Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

For a full job description and person specification, please see the document attached to this advertisement.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Assist and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by the lead nurse and GPs. Such tasks may include (list not exclusive):

Interest in long term condition management and willing to undertake chronic disease training including diabetes, vascular and respiratory disease

Administration of childhood and adult vaccinations

Running well person clinics and health promotions programmes, facilitating change by providing assessment and lifestyle advice on diet, smoking, alcohol intake and exercise

Contribute to Quality and Outcomes Framework and other quality indicators as appropriate

Perform holistic assessment of patients and attending for cervical cytology smear tests

Perform venepuncture according to local guidelines

Provide holistic approach to wound management and implement would care in line with current evidence-based guidelines including the use of Doppler and leg ulcer management

Assessing problems presented opportunistically by patients, dealing with minor illness

Assist patients to identify their health needs, incorporating the use of care plans

• Removal of Sutures
• New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• Hypertension Management

Requesting pathology tests

• Contraception

Offer a holistic approach to travel health by providing comprehensive advice to patients prior to travel

• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs
• Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
• Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
• A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within a range of assigned tasks
• On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visits

Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

Special Requirements of the Post:

• To have completed, or be willing to complete, chronic disease training
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness and common sense
• 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
• A commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problems to the practice manager
• A commitment to the effective use of practice and NHS resources
• An awareness of own limitations and experience
• To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the scope of professional practice
• To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up to date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC
• Cooperate with annual appraisal meetings

Governance:

• Undertake DBS check at regular intervals
• Able to recognise and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines
• Able to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines
• Ability to obtain and document informed consent (either verbal or written)
• Ensure infection control guidelines are maintained and contribute to infection control audits and policies
• Ensure awareness of statutory and local protection procedures, including systems of referral
• Support the Practice clinical governance agenda
• Identify changes to clinical practice that are required to implement evidence-based guidelines

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures Work within all NCPC policies and procedures

• Aware of identification and reporting procedures related to professional standards
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the scope of professional practice
• To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up to date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC
• Cooperate with annual appraisal meetings

Health & safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control 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 (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 recognizes 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.

Identify patterns of discrimination and take action to overcome this and promote diversity and equality of opportunity Support people who need assistance in exercising rights Monitor and evaluate adherence to local chaperoning policies Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care Assist patients from marginalised groups to access quality care

Safeguarding of Children & Vulnerable Adults:

• To adhere to the principals of effective safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults

Training / Personal/professional development:

• Please see the attached job description for more information about personal development

Please see the attached job description for information on Quality, Communication, Administration and Education and Confidentiality

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 audit where appropriate

Experience

Essential

• - Knowledge of needs of patients with long term conditions
• - Knowledge of chronic disease management
• - Aware of accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse led service
• - Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• - Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care
• - Knowledge of patient group directives and associated policies
• - Evidence of appropriate continuing professional development
• - Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of own practice

Desirable

• - Minimum 2 years post-registration experience
• - Ability to identify determinants on health in the local area
• - Chronic disease diplomas in Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Diabetes or vascular management
• - Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• - Awareness of local national health policy
• - Awareness of issues in the wider health economy
• - Knowledge or experience in Audit participation and CQC Compliance
• - Mentor/teaching qualification

Skills, Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• - Communication skills, both written and verbal
• - Ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families
• - Change management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle
• - Negotiation and conflict
• - IT Skills
• - Uses own initiative
• - Independent and team work
• - Negotiation and conflict management skills
• - Ability to collect, analyse and interpret data and to use that information to promote good patient care
• - An understanding , acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• - Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense
• - Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload
• - Evidence and ability to grasp new concepts and work on a self-directed basis
• - Able to work under pressure in a changing environment
• - Ability to self-direct/motivate, organise and prioritise own workload
• - Empathy for the health care / public service environment
• - Enthusiastic, adaptable, innovative, forward looking
• - Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team
• - Strategic thinking with vision
• - Personable, hardworking, reliable and resourceful
• - Get on well with people at all levels

Desirable

• - Clinical Skills cervical cytology, immunisation and vaccination, ear care, minor surgery, travel health, BLS, Spirometry, childhood immunisations
• - Experience of using Emis Web, ICE, INR Star, Blue Stream, Intradoc.
• - Flexible to work at desired times including late evenings etc

Qualifications

Essential

• - RGN/RN
• -Basic IT skills

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).