Job responsibilities
Registered Practitioner
Practice Nurse
Qualifications Registered Nurse
Training Additional specific training and education to
diploma level
(level 2) to
fulfil competency for role.
Experience One year working post Registration
Preferably
one year working in the community as a nurse.
Has
undertaken specific training relevant to Practice Nurse eg
Diabetes
or Asthma management.
Accountability Professionally: to patients under UKCC
Code of Conduct
Managerially:
to GPs, Senior Nurse and practice manager.
Special Functions Provides
care directly to patients without referral via another nurse or doctor.
Develops
Practice Protocols.
Appropriate
as a lead nurse within a practice with practice nursing experience.
Main Responsibilities
Clinical Nursing Practice
Wound Management
o Provide
the diagnosis, management plan and treatment of leg ulcers using Doppler
assessment.
o Perform
wound care using aseptic technique
o Undertake
dressings.
o Suture
and clip removal
o Assist
with minor surgery
Screening
o Undertake
opportunistic screening-BP checks, height, weight, BMI, urinalysis, smoking
status.
o Carry
out new patient checks.
o Undertake
over 75 checks
o Undertake
opportunistic venepuncture
Health Promotion
o
Recognise patients readiness to change in
supporting their attempts to change their unhealthy behaviour.
o
Provide healthy eating advice to individuals or
to groups, including the underweight.
o
Provide smoking cessation advice individually in
opportunistic consultations.
o
Provide individual advice to patients about
increasing activity or exercise.
o
Offer advice on recommended safe limits for
alcohol consumption.
o
Develop and maintain the health promotion
material within the practice and the waiting room notice board.
o
Refer as appropriate.
Vaccinations and Immunisations
o
Provide and adult and childhood immunisation
service.
o
Maintain a call and recall of patients.
o
Develop practice protocols.
o
Administer injections under an individualised
prescription or Patient Group Direction.
o
Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of
vaccines and drugs.
Ear Care
o
Undertake ear syringing after the patient has
been assessed by GP or senior nurse
o
Advise patients about safe ear care.
Infection Control
o
Support patients and colleagues in adopting
sound infection control measures.
o
Apply infection control measures within the
practice according to local and national guidelines.
This includes:
o
Universal hygiene precautions.
o
The collection and handling of laboratory
specimens.
o
Segregation and disposal of waste materials.
o
Decontamination of instruments and clinical
equipment.
o
Reporting and treatment of sharps injuries.
o
Dealing with blood and bodily fluid spillages.
o
Educate colleagues in adopting sound infection
control measures.
Emergency Management
o
Is competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation
techniques.
Child Health/Child Protection
o
Recognise the signs, symptoms and categories of
child abuse.
o
Understand the importance of recognition, observation,
documentation and communication.
o
Is aware of child health procedures, statutory
local procedures and points of referral.
o
Has knowledge of other practitioners and
agencies roles.
o
Understand basic legal issues around child
abuse.
Mental Health
o
Recognise and is aware of appropriate referral
mechanisms for family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and
addictive behaviours.
o
Recognise psychological needs of patients
presenting with depression or suicidal tendency.
Care and Programme Management
Mens Health
Raise
awareness and give basic advice on issues covering:
o
Initiates opportunistic consultations with
patients to cover issues of mens health.
o
Testicular self examination.
o
Incontinence and prostatic disease.
o
Family Planning.
o
Sexual Health.
o
Make appropriate referrals.
Family Planning
o
Advise patients on available methods of
contraception and refer patients as appropriate.
o
Support patients attending for emergency
contraception and refer as appropriate.
o
Perform interval health checks for patients
using hormonal contraception.
o
Teach patients correct condom use.
o
Advise patients on reducing risk of sexually
transmitted diseases and refer patients appropriately.
Womens Health
o
Advise patients on national and local Cervical
Cytology and mammography screening programmes.
o
Undertake a programme of cervical cytology
sampling under supervision until competent.
o
Audit a minimum of twenty consecutive smears
each year to demonstrate adequate sampling rates.
o
Promote breast self-awareness, demonstrate breast
self-examination and provide support literature.
o
Advise patients about reducing the risk of
sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals.
o
Take swabs for microscopy as directed.
o
Give patients basic advice about peri-menopausal
and menopausal symptoms and make appropriate referrals.
o
Advise on increased peri-menopausal and
post-menopausal risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Offer health
promotion/lifestyle advice to patients.
o
Advise on basic continence management and make
appropriate referrals.
All Nurses should have minimum training and understanding of Diabetes.
Diabetes
o
Initiates the process of diagnosis on patients
with suspected diabetes.
o
Manages patients newly diagnosed with diabetes
under protocols.
o
Undertakes annual review of patients
understanding and ability to self manage.
o
Provides the management of patients converting
to or commencing insulin within protocols.
o
Refers to dietician, chiropodist and diabetes
and specialist nurses.
o
Support patients in the management of non
insulin dependant diabetes.
o
Undertake opportunistic screening for the
diagnosis of diabetes.
o
Support and provide education for diabetic
patients.
o
Provide emergency treatment for
hypo/hyperglycaemic emergencies.
o
Make appropriate referrals.
o
Contribute to the maintenance of the practice
diabetic register.
o
Audits outcomes of care against standards and
initiate changes as necessary.
Respiratory Disease Management
o
Manages newly diagnosed patients with asthma and
COPD
o
Has a sound understanding of asthma care; its
diagnosis, asthma treatments and the principles of self-management.
o
Use a spirometer to aid the diagnosis and
management of COPD
o
Know the factors which contribute to the
development of COPD.
o
Contribute to the management of patients within
the framework of national and local guidelines for asthma and COPD.
o
Manage emergency treatment of asthma attacks.
o
Advise patients on their asthma control
including the use of self-management plans.
o
Teach and advise patients how to use various
inhalers and peak flow meters.
o
Contribute to the maintenance of the practice
respiratory register.
o
Make appropriate referrals.
o
Work within agreed local/BTS guidelines and
patient group directions to manage patients with asthma, aiding diagnosis,
reviewing inhaler technique and advising on treatment changes.
Cardiovascular Disease
o
Contribute to the implementation of the National
Service framework.
o
Contribute to the maintenance of the practice
CHD register.
o
Works within agreed protocols when managing risk
factors to enable patients to manage their own disease.
o
Provides psychological support by discussing
interventions and treatments.
o
Advise patients on lifestyle management and drug
compliance for reducing the risk factors of:
Hypertension
Angina
Myocardial Infarction
Cerebrovascular Disease
Travel Health Advice
o
Offer a holistic approach to travel health
including comprehensive advice for patients prior to travel including:
Vaccinations and medication
Malaria prophylaxis and bite avoidance
Safe sex
Food Hygiene
Sun Protection
First aid and emergency medication
Health insurance
Clinical Practice Leadership
o
Monitor and maintain the consistency of
professional standards set.
o
Take appropriate action if standards are not
being met.
o
Recognises the development needs of others and
take appropriate action.
o
Lead a team towards common objectives.
o
Assist in clinical audit and the setting and
monitoring of standards of care.
o
Teach and direct others in clinical setting,
including unqualified staff.
o
Act as an assessor/mentor and teacher to other
staff.
o
Work effectively in the team.
Clinical Practice Development
o
Participate in evidence based practice.
o
Be aware of current evidence based approaches to
patient care and demonstrate this in practice.
o
Demonstrate clinical expertise in practice.
o
Ensure clinical supervision is in place for
nursing staff.
