Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job Summary 

The Practice Nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing Personal Medical Services to registered patients.

Job Responsibilities:

Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior clinicians and GPs

Cytology

New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis

Health Checks / Health Promotion

Travel Clinic

ECGs

Asthma/Peak Flow Readings/Feno (although training will be given)

Chronic disease management including diabetes, respiratory disease, cvd

Routine immunizations/Childhood immunisations

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

Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil / implant fittings

Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs

Family planning including Pill Checks

Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior clinicians or GPs as appropriate

Other tasks will include:

Clean and sterilise equipment

Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the clinicians

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

Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms

Ordering of Health Promotion Literature

Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels

Participation in administrative systems in the Practice

At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records

A duty to advise senior clinicians of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks

Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required.

Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

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 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

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Reporting potential risks identified

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

Personal/Professional Development:

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

Quality:

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

Communication:

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:

The post-holder will:

• 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

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a nursing team
• Experience with working with vulnerable patients
• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of chronic disease management
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse

Desirable

• Post graduate diploma or degree (Primary Care)

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Understanding of the Chaperoning Procedure
• Chronic Disease Management in particular Diabetes / Cytology / Childhood Immunisations.
• Understanding the importance of evidence based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Understanding of infection prevention and control measures
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Strong IT Skills
• Effective Time Management Skills
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously

Desirable

• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• CHD
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• ECGs
• Travel medicine
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• SystmOne User Skills
• Experience of Clinical risk / audit programmes

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).