Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

To assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients, to include treatment, preventative care, screening, and patient education.

Duties and Responsibilities of Post

• Provide assessment, screening treatment, services and health education advice.
• Assist with the organisation and co-ordination of the provision of nursing services for the practice.
• Provide nursing treatment to patients in participation with general practitioners, using agreed protocols, including the taking of cervical smears.

• Provide general and specific health screening to the practice patients (within the agreed protocols) with referral to general practitioners as necessary.
• Be competent in administration of childhood immunisation and travel vaccination.
• Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis
• Work with patients in order to support compliance with, and adherence to, prescribed treatments.
• Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter medication, medication regimes, side-effects and interactions
• Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles, and apply principles of self-care.
• Implement and participate in vaccination and immunisation programmes for both adults and children.
• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients with known long-term conditions as appropriate.
• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the NMC.
• Produce accurate, contemporaneous, and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.
• Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care
• Maintain and control injectable and oral drug stocks in the treatment room and doctors surgeries.

• Advise manager regarding health and safety aspects. Pathological specimens and investigatory procedures
• Undertake the collection of pathological specimens, including intravenous blood samples, swabs, smears, etc.
• Oversee the duties undertaken by the HCA and assist with training and mentoring as and when required.
• Assist in the formulation of practice philosophy, strategy and policy.
• Be Tissue Viability Lead for the Practice
• Professional Development
  • Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary with the nurse manager for professional development.
  • Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (including courses and conferences)
  • Assess own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate

Qualifications

Essential

• Registration:
• Current NMC registration first level nurse essential or Current HCPC registration.
• Academic / Vocational Qualifications:
• Registered first level nurse , Clinical supervision training and experience, Non-medical Prescriber.

Desirable

• Desirable:
• Relevant nursing/health degree , Mentor/teaching qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of needs of patients with long-term conditions.
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Aware of accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse-led service.
• Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care.
• Knowledge of patient group directions and associated policy.
• Clinical skills cervical cytology, immunisation and vaccination, ear care.
• Change-management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle.
• Good Communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families.
• Negotiation and conflict management skills.
• IT skills - EMIS Web clinical system experience.
• Minimum 2 years post-registration experience.
• At least 1 year recent primary and community nursing experience.
• Management of long-term conditions.
• Involvement in implementing and using protocols and clinical guidelines.
• Experience of audit.

Desirable

• Ability to identify determinants on health in the local area.
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area.
• Awareness of local and national health policy.
• Awareness of issues within the wider health economy.
• Diabetic management.
• Family planning.
• Respiratory care.
• Participation in quality initiatives such as clinical benchmarking.
• Relevant nursing/health degree.
• Mentor/teaching qualification.

Qualities and attributes

Essential

• Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary from more senior management when appropriate.
• Able to present confidently and persuasively to small and large groups.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work flexibly as part of a team.
• Self-directed practitioner.
• Highly motivated.
• Flexibility.
• Enthusiasm.
• Ability to work across boundaries.

Desirable

• Ability to present complex information appropriately to senior level board meetings, e.g. Power Point presentations.
• Highly proficient in the use of standard office software packages.

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).