Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Accountable to: GP Partners

Job summary

The post-holders duties will include all tasks normally undertaken by an experienced RGN working in primary care. The post-holder will be expected to provide a high standard of nursing care for patients, and provide nursing assistance to doctors and other members of the primary healthcare team, and support work that maximises Practice income (eg QOF and enhanced service contracts). There will be some additional specialist clinical duties and responsibilities, for example respiratory care, Doppler ultrasound assessment, 24-hour ECG and BP recording, family planning and so on. The post will be primarily Practice-based, but community home visits may occasionally be a requirement. There may be a requirement to work outside core hours depending on the need of patients and the Practice (for example supporting extended access appointments or flu clinics). The Post-holder will offer guidance and mentoring to healthcare assistant colleagues, and be expected to engage in mandatory and individual learning and training opportunities.

Experience of Diabetes would be an advantage.

Core clinical nursing responsibilities.

Conducting and recording core clinical observations:Venepuncture and phlebotomy.

Venepuncture and phlebotomy.o Urinalysis

o Conducting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs, phlebotomy.

o Blood pressure

o Height / weight / BMI

o ECG

o Peak flow recording and asthma diaries.

Venepuncture and phlebotomy.

Basic wound and ulcer care and dressings.

Removal of sutures.

Cervical smears.

Pregnancy tests.

Basic contraception advice.

Basic healthy lifestyle advice and referral onwards.

Supporting carers access support.

Ensure vaccines are administered under patient group directions.

Routine immunisations (eg influenza, pneumococcal, shingles).

Infant immunisation and vaccinations.

Ear syringing.

Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician.

Able to recognize and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines.

Able to perform Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines.

Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs (eg supporting GP with contraceptive coil insertion and removal).

Ensure safety netting advice given to patients, make sure patients know what to do if their symptoms worsen, and record this.

Able to document consultations according to NMC guidelines.

Housekeeping, ordering and infection control duties including:

o Maintaining general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms.

o Maintaining and cleaning equipment and fridges.

o Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required

o Ordering of drugs and stock

o Using web portals to access clinical information (eg OpenExeter, PCSE)

o Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels

Attend and participate in any practice meetings when required, including the weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings.

Supporting work needed to fully achieve QOF and enhanced service contract targets.

Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

Specialist clinical nursing responsibilities (the post-holder may be supported to provide nursing input for some or all of the following areas, depending on the Practice need, in discussion with Practice Manager. Training will be provided.)

24-hour blood pressure monitoring.

24-hour ECG monitoring

Chronic Disease Management.

Spirometry.

Travel health care advice and immunisations.

New patient medicals.

Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings.

Specialist contraception advice and family planning.

Specialist wound care, ulcer management and dressing (eg 4-layer bandaging).

Doppler ultrasound assessment.

General responsibilities

Maintain registration with the NMC and engage in the revalidation and appraisal processes, ensuring you have a written development portfolio.

Commitment to maintain a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post, working in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct and within the scope of professional practice.

Commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problems to a manager or Partner.

Maintain accurate, comprehensive electronic records of all consultations and treatment, using our SystmOne clinical system.

Intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care.

Commitment to the effective use of Practice and NHS resources, avoiding unnecessary waste.

Meet the needs of patients presenting for opportunistic wound care.

Support Healthcare Assistants and supervise delegated nursing tasks.

Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles, and apply principles of self-care.

Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness and common sense.

Demonstrate an awareness of own limitations and experience, and proactively seek solutions and learning opportunities accordingly.

Follow all practice policies, protocols, guidelines, and codes of practice, and communicate any concerns.

Record and report any complaints, untoward incidents and significant events to the Practice Manager in a timely manner.

Participate in data collection, audits, and performance achievement targets (eg QOF) as required by the practice.

Maintain and monitor high standards of care and work flexibly when required in the interests of the practice and patients.

Work with colleagues to coordinate annual leave requests to ensure the safe delivery of a service to our patients.

Support the Practice by working additional shifts when required to cover staff absence.

Learning, training and development

Actively engage with any learning following complaints, untoward incidents and significant event audits.

Identify personal development and training needs in conjunction with the manager/partners and actively engage with annual appraisal and ongoing CPD portfolio.

Participate in continuing education and maintain a contemporary level of professional knowledge and skills.

Attend any ad hoc meetings with the practice team as required.

Support other nurses within the team with their training and development needs.

Interpersonal

Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.

Build positive working relationships with colleagues in order to support patient safety and the clinical effectiveness of the team.

Ensure clothing, personal grooming, and manner are at all times professional, safe, infection-control suitable, and are not likely to hinder relationships with colleagues or patients.

Safeguarding

The post-holder will have responsibility to make all reasonable efforts to safeguard adults at risk and children, and promote their welfare, by following the practice policy, keeping up to date with training and learning and communicating issues of concern.

Confidentiality

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 will 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.

Health and Safety

The post-holder will take responsibility for their own health and safety and wellbeing, and take reasonable steps to ensure the same for other persons, including acts of omission. Key ways to ensure health and safety obligations are met are being familiar with the practice health and safety policy, ensuring mandatory training is completed annually, and communicating any concerns to the named practice health and safety lead in a timely manner.

The post-holder will follow the practice infection control policy and guidelines for safe practice, again communicating any concerns in a timely manner.

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 recognises 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE (or equivalent level) English and mathematics at grade C or above.
• UK registered nurse
• Valid and current registration with NMC.
• Clinical experience in Primary Care.
• Working in a GP surgery as a Practice Nurse
• Using a clinical system (e.g. EMIS, SystmOne.)
• Ability to use email, Word and Excel.
• Effective personal organisational skills and time management. Self-motivated and able to prioritise.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Diligent, and attentive to detail.
• Reliable.
• Resilient; ability to work under pressure and manage personal stress.
• Works well both as part of a team and autonomously.
• Have ability to work on own initiative, whilst acknowledging limitations and recognizing when referral or consultation with more experienced colleagues is needed.
• Friendly and approachable with a patient-centred approach to work.
• Satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
• Two satisfactory employment references, one of which is from the current/most recent employer.
• Ability to travel easily in the community when required.
• Willingness and ability to be flexible and support team and patients to cover colleagues annual leave and sickness, including working outside core hours when needed.

Desirable

• Higher level qualifications (e.g. A-Level maths).
• Minor illness/injury qualification
• Portfolio evidence of relevant continuing professional development and training.
• Evidence of recent core training, including safeguarding, infection control and basic life support.
• Respiratory disease management.
• Warfarin management.
• Experience using SystmOne.
• Portfolio of complaints over last twelve months available.
• Excellent communicator with an appreciation that patients may need a range of communications styles.
• Good fit with the practice team.
• Own car with valid UK driving licence.

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

St George's Medical Centre

Address

2a Parsons Lane

Littleport

Cambridgeshire

CB6 1JU

Employer's website

https://www.stgeorges-littleport.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)