Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner works autonomously and is accountable for own professional actions.

Undertakes Clinical Nursing Practice at an advanced level using expert knowledge and clinical skills to deliver holistic care to people accessing primary health care services.

Assesses diagnoses and treats patients attending primary health care services with a range of acute, non-acute and chronic medical conditions.

Assesses diagnoses and treats patients in surgery or own home who require acute medical attention and refer to appropriate agency.

Refers patients to other medical specialties for assessment if deemed appropriate.

Refers patients as appropriate to other members of the multidisciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations including referral for x-ray.

Interprets a range of diagnostic tests and routine clinical procedures including (but not limited to) urinalysis, peak flow readings, blood pressure measurements & phlebotomy.

Makes critical judgements of the highest order to satisfy the expectations and demands of the job eg first contact with patients presenting acutely and manages care in the presence and absence of protocols.

Advises and supports others where standard protocols do not apply.

Works within professional guidelines and codes of conduct.

Works within all relevant practice policies and procedural guidelines e.g. infection control, chaperoning, risk management.

Extended and supplementary prescriber.

Communicates highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives and carers.

Initiates the process of diagnosis with patients suspected to have a chronic disease eg. diabetes, COPD, asthma, IHD referring to other clinical staff as appropriate.

Contribute to practice targets both local and national within the disease management agenda eg QOF, prescribing incentive scheme.

Contributes to disease registers.

Work with patients to ensure concordance with medication.

Audits outcomes of care against standards and initiate changes as necessary.

Undertakes annual review of patients understanding and ability to self-manage and medication reviews.

Refers to other members of the extended primary health care team as appropriate eg chiropodist, dietician, specialist Nurses.

Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote them to live healthy lives encouraging self-care.

To actively implement safeguarding protocols for children and vulnerable adults and to know who to refer to and how to escalate concerns about radicalisation.

COMMUNICATION

Uses developed communication, negotiation, conflict management skills which require empathy, reassurance, and persuasive skills where there can be significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome.

Regularly communicates service-related information to Partners, Practice Manager, Salaried GPs, Nursing and Administrative staff, patients, relatives and carers.

Builds and communicates therapeutic working relationships with a wide array of statutory and voluntary organisations for the benefit of patient care and facilitates good working relationships.

MANAGE/LEAD SELF & OTHERS

Develops a special interest (dependent on experience) within the practice e.g. teenage clinic, baby clinic, nursing home, cytology.

Encourage and motivate others to be forward thinking in ideas that address the health needs of the practice that will be innovative whilst managing and developing new ways of working, e.g. implanon clinic, teenage health clinic.

Develops and leads on evidence-based practice.

Promotes effective communication and relationships within the team.

Actively participates in clinical and practice meetings.

Develops own knowledge and practice to meet objectives/changes in service, through attendance on study days, self-directed learning and reflection on practice.

Leads on setting standards and promotes best practice.

Operates high standards of probity.

MANAGE AND USE INFORMATION

Makes effective use of the clinical system by ensuring the consistent and accurate entering of data and use of Read Codes.

Facilitates the use of up-to-date information technology in order to collate accurate and timely information as and when required by the practice.

Ensures a satisfactory call and recall system of patients.

Assist in the development of practice protocols for the surgery and clinical protocols for the clinical team.

Identifies, monitors and reviews deficiencies in procedures and implements remedial action.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Actively contributes to Practice/Service/Team audit/Research activity as required.

Instigates audit activity as required.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Training requirements will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice. It is the individuals responsibility to remain up to date with recent developments.

Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development.

Develop and maintain a personal learning plan.

If it is necessary to expand the role to include additional responsibilities, full training will be given.

Annual mandatory training must be undertaken as per practice mandatory training policy and includes (but not limited to) Basic Life support, anaphylaxis, Safeguarding adults and children.

QUALITY

The post holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and will alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY

• The postholder 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 nonjudgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

CONFIDENTIALITY

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the postholder 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 postholder 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 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

Correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Undertaking periodic infection control training

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE POST

Membership of the RCN with a valid PIN

Clear DBS (CRB) Search

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered first level nurse MSc or equivalent
• Relevant nursing/health degree
• Independent prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Long term conditions qualification
• Mentor/teaching qualification
• Clinical supervision training

Experience

Essential

• Working autonomously in an advanced nursing role
• Audit
• Research
• Nurse prescribing

Desirable

• Working with community development initiatives
• Health needs assessment
• Experience of working within a primary care or General Practice
• Experience of case management
• Nurse led triage

SKILLS

Essential

• Clinical leadership skills
• Communication skills, both written and verbal
• Communication of difficult messages to patients and families

Desirable

• Emis Web
• Teaching and mentorship in a clinical setting
• Negotiation and conflict management skills

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• 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
• Clinical governance issues in primary care

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health issues

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).