Advanced Nurse Practitioner Frailty

Job responsibilities

Lead the FEAT and champion evidence base interventions

Conduct comprehensive geriatric assessments using appropriate tools

Monitor medication use and adjust treatment plans as required, autonomously working within scope of practice and in line with prescribing competencies.

Exercise advanced clinical reasoning to diagnose, treat, and manage patients without direct input from a medical practitioner, recognising own professional boundaries and seeking senior clinical support when required.

Provide expert management of frailty syndromes, dementia, delirium, polypharmacy, falls risk and end of life needs.

Escalate concerns appropriately and initiate urgent or emergency interventions when required.

Identify when clinical presentations fall outside of scope of practice and escalate appropriately to GP or senior clinicians.

Work closely with GPs, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Care Co-ordinators, Social Prescribers and Community Nursing Team

Attend and lead the MDT meetings and case reviews

Support patients and families in understanding and managing frailty

Promote lifestyle and self management strategies to optimise health and independence

Functions at a high level to carry out clinical decision making such as diagnosing and managing patients without input from a medical practitioner remaining within scope of a professional practice

Functions at a high level in relation to communication skills through patient consultation and nursing assessment of physical, psychological and social needs.

Completing proactive, individualised clinical management plans for care home residents improving their health experience and reducing unnecessary and potentially harmful hospital admissions

Conduct regular care plan reviews

Identify patients in need of palliative support and facilitate advanced care planning discussions with patients and families

Communicating with distressed, anxious, worried patients and relatives

Caring for patients and relatives following receipt of bad news and supporting them in identifying realistic expectations in relation to clinical conditions

Communicating and caring for patients who have reduced understanding and insight due to cognitive impairments

Participate/lead weekly enhanced care home reviews

Undertake daily acute care home visits requested through our clinical triage system identifying clinical emergencies, deteriorating patients or patients at risk of deterioration ensuring appropriate action

Participate in regular clinical supervision, reflective practice and case-based discussions to maintain safe, effective and autonomous practice

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 generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• 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 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 right.

Personal/Professional Development:

The postholder will participate in all training programmes implemented by the Practice, including annual performance reviews and competency assessments, and will take responsibility for their own ongoing development, learning and performance.

They will maintain a comprehensive professional portfolio demonstrating autonomous clinical practice, clinical supervision, CPD and reflective learning, ensuring that clinical competencies required for safe autonomous practice in frailty care are continually met.

The postholder will contribute to clinical governance activities such as audits, incident reviews and quality improvement initiatives, while engaging in regular clinical supervision and reflective discussions to support safe, accountable practice. They will also support the development of colleagues by sharing specialist frailty knowledge, offering mentorship and demonstrating skills and activities to others undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice and will 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 and recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in advanced clinical Practice
• Registered Nurse on the NMC register
• Non-medical prescriber

Desirable

• Specialist knowledge within frailty
• Digital Badge

Personal skills and attributes

Essential

• Advanced communication skills
• Ability to work as an autonomous Practitioner
• Able to work on own initiative
• Must be personable, polite and approachable
• Must be a team player
• Must be adaptable to change
• Commitment to ongoing training and education to develop clinical skills

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrate high level of competence/advanced skills in clinical examination and diagnosis
• Interpret pathology/radiology results/reports and action where appropriate
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, providing enhanced discussions with patients and families regarding end of life wishes/planning
• Familiar with the complex geriatric assessment, 4AT, GPCOG
• Knowledge in EMIS clinical system
• Knowledge of the Accurx system
• Effective time management skills

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care setting would be beneficial
• Experience of working with frail/elderly patients at an advanced level

Job related requirements

Essential

• Have the ability to prioritise workload
• Able to work under pressure and remain calm
• Excellent attendance record
• Full clean driving licence

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).