Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job description

Job responsibilities

The nurse will be responsible for the assessment, delivery and evaluation of nursing care to the practice population. They will be competent to work independently as a member of the primary health care team, working alongside the other members of the practice nurse team, GPs attached staff, admin team and other team members. The post holder will work as a practitioner managing his/her own workload with reference to agreed protocols and will be expected to take an active interest in the development of the Primary Care Team.

Responsibilities

• Responsibility for identifying and meeting the nursing care needs of patients in the practice. Also working alongside the GPs and other clinical professionals where appropriate and accepting referral of patients from him or her.

• Responsibility for the nursing input involved in the making of decisions and policies affecting the whole practice.

• Managing the nursing care of patients with chronic disease including asthma, diabetes, CHD, and CKD. Providing specific clinics, with home visits if necessary, and operating a recall system for return visits of patients.

• Ability to perform a variety of screening work including the taking of cervical smears and filing the results withing the patients record from the labs.

• Responsibility for advising on and performing immunisations, including travel and childhood immunisations.

Responsibility for managing the recall system for non-attenders for childhood immunisations.

• Ability to promote health by educating patients on diet, alcohol consumption, exercise and cessation of smoking.

• Maintenance of a high standard of general nursing care including wound care, venepuncture, ear syringing, breast awareness, immunisations, advising travellers going abroad.

• Responsibility for teaching/supervision of our nurse associate.

Overall responsibility for maintaining information systems in the practice to include computerised patient records, practice protocols and patient information leaflets. Organising and updating health promotion displays.

• Auditing regular work and clinics, to assess the efficiency, standard and effectiveness of nursing care. Liaise effectively with the admin team.

• Overall responsibility for maintaining the treatment room, reordering and safe storage of vaccines .

• Maintaining professional development by revalidation, reflective practice, developing a personal development plan in line with the practice development plan and attending appropriate courses and study days.

• Responsibility for appropriate delegation to health care assistants, and then regular supervision of their work. This includes especially clinical work, delegating appropriate work and organising patient information, audit, recall systems and all aspects of maintenance of the treatment room.

• Responsibility for advising patients regarding contraception and pre-conceptual care. Ensuring patients are appropriately monitored according to their chosen method of contraception and the practice protocols.

• Leading on infection control and decontamination procedures updating when required current guidelines and practice protocols.

The post holder will be accountable to the GPs and liaise closely with the other practice nurses and district nurses and the practice manager

Experience

Essential

• Ability to work well within a multidisciplinary team
• Evidence of good communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity
• History of positive working relationships
• Sensitive to the impact of own behaviour on others
• Aware of own limitations and able to ask for help appropriately
• Able to reflect and learn from clinical and interpersonal issues

Desirable

• Requirement for necessary vaccinations relevant to occupational role
• High level of IT skills
• Flexible and reflective
• Prepared to share successes and challenges as well as to practice in an open way with both colleagues and patients
• Self-aware and able to manage stress

Other Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Use of SystmOne clinical system
• 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

Desirable

• Relevant experience of working in a primary care setting
• Experience in audit and protocol development
• Skills, experience and qualifications in:
• Asthma COPD
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Diabetes
• Child and travel immunisations
• Contraception
• Cytology
• Menopause
• Health promotion
• Care of the elderly
• Wound care
• DMARD monitoring

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential
• Registered General Nurse
• Member of the Royal College of Nursing
• Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Evidence of skills for assessing and interpreting patient conditions and following protocols in place for managing their illness
• Able to document contemporaneous accurate patient records
• Ability to problem solve

Desirable

• Relevant experience of working in a primary care setting
• Experience in audit and protocol development
• Skills, experience and qualifications in:
• Asthma and COPD
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Diabetes
• Child and travel immunisations
• Contraception
• Cytology
• Menopause
• Health promotion
• Care of the elderly
• Wound care
• DMARD monitoring
• Use of SystmOne clinical system

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).