initiate changes as necessary
• Actively be in involved in service development within the practice e.g. DES/LES implementation
• Initiate and carry out programmes of health screening and ensure other team members are aware of health agendas and screening programmes
• Work to introduce new developments that will improve health outcomes for patients

• Provides and receives highly complex, sensitive or contentious information and frequently deals with situations which are hostile or emotive
• Uses developed communication, negotiation, conflict managements skills which require empathy, reassurance and persuasive skills where there can be significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome
• Regularly communicate service related information to partners, practice manager, salaried GPs, nursing and administrative staff, patients, relatives and carers

• Develop a leadership role within the practice
• Encourage and motivate other members of the nursing team
• Develop and lead on evidence based practice
• Actively participate in clinical and practice meetings
• Assist in the mentorship and training of new nursing staff

• Continuous involvement in research/audit
• Identify, apply and disseminate research/audit findings relating to clinical practice

• 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

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, and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management, including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
• The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Person Specification

Other

Essential

• Ability to cope with demanding role
• Willingness to work additional hours when necessary
• Car owner/driver and comply with travel requirements of post

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years experience
• Experience of being an autonomous practitioner working in primary care
• Very high level of clinical skills and competency relevant to the role
• Demonstrate the application of evidence based practice
• Detailed understanding of QOF
• Infection control
• Clinical examination skills
• Management of patients with complex needs
• Management of patients with long-term conditions
• Nurse prescribing

Desirable

• Experience in management role
• Experience of educating medical students
• Research
• Leadership in quality initiatives such as clinical benchmarking
• Project management

Person attributes

Essential

• Reliable, flexible and commitment to team working

Skills

Essential

• IT skills
• Competent prescriber
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to manage clinical uncertainty
• Ability to manage conflict
• Ability to manage own time and workload
• Clinical leadership skills
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Problem solving
• Exceptional time management
• Be able to communicate difficult messages

Desirable

• Experience of using EMIS
• Knowledge of public health issues both locally and nationally

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse
• Recognised NP qualification at Masters level or equivalent
• Independent prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Community nursing specialist qualification
• Mentor/Teaching qualification

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

Primrose Bank Medical Centre

Address

Primrose Bank

Blackburn

BB1 5ER

Employer's website

https://www.primrosebankmedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)