Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities:

Complex Wound Management

· Provide the diagnosis, management plan and treatment of leg ulcers using Doppler Assessment.

· Perform wound care using aseptic technique

· Undertaken uncomplicated dressings, including leg ulcers

· Undertake suture and clip removal

Screening

· Undertake opportunistic screening – BP checks, Height, weight, BMI, Urinalysis, smoking status.

· Undertake opportunistic venepuncture, well person checks and new patient medicals.

Health Promotion

· Recognise patients’ readiness to change in supporting their attempts to change unhealthy behaviour.

· Provide healthy eating advice to individuals or group, including the underweight.

· Provide smoking cessation advice individually in opportunistic consultations.

· Provide advice to patients about increasing activity and exercise.

· Offer advice on recommended safe limits for alcohol consumption.

Vaccinations and Immunisations

· Provide adult and childhood immunisation service

· Maintain a call and recall of patients

· Develop Practice Protocols

· Develop and works to Patient Group Directions for POM.

· Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs.

Travel Health Advice

· Offer holistic approach to travel health including comprehensive advice for patients prior to travel including

o Vaccinations and medications

o Malaria prophylaxis and bite avoidance

o Safe sex

o Food hygiene

o Sun protection

o First aid and emergency medication

o Health insurance

Diabetes

· Initiates the process of diagnosis on patients with suspected diabetes.

· Manages patients newly diagnosed with diabetes under protocols.

· Undertakes annual review of patients understanding and ability to self manage.

· Provides the management of patients converting to or commencing insulin within protocols.

· Refers to dietician, podiatrist and specialist nurses.

· Support and provide education for diabetic patients

· Provide emergency treatment for hypo/hyperglycaemic emergencies

· Maintains disease register

· Audits outcomes of care against standards and initiates changes as necessary.

Respiratory Disease Management

· Manages newly diagnoses patients with COPD and asthma

· Maintains disease register

· Work within agreed local/BTS guidelines and patient group directions to manage patients with asthma, aiding diagnosis, reviewing inhaler technique and advising on treatment changes.

· Use spirometer to aid the diagnosis and management of COPD

· Management emergency treatment of asthma attacks

· Advise patients on their asthma control including the use of self-management plans.

· Teach and advise patients how to use various inhalers and peak flow meters.

Infection Control

· Apply infection control measures within the Practice according to local and national guidelines. This includes:-

o Universal hygiene precautions.

o The collection and handling of laboratory specimens

o Segregation and disposal of waste materials

o Decontamination of instruments and clinical equipment

o Reporting and treatment of sharps injuries

o Dealing with blood and body fluid spillages

· Assist patients and colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures.

Family Planning

· Provides a comprehensive family planning service and sexual health service to patients including:-

o Advise patients on available methods of contraception and refer patients as appropriate.

o Support patients attending for emergency contraceptive and refer patients as appropriate.

o Perform interval health check for patients using hormonal contraception

o Teach patients correct condom use

o Advise patients on reducing risk of sexually transmitted diseases and refer patients appropriately.

Women’s Health

· Advise patients in the national and local Cervical Cytology and mammography screening programmes.

· Undertake a programme of cervical cytology sampling.

· Audit a minimum of twenty consecutive smears each year to demonstrate sampling rates.

· Promote breast self awareness, demonstrate self-breast examination and provide supporting literature to patients.

· Take swabs for microscopy as directed.

· Give patients basic advice about peri-menopausal and menopausal systems and make appropriate referrals.

· Advise on the increased peri-menopausal and post-menopausal risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Offer health promotion/lifestyle advice to patients.

· Advise on basic incontinence management and make appropriate referrals

Men’s Health

· Initiates opportunistic consultations with patients to cover issues of men’s health including:

o Testicular self examination

o Incontinence and prostatic disease

o Family Planning

o Sexual Health

Child Health/Child Protection

· Recognise the signs, symptoms and categories of child abuse

· Understand the importance of recognition, observation, documentation and communication

· Is aware of child health procedures, statutory local procedures and points of referral.

Mental Health

· Recognise and is aware of appropriate referral mechanisms for family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviours.

· Recognise psychological needs of patients presenting with depression or suicidal tendency.

Cardiovascular Disease

· Has a basic understanding of the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system.

· Identify and advise patients on risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease i.e. BP, lipid, glucose monitoring, family history, smoking, diet and exercise.

· Understands the basic management of patients with hypertension, angina, myocardial infarction and cerebro-vascular accident.

Emergency Management

· Is competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques.

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

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 team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs

· Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

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 people’s 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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognize people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct
• Experience of multi-skilled approach to Chronic Disease Management
• Experience of developing, implementing and using protocols and clinical guidelines.

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care
• Experience or interest in Research and Development
• Experience of audit

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse
• Recognised qualification to diploma level or above
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development

Desirable

• Mentor/teaching qualification
• Qualification in diabetes or respiratory management

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Clinical skills cervical cytology, immunisation and vaccination, ear care.
• Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care.
• Change-management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle
• Communication skills, both written and verbal
• Negotiation and conflict management skills
• IT skills

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of local and national health policy
• Experience of working with new technologies in health care practice
• Understanding of the quality and outcomes framework for general practice
• Experience of TPP SystmOne clinical system & clinical coding

Qualities & Attributes

Essential

• Able to demonstrate enthusiasm to develop nursing skills
• 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 priorities
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team
• Able to work under pressure.
• Flexibility of working hours to include extended access hours on weekday evenings.
• Team player
• Effective time management
• Car driver/clean 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.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Bovey Tracey & Chudleigh Practice

Address

Riverside Surgery

Le Molay-littry Way

Bovey Tracey

Newton Abbot

Devon

TQ13 9QP

Employer's website

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