Job responsibilities
LINGWELL CROFT SURGERY
JOB DESCRIPTION
PRACTICE NURSE
Hours: 30-37 hours per week (Job share considered)
Salary scale: Equivalent AfC band 5/6 (dependent upon experience)
Duration: Permanent (with 3-month probationary period)
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:
To be part of a nursing team responsible for ensuring that the practice provides an optimum service of nursing care relevant to the patient population; working to agreed protocols.
Main duties and responsibilities to include the following:
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Meeting patients nursing care needs as identified, or where care has been transferred to the nurse by a GP. This will usually be in the surgery but occasional home visits may also be required.
- Initiating and maintaining health screening and promotion clinics for identified areas of the practice population, recognizing where modification of systems or referral is necessary.
- Managing the nursing care of patients with chronic disease. Accurate and efficient input of data for GMS contract purposes is also required.
Long Term Conditions
Nurses to be qualified in at least one of the following long-term conditions or be studying towards one or more:
Diabetes:
Initiates the process of diagnosis of patients with suspected diabetes
Manages patients newly diagnosed with diabetes under protocols
Undertakes annual review of patients understanding and ability to self-manage
Refers to dieticians, chiropodist and diabetes and specialist nurses
Maintains a disease register
Audits outcomes of care against standards and initiate changes as necessary
Cardiovascular Disease:
Works with patients to set action plans for changes of lifestyle
Provides support for patients by assessing interventions and treatments
Respiratory Care:
Manages newly diagnosed patients with asthma and COPD
Maintains a disease register
Work within agreed local guidelines to manage patients with asthma, aiding diagnosis, reviewing inhaler technique and advising on treatment changes
Clinical Nursing Practice:
Assess, plan, provide and evaluate nursing care to meet the care needs of individuals and groups in the practice population
Assess, diagnose and treat specific diseases in accordance with agreed medical/nursing protocols
Undertake diagnostic, health screening, health surveillance and therapeutic interventions within a broader health promotion/public health strategy
Wound care including compression
Womens health including cervical screening and contraception
Care and Programme Management:
Develop profile of the practice population in order to initiate, contribute and promote improved health and prevent disease in individuals and groups
Initiate and carry out programmes of health screening
Manage programmes of care for patients with acute and chronic diseases by planning, providing and evaluating care
Support and enable individuals, carers, groups and communities to take action to meet their priorities for health
Vaccinations and immunisations of babies, children and adults.
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 health care 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 health care 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 work place 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 recognises 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
- Complete regular mandatory training sessions as requested by the practice providing certificates to the practice manager as proof of completion.
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 recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively and courteously with other team members
- Communicate effectively and courteously with patients and carers
- Recognise 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
- Work towards continuous improvement in the service delivery for patients
- Attend and participate in practice meetings where appropriate