Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

PRACTICE NURSE JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Summary:

To assist medical personnel in the care of Practice patients to include treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education. Relevant Diplomas in Disease Management required.

Job Responsibilities:

Providing assessment, screening and treatment services and health education advice

Organise and co-ordinate the provision of nursing services for the Practice.

Provide nursing treatments to patients in participation with general practitioners or independently to agreed protocols.

Provide general and specific health screenings to the Practice patients (within agreed protocols) with referral to general practitioners as necessary.

Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments with referral to GPs as necessary.

• Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by GPs
• Cervical Screening and Female swabs
• Wound care / ulcer care/Doppler
• Removal of Sutures
• New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis
• Travel Clinic/ vaccinations/Risk assessments
• ECGs / Spirometry
• Chronic Disease Management (Diabetes/COPD/Asthma/IHD/CVD etc)
• Venepuncture (including GTT)
• Hypertension Management
• Ear syringing
• Routine immunisations/Childhood immunisations
• Routine Injections/Sub cut injections
• Smoking cessation
• Doppler assessments
• Repeat Prescribing
• Summarising of Notes and Letters
• Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
• Assisting GPs with 6 week baby checks / minor surgery
• Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to GPs as appropriate
• Home Visits to provide nursing services as listed above as required.

• Other tasks will include

• Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
• Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
• Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by partners and Practice Manager
• Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
• Ordering of stock.
• Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
• Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
• At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
• A duty to advise Partners or Practice Manager of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks
• Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required
• Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

Supplies and equipment Treatment room and other areas

To ensure the maintenance of equipment and stock levels relating to patient care.

Pathological specimens and investigatory procedures

Following appropriate training, undertake the collection, storage and despatch of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, smears etc and ensure the cleanliness of any equipment so used. Perform any investigatory procedures requested by the GPs.

Administrative and professional responsibilities

Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the Practice team.

Ensure accurate notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes on the clinical computer system as appropriate.

Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the Practice.

Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports.

Attend and participate in Practice meetings as required.

Assist in the formulation of Practice philosophy, strategy and policy and develop appropriate protocols.

Ensure completion of all necessary documentation with regard to Clinical Waste

Maintain a notice board in the waiting area designated for patient health care education.

Research projects

Co-operate and participate as required in any research projects within the Practice.

Liaison

• Maintain effective liaison with other agencies and staff concerned with patient care and with all other disciplines within the Practice, with appropriate regard to confidentiality.

Professional development

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

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, to 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
• 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 rights.

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 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 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 peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

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

• Experience of dealing with the public/patients within General Practice Leadership and management experience

Desirable

• Commitment to professional development & peer group learning

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse with current NMC registration
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development

Desirable

• Family Planning qualification
• Recognised qualification to diploma level or equivalent for Diabetes, Asthma & COPD (or working towards)

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
• Pleasant and articulate
• Able to work under pressure and in a changing environment
• Able to use own initiative

OTHER

Essential

• Flexibility of working hours/ability to work at the desired times Experience of Primary Care

Desirable

• Car driver/clean licence
• An interest in teaching/mentoring

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Competency in basic nursing duties required for the post
• Specific nursing skills/qualifications relevant to the post, including cervical cytology, wound care, childhood immunisations, travel clinic and smoking cessation
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the range of primary care and community services
• Willingness to contribute to multi-professional working
• Ability to work well within a Practice team
• Experience of QOF and diabetes chronic disease management

Desirable

• Knowledge of IT clinical systems (System One)
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software
• Understanding of the principles of audit
• Other chronic disease management

Health & Safety

Essential

• The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control, as defined by national standards and the practice Health & Safety Policy, the practice Health & Safety Manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures

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).