Dermatology Nurse Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To improve the primary care management of patients with chronic skin conditions and improve their quality of life.

To help prevent unnecessary referrals to secondary care and provide a seamless service of care for patients and their families and carers.

Be responsible for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating plans of care for patients referred with chronic skin conditions.

Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Nurse Specialist role against agreed outcome criteria.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Clinical Nursing Practice

To be responsible for assessment, making clinical judgments and decisions and treat patients within locally agreed and national protocols and guidelines.

Making independent clinical autonomous decisions but for a limited patient group

Carrying out simple surgical procedures, cryotherapy, patch testing and treatment counselling

To review the prescribed medication regime to ensure that patients receive appropriate pharmacotherapy in effective doses.

Ensure that wherever nurse prescribing is undertaken the nurse prescribing policy is adhered to.

To manage and prioritise appropriate referrals as per referral criteria.

To establish, organise and run clinics as required within locally agreed protocols within Primary Care Settings.

To work as part of the Dermatology team within primary and secondary care, negotiating elements of care as required.

Manage own caseload by co-ordinating appointments and review systems, ensuring continuity of care during periods of leave.

To act within the guidelines lay down by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

Clinical Practice Leadership

In conjunction with other members of the Dermatology team, participate in the development of protocols related to own work area.

Act as a source of specialist advice, counselling and support for all health professionals, patients, families/carers and other agencies with regards to chronic skin conditions.

As an experienced clinician, be able to advise on educational opportunities that will facilitate the development and support of specialist knowledge and skills in relation to the development of clinical nursing practice.

Developing confidence in clinical leadership

Showing some initiative for change management

Care Management

Utilising specialist clinical knowledge influence policies affecting health and chronic skin condition management.

Undertake in the assessment, planning and evaluation of programmes of care for patients with chronic skin conditions.

Lead and participate in the assessment, planning and evaluation of programmes of care for patients with chronic skin conditions.

Manage programmes of care effectively through working in partnership with others, making referrals in to other services as appropriate.

To act as advocate for the patient, liaising with appropriate others to ensure optimum care for the patient.

Empower individuals, their families/carer and groups to influence and use services, and information available and act as advocate as appropriate to ensure their needs are met.

Identify health-related learning needs of individuals/family/carer and develop appropriate action plans.

Participate in providing staff education across all sectors in relation to specialist Dermatology Nursing.

Identify health-related learning needs of individuals/family/carer and develop appropriate action plans.

Be involved in developing teaching packages as appropriate and shadowing opportunities for nursing staff.

Clinical Practice Development

Attend mandatory training.

Attend training sessions/courses relevant to area of practice as necessary following discussions with clinical manager.

Participate in clinical supervision and act as clinical supervisor for other staff after relevant training.

Participate and contribute towards any related research programmes that have been formally agreed.

To participate in audit programme as identified for service development and organisation targets.

Provide formal teaching sessions for other staff within the Trust

Supporting student nurses

Promote and demonstrate evidence of developments in the area of dermatology ensuring practice research based.

Comply with NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

Take responsibility for own professional development and updating.

Organisational and Communication Responsibility

Adhere to all appropriate local and national policies.

Maintain secure and confidential manual and electronic records in line with the 1998 Data Protection Act.

Establish excellent communication with general practitioners, other specialist nursing services and secondary care to develop and co-ordinate care.

Network with other Dermatology Nurse Specialists establishing good links to facilitate the dissemination of current relevant clinical practice.

Working in partnership with patients/carers develops and utilises a wide range of communication methods that will enable them to make informed choices about are given.

To work in close liaison with and under the indirect supervision of the Dermatology Specialist Nurses utilising shared protocols and guidelines where appropriate.

Managerial Responsibilities

Maintain patients records in accordance with Bridgewater Community Health Care Trusts standard ensuring patient confidentiality.

Provide a safe environment for the treatment of patients and protection of staff, patients and visitors, by ensuring the use of equipment and materials complies with Health and Safety policies.

To deputise/act up in the absence of the band 7 clinician.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience within speciality of Dermatology
• Evidence of professional/clinical knowledge in areas and of continuing professional development.
• Evidence of working with and undertaking clinical assessment of chronic skin condition.

Desirable

• Evidence of Nurse lead clinics i.e. UVB, Biologics, minor surgery.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• The ability to travel independently across the Trust
• The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs

Qualifications

Essential

• RGN
• Degree in Nursing or equivalent portfolio of evidence.
• Willing to undertake Non-medical prescribing V300

Desirable

• Relevant diploma or degree in dermatology or on pathway.

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Excellent effective communication skills.
• Evidence of teaching skills
• Basic keyboard skills
• Evidence of contribution to the development of programmes of care, protocols and clinical audit.
• Knowledge of chronic skin disease and the complications associated with this condition physically and psychologically.
• Awareness of health and health promotion in relationship to chronic skin disease and its impact.

Desirable

• Knowledge of databases
• Knowledge of other chronic diseases and their management.
• Knowledge of support groups, voluntary agencies and social care agencies
• Negotiating skills

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Europa Point

Europa Boulevard

Warrington

Cheshire

WA5 7TY

Employer's website

http://bridgewater.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)