Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job summary

The delivery of high quality, patient-focused Practice Nursing services for our diverse listing of patients. The role will be in supporting patients to be healthy, management of long-term conditions, health prevention and screening as well as providing nursing assistance to the doctors and other members of the primary healthcare team.

Job responsibilities

a) To have a thorough knowledge of all practice procedures, clinical and IT systems and work in accordance with written protocols.

b) Based on competencies support the team in the delivery of long-term condition management and take responsibility for certain clinical elements.

c) Assist in and perform a variety of nursing tasks related to patient care.

Such tasks may include:-

1. Basic wound care / ulcer care
2. Removal of sutures
3. General patient health checks
4. Learning Disability health checks
5. Cardiovascular disease checks
6. Urinalysis
7. ECGs
8. Peak flow readings
9. Venepuncture
10. Blood pressure measurements
11. Ear syringing
12. Routine immunisations
13. Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
14. Assisting GPs with minor surgery and contraceptive implant fittings and removals
15. Requesting basic pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
16. Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate

Other tasks which may include:-

1. Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the Nurses and GPs
2. Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking, and rotating items as required
3. Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
4. Undertake housekeeping duties including general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
5. Ordering and maintaining Health Promotion Literature
6. Ordering of stock
7. Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
8. A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks
9. Attend and participate in any Practice and Nurse Meetings when required.
10. Undertake home visits
11. Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

Special Requirements of the Post:

1. An understanding, acceptance, and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
2. Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness, and common sense.
3. A commitment to maintain a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post.
4. A commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problems to the Practice Business Manager
5. A commitment to the effective use of Practice and NHS resources.
6. An awareness of own limitations and experience.
7. To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the Scope of Professional Practice
8. To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up-to-date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC
9. Membership of the RCN

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 healthcare 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 healthcare 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, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace 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
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training
• 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
• Provide documentation in line with professional requirements

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 with other team members
• Communicate effectively 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
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audits where appropriate

Other

This job description may change in the light of developments within the role and/or within the Practice, national policies or personnel factors and will then be subject to amendments in consultation with the post holder.

Experience

Essential

• Pre-registration experience in the clinical field or a closely related clinical area
• Working as part of a wider multidisciplinary team
• Working in primary, secondary or community care based teams

Desirable

• Working as a Practice Nurse
• Experience of facilitating clinical supervision

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING
• Theoretical and clinical knowledge appropriate to service area and profession.
• Knowledge of relevant current issues in health and social care.
• Knowledge of Standards of Conduct.
• Demonstrates awareness of limits to knowledge base.
• PRACTICAL & INTELLECTUAL SKILLS
• Performs test / procedures / diagnostics relevant to clinical role proficiently.
• Analytical and creative problem solving skills.
• Workload management including delegation of tasks.
• Competent IT skills e.g. word processing, email in order to maintain electronic patient records.
• Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex or potentially distressing information to patients / carers.
• Risk assessment skills.
• Reflective practice skills.
• Able to research, understand and evaluate evidence in order to contribute to practice development.
• Basic understanding of clinical governance and quality measures.
• ATTITUDE & BEHAVIOUR
• Displays care, compassion, sensitivity and responsiveness to other peoples feelings and needs.
• Able to work as part of a team, co-operating to work together and in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate appreciating the value of diversity in the workplace.
• Able to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation and with patients and their carers.
• Able to work under pressure, dealing with peaks and troughs in workload.
• Positive and flexible attitude to dealing with change; able to respond to the changing needs of the patient in an appropriate and timely manner;
• willing to change and accept change and to explore new ways of doing things and approaches.
• Highly motivated and reliable.
• Demonstrates values consistent with those of the Practice.
• Has a strong degree of personal integrity; able to adhere to standards of conduct based on a culture of equality and fairness.
• Car owner/driver or suitable alternative transport to enable you to undertake the job (it is unlikely that public transport will meet this requirement).
• Reasonable adjustments can be considered in accordance to the Equality Act 2010.

Desirable

• PRACTICAL & INTELLECTUAL SKILLS
• Experience in research and/or clinical audit.

Qualifications

Essential

• 1st Level Registered Nurse - Applicants must be able to demonstrate through their application forms and the interview process that they are competent to undertake this role, irrespective of the branch of Nursing for which they originally trained.
• Professional degree or diploma in relevant field.
• Appropriate statutory professional body registration.
• Must be willing to participate in any relevant training identified to develop skills required to carry out duties.
• Maintains a portfolio of CPD in line with regulatory body standards.

Desirable

• Supporting Learning in Practice (SLIP) or equivalent.
• Qualification in or working towards competency in the management of a long term condition/conditions.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).