Job responsibilities
Job Description
This job description
is intended to provide an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities only.
There may be other duties required of the post-holder commensurate with the
position. This description will be open to regular review and may be amended to
take into account development within the Practice. All members of staff should
be prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order
to maintain the efficient running of the practice.
Job Title:
Minor illness Nurse
Main purpose of
post
To provide minor illness and mental health care to all the
patients registered with the surgery.
Responsible to:
Senior Nurse, Deputy Practice Manager, Practice Manager, and
Partner
Main duties and
Responsibilities
To work as part of the nursing team as a minor
illness nurse specialist
To work as part of the nursing team to provide
care for the chronic diseases, this will also require visiting patients within
their own homes/ nursing home/ residential placements.
To review practice policies and procedures
pertinent for the patient with mental health problems.
To provide sick/annual leave cover to ensure
that a safe level of nursing services are provided. This will include treatment room cover as
required.
To be involved in research and audit projects
and inspections as appropriate
To take the lead in facilitating student nurse
practice placement and to provide an effective learning environment.
Job Summary
The post holder is an experienced nurse, who acting within
their professional boundaries, will provide care for the presenting patient
from the 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.
Scope and Purpose
of the role
To deliver a high standard of patient care as
Nurse practitioner (NP) in general practice, using advanced autonomous clinical
skills and a broad and in-depth theoretical knowledge base in line with RCN
guidance on nurse practitioner competencies.
To manage a clinical caseload, dealing with
presenting patients needs in a primary care setting
To lead the nursing team and ensure the highest
standards of care are provided for the patient with mental health.
To take the lead in providing an effective
learning environment for student nurses. To organise and faciliate a varied
range of learning opportunities for students and To ensure that all Student nurses have an up to date mentorship qualification
or are working towards one.
Ensure that the appropriate nursing
interventions are evidence based and that nursing protocols are in place and
regularly up dated.
Ensure that the nursing team work in
collaboration with the integrated nursing team.
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 services and to diagnostic and treatment centres within the locality.
Primary Duties and
Areas of Responsibility
To provide the choice of direct access to a NP,
both in the practice, over the telephone and via domiciliary visits for the
general practice population.
Make professionally autonomous decisions for
which they are accountable.
Provide first point of contact within the
practice for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems,
making use of skills in history taking, physical examination, problem-solving
and clinical decision-making, to establish a diagnosis and management plan.
Instigate necessary invasive and non-invasive
diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret findings/ reports.
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 promotions, health education, screening and therapeutic communication
skills.
Refer patients directly to other
services/agencies as appropriate.
Take the practice lead in developing and
delivering specialist primary care services, for patients with mental health.
Provide care for patients with heart disease and
hypertension
Contribute to the practice achieving its quality
targets to sustain the high standards of patient care and service delivery
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
Teaching and
Mentoring Role
Promote a learning environment for patients,
nurses and other health professionals.
To take the Lead in mentoring Student nurse
placements.
Contribute to the planning and implementation of
the teaching for staff, such as medical students and health care assistants
within the practice.
Professional Role
Promote evidence-based practice through the use
of the latest research-based guidelines and the development of the
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
policies and work with the practice team to consider the impact and strategies
for implemtation.
Work collaboratively with colleagues within and
external to the practice.
Health and
safety/Risk management
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.
Comply with the data protection Act (1984) and
the Access to health records Act (1990)
Equity and
Diversity
Must co-operate with all policies and procedures
designed to ensure quality of employment. Co-workers, patients and visitors
must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability,
sexual orientation, religion etc.
Respect for
Patient and Surgery Confidentiality
Special Working
Conditions
Will have contact with body fluids i.e., wound
exudates, urine etc while in clinical practice.
Will travel within the community to offer care
to patients within their home.
