Lead Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Professional and Managerial Role

• Understand own role and scope within the Practice, responding to changes
• Hold regular team meetings to maintain lines of communication
• Attend and contribute to relevant internal and external meetings as required
• Provision and promotion of evidence-based practice
• Remaining up to date with pertinent health policies, work with the practice team to consider the impact and the strategies for implementation
• Monitor effectiveness of clinical practice through quality assurance strategies such as clinical audit and peer reviews
• To provide clinical leadership within the nursing team, directing and supporting others through relevant change and new ways of working
• To develop the clinical staff within their roles, ensuring appropriate mentoring and support to maximise staff performance
• To organise and co-ordinate the provision of nursing services for the Practice, to include the appropriate delegation of duties, rota, holiday, appropriate training and study leave.
• Development and maintenance of relevant policies and protocols that are within the Lead Practice Nurse role responsibility, appropriate delegation of above to other personnel, also ensuring they are maintaining such policy and protocol
• Line manages staff members according to the Practice organisational plan.
• Work with the Head of Clinical Services to maximise all areas of income for the Practice.
• Minimise expenditure for the Practice whilst ensuring high standards of care are provided
• Develop, deliver and maintain primary nurse led services including long term conditions, maintaining disease registers in liaison with administrative staff
• Have oversight of the Infection, prevention control within the Practice, audits are performed in a timely manner and ensuring that changes and updates are reflected in the policies.
• To ensure effective communication links between IPC clinical leads, links and Facilities Manager.
• Ensuring any changes to policies are cascaded accordingly to the relevant practice team.

Performance Appraisal

• Provide ongoing performance management, feedback and development to their team. Conduct annual and interim appraisal meetings and completion of appraisal documentation.

Employee Relations

• Taking a lead role and pro-actively manage staffing issues for them under the Practices procedures and pro-actively managing all staffing issues.

Absence Management

• To actively manage all cases of absence, conducting return to work interviews and ensuring any resulting actions are taken. To undertake absence review meetings as required with the support of the Executive Manager.

Clinical

• Make professional autonomous decisions for which the post holder is accountable for and to provide and promote safe, effective and cost-efficient individualised patient care
• Where necessary evaluate patients test results in conjunction with the patient and their GP and ensure the appropriate course of treatment is initiated.
• Communicate effectively with patients/families/carers regarding information about their care and considering the equality and diversity needs and preferences of said population.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records using the practice clinic system (SystmOne)
• Protect and promote the health and well-being of patients, their relatives and carers through advice, education, screening and signposting to appropriate agencies when required
• Undertake clinics and offer focused lifestyle advice in line with local, national guidance and quality outcome framework indicators
• Manage programmes of care for patients with long term conditions and other practice nurse duties by providing and evaluation care under agreed guidelines and patient group directives. These may include but not exhaustive of:

o Diabetes

o Cardiovascular disease

o Asthma, COPD

o Contraception and Sexual Health

o Adult and childhood immunisations

o Learning disabilities

o Difficult to reach service users

o Dementia

o Cervical Screening

o Anticoagulation monitoring

o Wound Care

o Travel Health

• Signpost effectively to other clinicians and agencies when appropriate.

Infection Prevention and Control

• To help create and maintain an environment which will reduce the risk of infection to patients, their relatives, carers and healthcare workers.
• Represent members of their team and pass on concerns raised about infection prevention and control in order to quickly resolve them.
• Undertake regular infection control audits as required within their working environment.
• Participate in surveillance or monitoring of key indicators (i.e., MRSA, CDI, MSSA and E. coli).
• Willing to participate/lead in the Infection Prevention training of staff if appropriate.
• To be knowledgeable regarding the purchase/introduction and use of equipment in their clinical area in relation to:
• Infection control hazards
• Care and maintenance of the equipment
• Decontamination and storage
• Be prepared to work with others as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to Infection Prevention and Control (i.e., local Infection Prevention Nurse, Public Health England and local Environmental Health).
• Work with the domestic staff to develop an effective and coordinated approach to infection prevention and control in their area.
• Be willing to be involved in approved research/evidence-based initiatives, to assess the impact of new and existing policies and make recommendations for change in line with new directives, legislation and evidence.
• Ensure the effective dissemination of information is provided to work colleagues.
• Ensure that Infection Control Policies and Procedures are implemented and followed at all times
• Attend Infection Control training conferences/workshops/seminars/local IPC meetings and disseminate information relating to infection prevention and control to their work colleagues.
• To be an integral part of governance and safety structures.
• Produce annual statements.
• All Infection Prevention and Control Link Champions as part of personal development are expected to attend IPC link meetings, training, workshops, conferences, and seminars.

Teaching and Mentoring

• Promote a learning environment and assist with the planning and implementation of teaching and for staff and other health professionals, including pre- registration Student Nurses/Registrars.
• Contribute to planning and implementing peer review and other educational opportunities within the Practice.
• Mentor and support other staff in developing and maintaining clinical skills.
• Disseminate learning and information to the relevant Practice teams

Quality

• 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
• Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards.

Public Health

• To support public health campaigns.
• To provide specialist knowledge on all public health programmes available to the general public.

Communication

• To be aware of data protection issues.
• To liaise effectively with other health professionals both inside and outside the organisation, with regard to accepting and making clinical referrals.
• Communicate effectively with patients and relatives, considering differences in language, literacy and culture.

Training & Personal Development

• To undertake all personal training required to fulfil the current job role, and all future requirements relevant to this job description.
• To provide training to any identified personnel requiring instruction as identified by the Practice.
• Manage own time effectively, plan and meet personal and Practice targets.
• Ensure own personal development through reflection and feedback from Partners and colleagues.
• Ensure that personal continuing training needs are identified and met.
• Take part in a personal annual appraisal with Head of Clinical Services.

Please see attached job description for full details

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of effective team working
• Understanding of evidence-based practice
• Understanding of the NHS/ Primary Care services and the National standards that inform practice (IE PCN, QOF, NHS Long term plan)
• Understanding of their accountability arising from the relevant Professional/Governing Body.
• Understanding of equal opportunity and diversity issues
• Knowledge of confidentiality in the workplace/ information governance.

Desirable

• Understanding of systems to gain understanding of the health needs of the practice population as they relate to Primary Care

Skills

Essential

• A conscientious and reflective Clinical Practitioner.
• Confident in the accurate analysis of data and information; and identifying implications for the individual patient/impact on care plan.
• The ability to take responsibility for the day the day to day running of the Nursing practice team
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure, excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise workload
• Proficient in the use of MS Office, Word, Excel, SystmOne and or other Clinical Software
• Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills demonstrating an ability to engage and communicate with individuals and groups,
• Able to lead and manage, motivate a team in occasionally a pressured environment.
• A Strategic thinker
• Ability to manage change

Additional requirements

Essential

• Commitment to continuing professional development of self and others.
• A flexible and adaptable approach to maintain the consistent delivery of high-quality services
• Able to maintain the consistent delivery of high-quality services.
• Satisfactory completion of an enhanced check through the Vetting and Barring Service (this will be taken up if offered the post).
• Legal Right to work in the UK
• A commitment to anti-discriminatory practices in employment, training and service delivery.
• An understanding of Health and Safety responsibilities.
• Flexibility in working hours.
• Vaccinated or willing to be vaccinated for Hep B, MMR, Covid 19 and other relevant employment vaccinations programmes.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse (Registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council)
• Teaching/Mentoring qualification or qualification by experience to Diploma/Degree Module Level)

Desirable

• Independent Nurse Prescriber Qualification
• Adult and Child Immunisation -recently updated
• Accredited Qualification in Contraception and Sexual Health
• Accredited Qualification in Diabetes Care
• Accredited Qualification in Asthma / COPD
• Cervical Cytology (registered and updated within the last 3 years)

Experience

Essential

• Recent and relevant experience in Primary Care
• Post registration experience (Minimum 5 years).
• Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of own clinic practice
• Evidence of capacity to work successfully autonomous and as part of a team
• Maintenance of up-to-date skills, knowledge and understanding; and on-going competence in all aspects of Primary Care.
• Current and relevant experience of managing health care teams in General Practice
• Evidence of capacity to work successfully, both as an autonomous practitioner and as part of a team
• Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of and others own clinical practice
• Understanding of infection prevention and control measures in clinical practice

Desirable

• Understand, interpret and help implement local and national guidelines

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).