Lead Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

The Lead Practice Nurse will be responsible for the management of the practice nursing team, consisting of nurses and HCAs. The role is to support, mentor, and supervise new-to-practice nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organisation and across the wider network to enhance integration with community, secondary, and social care services.

The postholder supports public health and screening programmes, including infection prevention and control, chronic disease management, immunisations, health promotion and prevention, well man/woman clinics and cervical screening. Furthermore, they embed population health management approaches within general practice, targeting health inequalities and improving access.

The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team, as well as supporting the wider practice nurse network and multi-disciplinary team. As a senior member of the practice leadership team, the post-holder will ensure nursing services are delivered effectively to the entitled patient population, working closely with the practice manager and GPs to deliver the practice priorities. They are to participate in formal training events and to promote best practice in their area of expertise as well as supporting the practice management team in the reviewing and delivery of clinical policy and procedure.

The Lead Practice Nurse will be responsible for the implementation of processes for the effective management of patients with long-term conditions using evidence-based practice including care for elderly and housebound patients.

This organisation must ensure that the post-holder has access to appropriate clinical supervision and an appropriately named individual in the organisation to provide general advice and support on a day-to-day basis. Further information on clinical supervision can be sought within the organisations Clinical Supervision Policy.

Generic responsibilities

All staff at this organisation have a duty to conform to the following:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF) - The organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety.

The post-holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines.

All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.

All personnel are to comply with the:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Environmental Protection Act 1990

Environment Act 1995

Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999

Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention

Confidentiality - The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times.

It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service.

Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI) - To preserve and improve the quality of this organisations outputs, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work.

The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within this practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and collaborate with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care.

This organisation continually strives to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts, and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice. All staff are to contribute to investigations and root cause analyses whilst participating in serious incident investigations and multidisciplinary case reviews.

Induction - We will provide a full induction programme, and management will support you throughout the process.

Learning and development - The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post-holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.

The post-holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post-holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.

Collaborative working - All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.

Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments, and the post-holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and to work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery

Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner. All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.

Managing information - All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information.

Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

Service delivery - Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

The post holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to.

Security - The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post-holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.

Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.

Professional conduct, uniforms and appearance -All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role and in accordance with the organisations Uniforms, Dress and Appearance Policy. All staff members are to ensure that their conduct is commensurate with line management expectations and practice protocol.

Leave - All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure to encourage staff to take all their leave entitlement.

Public holidays will be calculated on a pro-rated basis dependent on the number of hours worked.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council)
• Holds more than one academic Level 6 diploma or postgraduate certification in long-term conditions care and/or public health initiatives.
• Has evidence of working at an enhanced level of practice as described in the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework.
• Broad knowledge of general practice.
• Experience of chronic disease management.
• Experience of working autonomously.
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures.
• Experience of Practice Nurse skills including wound care, ECG, venepuncture and new patient medicals.
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly.
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based practice.
• Ability to promote best practice regarding nursing matters.
• Good clinical system IT knowledge and has an ability to record accurate clinical notes .
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisation skills with the ability to constructively challenge the view and practices of managers and clinicians.
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children.
• Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP surgeries, QOF and enhanced service.
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient.
• Effective time management (planning and organising).
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and professional policies/local policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet.
• Understand the requirements for PGDs and associated policy.
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures.
• Effectively utilise resources.
• Clear, polite telephone manner.
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Occupational Health clearance.
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for professional revalidation.
• Evidence of CPD commensurate with the role.
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.

Desirable

• Has demonstrable experience in leading Asthma/COPD long-term conditions management and quality improvement.
• Mentor or teaching qualification.
• Completed or working towards formal infection prevention and control training.
• Experience of quality initiatives, i.e., benchmarking.
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients.
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationship between individual organisations, PCNs and the commissioners.
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance.
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area.
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena and knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Knowledge of national standards that inform general practice (NSF NICE guidelines).
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required.
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet.
• Effectively utilise resources.

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).