Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

The post holder will be expected to work within the existing Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) team. As a qualified ACP, the post holder is expected to hold an MSc level award or equivalent, and demonstrate the competencies and capabilities outlined within the multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice, encompassing the four pillars of clinical practice.

This role is predominantly focused on the autonomous assessment, investigation and management of patients presenting with urgent problems within the primary care setting. Therefore an ability to manage the complexity, uncertainty and risk associated with undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions is essential. The post holder must demonstrate expert level clinical decision making and critical reasoning skills, based upon both a breadth and depth of relevant underpinning knowledge and experience.

Established ACPs are encouraged to diversify their role and develop areas of special interest, including but not limited to home visits/frailty, womens health or respiratory; this aids innovative service delivery and offers opportunity for the provision of specialist clinics. Educational sessions, provided by those with areas of special interest, benefit both individual clinicians and the wider team. It is expected that the post holder would demonstrate an awareness of ones own requirement for continuing professional development, whilst engaging in both receiving and facilitating learning within the team.

Primary Duties and area of responsibilities

Clinical Practice:

The post holder will:

Deliver a high standard of care using advanced clinical skills and in-depth theoretical knowledge

Provide the first point of contact for clinical queries from the Patient Advisors on the Unscheduled Care Team, providing specialist advice and support

Be responsible for telephone triage of patients

Undertake Unscheduled Care clinics for patients who need to be seen on the day

Undertake home visits as part of the visiting team.

Practise in compliance with respective code of professional conduct and within own scope of practice, being responsible and accountable for decisions and actions.

Clinically examine, assess, diagnose, plan implement and evaluate treatment/ interventions and care for patients, using expertise and decision-making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches when dealing with differentiated and undifferentiated individual presentations and complex situations; using information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence-based judgements and/or diagnoses

Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, initiating, evaluating and modifying a range of interventions which may include prescribing and reviewing medicines for therapeutic effectiveness (appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence based practice and national protocols within scope of practice) , therapies, life style advice and care into a management plan

Work in partnership with individuals, families and carers, using a range of assessment methods as appropriate (e.g. of history-taking; holistic assessment; identifying risk factors; mental health assessments; requesting, undertaking and/or interpreting diagnostic tests; and conducting health needs assessments).

Offer a holistic service to patients and their families, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes, with an emphasis on health promotion and self-care

Where the post holder is an independent prescriber: to prescribe safe, effective and appropriate medication in line with current guidance and legislation

Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments, providing information and advice on prescribed or over the counter medication on medication regimens, side effects and interactions

Support and manage health needs of women presenting for family planning or sexual health consultation

Assess, identify and refer patients presenting with mental health needs in accordance with the NSF for Mental Health

Collaborate with other members of the Primary Health Care Team, accepting referrals and referring to them

Refer patients directly to other services and agencies as appropriate

Exercise professional judgement to manage risk appropriately, especially where there may be complex and unpredictable events and supporting teams to do likewise to ensure safety of individuals, families and carers.

Act as a clinical role model/advocate for developing and delivering care that is responsive to changing requirements, informed by an understanding of local population health needs, agencies and networks.

Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care.

To record accurate data in the patient records to an agreed standard.

Leadership and management

The post holder will:

Pro-actively initiate and develop effective relationships, fostering clarity of roles within teams, to encourage productive working.

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality

Role model the values of the Practice, demonstrating a person-centred approach to service delivery and development.

Evaluate own practice, and participate in multi-disciplinary service and team evaluation, demonstrating the impact of advanced clinical practice on service function and effectiveness, and quality (i.e. outcomes of care, experience and safety).

Actively engage in peer review to inform own and others practice, formulating and implementing strategies to act on learning and make improvements.

Help the practice operate cost-effectively

Actively seek feedback and involvement from individuals, families, carers, communities and to help improve services.

Critically apply advanced clinical expertise to enhance quality, reduce unwarranted variation and promote the sharing and adoption of best practice.

Demonstrate team leadership, resilience and determination, managing situations that are unfamiliar, complex or unpredictable and seeking to build confidence in others.

Continually develop practice in response to changing population health need, engaging in horizon scanning for future developments (e.g. impacts of genomics, new treatments and changing social challenges).

Attend and contribute to the UC planning meetings

Demonstrate receptiveness to challenge and preparedness to constructively challenge others, escalating concerns that affect individuals, families, carers, communities and colleagues safety and well-being when necessary.

Education, teaching and mentoring

The post holder will:

Maintain a clinical portfolio that evidences advanced health assessment skills and competencies. Assess and address own learning needs, growing a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.

Engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting to maximise clinical skills and knowledge, as well as own potential to lead and develop both care and services.

Participate in regular performance review with clinical supervisor and take part in the annual appraisal review where personal learning requirements will be identified and in accordance with Practice requirements.

Undertake further specialist training as required by service needs and the changing requirements of service provision

Advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning to inspire future and existing staff.

Promote a learning environment for patients, clinicians and other members of the Practice

Share learning and best practice, contributing to the learning experience of medical and clinical staff in practice such as medical students, nurse students, GP Registrars etc.

Provide supervision and coaching/ mentoring to others in the practice to help development of the practice team.

Take part in the in house education events, delivering sessions where appropriate

Research

The post holder will:

Engage in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money.

Monitor the effectiveness of their own clinical practice through quality assurance strategies such as the use of audit and peer review, using the results to underpin own practice and to inform that of others.

Support and participate in shared learning across the practice and wider organisation

Take a critical approach to identify gaps in the evidence base and its application to practice, alerting appropriate individuals and organisations to these and how they might be addressed in a safe and pragmatic way.

Actively identify potential need for further research to strengthen evidence for best practice.

Disseminate best practice research findings and quality improvement projects

Facilitate collaborative links between clinical practice and research through proactive engagement, networking with academic, clinical and other active researchers, including Practice Research team

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrates specialist clinical expertise underpinned by theory acquired through CPD.
• Effective communicator able to deliver complex and highly sensitive information.
• Excellent clinical reasoning / clinical decision making.
• Ability to work as part of a multi skilled team.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Able to work autonomously and within professional boundaries, prioritising own workload.
• Able to seek support from peers as necessary recognising that help is required if patients present with conditions outside the sphere of their own clinical knowledge.
• Demonstrates specialist clinical expertise underpinned by theory acquired through CPD
• Effective communicator able to deliver complex and highly sensitive information
• Excellent clinical reasoning / clinical decision making
• Ability to work as part of a multi skilled team
• Excellent computer skills
• Able to work autonomously and within professional boundaries, prioritising own workload
• Able to seek support from peers as necessary recognising that help is required if patients present with conditions outside the sphere of their own clinical knowledge.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Desirable

• Evidence of involvement in the development of programmes of care, protocols and clinical audit.

Personal

Essential

• Willing to embrace change that will enhance the quality of service at the practice.
• Committed to improving the healthcare for people living in are of high deprivation and clinical and social need.
• Flexibility of working hours and commitment to team working.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered health professional (NMC/ HCPC) with a first degree (2:2 class or above) or equivalent in relevant subject (i.e. health related, pure science or social science) from an approved institution of higher education.
• Current registration with a relevant professional/ statutory body (e.g. NMC/ HCPC/ GPCGB).
• With MSc Advanced Practice level education.
• Non-medical Prescriber.

Desirable

• Other relevant degree level or post registration qualification

Experience

Essential

• At least 3 years post registration clinical experience in Practice OR proof of equivalent experience in Practice relevant to Urgent Care or General Practice.
• Experience in examination of adults and children.
• Demonstrable experience of CPD and desire to actively engage in ongoing learning of self and others.
• Of working under pressure and managing varying workloads and changing demands.

Desirable

• Walk in Centre, /A&E/Primary Care experience.
• Recent experience as an autonomous practitioner diagnosing and treating patients.

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

Bay Medical Group

Address

1 Heysham Road

Heysham

Morecambe

Lancashire

LA3 1DA

Employer's website

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