Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities:

Clinical Nursing Practice

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver safe and high quality care.
• Carries out clinical nursing practice at an advanced level using expert clinical skills, critical judgements & knowledge to deliver appropriate and safe care.
• Delivery of care in line with NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care
• Triage and treat patients, performing specialist assessment of their needs and make referrals as necessary to other members of the primary and secondary health care teams as appropriate.
• Co-ordinate the planning and delivery of care ensuring patients and carers/relatives are involved.
• Prescribing and reviewing medication that is appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with latest evidence-based practice, national and practice protocols and within the scope of qualified practice.
• Diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions, including drug and non-drug based treatment methods into a management plan.
• Request diagnostic investigations and interpret within agreed protocols e.g. x-ray, blood tests, scans, etc.
• Assess, diagnose and treat patients in practice premises or their own home who require medical attention and/or refer to appropriate agency.
• Refers patients to other members of the multi-disciplinary practice teams, secondary care organisations and other organisations as necessary.

Care Management

• Communicates confidential and sensitive information to patients, relatives and carers in relation to their condition.
• Provide highly specialised care advice beyond the scope of normal Nursing practice e.g. care treatment plans, making referrals as appropriate (including fast track referrals).
• Contribute to local and national practice targets clinical remit e.g. QOF, prescribing incentive scheme, National benchmarking.
• To monitor and meet care outcomes against standards and recommend or initiate changes as necessary.

Health Improvement

• Management of health screening programmes and ensures other team members are aware of health priorities and screening objectives and programmes.
• Innovation in practice to meet ongoing demands on the practice’s delivery of care.
• Improve health outcomes for patients by introducing new developments, and can demonstrate them as reports and presentations where appropriate.
• Supports practitioners in reporting the practice population to promote health improvement and disease prevention.
• Makes referrals to appropriate agencies (statutory and voluntary) where necessary
• Providing assessment, screening services, health education advice:

These may include (but not restricted to);

• Blood pressure checks
• Urinalysis
• Ear syringing
• Dressings
• Contraception/ fitting contraceptive devices
• Routine immunisations and vaccinations
• Removal of sutures / clips
• First registration checks / health surveillance / general health advice
• Assisting with minor procedures in the treatment room
• Organise and plan the provision of nursing services for the practice to include the delegation of duties to other members of the practice nurse team as appropriate

Administration and professional responsibilities

• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team
• Accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patient’s notes
• Ensure clinical systems kept up to date, recording and/or amending accurate details
• Ensure appropriate items of service claims are made accurately, reporting any problems to the practice administrator
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required
• Restocking and maintenance of clinical areas and consulting rooms

Training and personal development

• Maintain up to date skills and knowledge, maintaining awareness of professional issues at an advanced level.
• Training needs will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice.
• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self-reflection and peer review, as well as benchmarking and formal evaluation.
• Contribute to the identification and assessment of learning needs of staff and other professionals and assist in planning effective programmes of education.
• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the introduction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate.
• Contribute to the development and maintain an in house nurse-training programme reporting to the practice manager.
• Act as a mentor for junior staff, assessing competence against set standards.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work and ensure own educational commitment is at least sufficient to maintain revalidation requirements.
• Develop and maintain a Personal Learning Plan.
• Regularly participate in clinical supervision.

Leadership – personal and people development

• Act as a clinical leader in the delivery of practice nursing services ensuring that the needs of the patient are a priority
• Support staff development in order to maximise potential
• Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice
• Critically evaluate and review innovations and developments that are relevant to the area of work
• Work with practice management to ensure sufficient staffing to provide a safe service, and that staff have the appropriate ability, quality and skill-mix to meet current and future service delivery
• Take part in recruitment processes where appropriate.
• Maintain effective communication and active involvement in the planning and processes of practice-based commissioning or similar initiatives
• Promote the role of the advanced nurse practitioner in general practice.

Manage, supervise, co-ordinate and guide the nursing team

• To manage the nursing service in participation with the Nurse lead, ensuring relevant information is disseminated to and from the nursing staff
• In participation with the Nurse lead, carry out yearly appraisals of all the nursing staff and produce a training programme
• Ensure adequate nursing cover is provided while within the practice guidelines, keeping the nurse lead informed of any problems
• Develop and maintain practice policies and protocols for all nursing activity
• To support in the management of infection control in the practice and ensure all staff are aware of current procedures
• Ensure agreed practice audits are carried out
• Ensure the practice manager is aware of any matters arising or problems / potential problems
• Ensure all surgery-produced nursing leaflets are kept up to date
• Produce a six-monthly nursing newsletter for patients

Quality Requirements:

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 team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patient’s needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Experience

Essential

• Working autonomously in an advanced nursing role
• Non medical prescriber
• Minimum of one years experience doing triage

Desirable

• - Experience of working within a primary care or General Practice
• - Experience of case management
• - Nurse led triage

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• - Clinical leadership skills
• - Communication skills, both written and verbal
• - Communication of difficult
• - Messages to patients and families
• - Negotiation and conflict
• - Management skills
• - Change management
• - Teaching and mentorship in a clinical setting
• - Resource management
• - Advanced clinical practice skills
• - Management of patients with long term condition
• - Management of patients with complex needs
• - Clinical examination skills
• - Accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse-led service
• - Local and national health policy
• - Wider health economy
• - Clinical governance issues in primary care

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered first level nurse MSc or equivalent
• Relevant nursing/health degree
• Independent prescribing qualification
• 2 years experience in triage
• Long term conditions qualification

Desirable

• Mentor/teaching qualification

Communication Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and
• organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and persuade others articulating a balanced view and able to constructively question information
• Ability to negotiate effectively
• Build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders which are based on openness, honesty trust and confidence

Desirable

• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
• evidence of inspiring and motivating teams with the ability to communicate passionately, effectively and persuasively across a diverse set of stakeholders

Analytical skills

Essential

• Ability to analyse and interpret complex/ often incomplete information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues

Desirable

• independent thinker with good judgement, problem-solving and analytical Experience of clinical audits

Personal attributes and abilities

Essential

• Strong and inspirational leadership
• Ability to co-ordinate and prioritise workloads able to multi-task as well as be self- disciplined and highly motivated
• Excellent time keeping skills
• Commitment to quality and best practice
• Flexible and adaptable
• Team player

Desirable

• high degree of personal credibility, emotional intelligence, patience and flexibility
• ability to cope with unpredictable situations
• confident in facilitating and challenging others
• demonstrates a flexible approach in order to ensure patient care is delivered

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).