Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main duties of the job

Delivery of high quality, patient-focussed practice nursing services for our diverse list 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.

You will be responsible for a range of clinical areas including wound dressings, immunisations, as well as developing, implementing and evaluating programmes that promote health and well-being, and prevent adverse effects that are detrimental to health. Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients with long-term conditions, and identify and manage patients at risk of developing a long-term condition. Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or challenging situations. Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that encourage good health, deliver opportunistic health promotion at all times and support the principles of self-care.

Requirements

• You must be NMC registered, have excellent communication skills written and oral, be friendly, dynamic, outgoing, committed to on-going training and development, and want to enjoy the role.
• Both a team player and confident/competent to work on your own initiative.
• Nursing experience in primary or secondary care.

What we offer

• The position is up to 20 hours/week with 25 days annual leave pro rata.
• An additional day of holiday for your Birthday!
• Competitive salary with opportunities for progression (aligned to experience and skills).
• NHS Pension.
• Monday to Friday operations (occasional Saturday morning clinics).
• Parking on site.
• Free tea and coffee.
• On-going training and development.
• Other Practice Benefits including a performance recognition scheme.

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, ideally with a particular interest in respiratory disease management.

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

Such tasks may include:

1. Respiratory disease checks.
2. Routine immunisations.
3. Requesting basic pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs.
4. Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate.

Other tasks may include:

1. Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
2. Undertaking housekeeping duties including general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms.
3. Participation in administrative systems in the Practice.
4. A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks.
5. Attend and participate in any Practice and Nurse Meetings when required.
6. 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.

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.

Person Specification

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.

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 and interest in respiratory disease.
• Experience of facilitating clinical supervision.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Combe Down Surgery

Address

The Avenue

Combe Down

Bath

BA2 5EG

Employer's website

https://www.combedownsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)