Practice Nurse (Cowes Medical Centre)

Job responsibilities

The main responsibility of the Practice Nurse Team is to provide routine nursing and medical care to patients who access Primary Care services here, in a way that supports the best use of available resources. This may involve monitoring, taking blood, specimens and swabs, treating and dressing wounds, home visits, giving vaccinations, and general medical advice such as information on family planning or health-related travel. It may also involve running clinics for those suffering from diabetes, asthma or a heart condition, for example.

To thrive in this role, you will enjoy lots of patient contact, working to protocols to ensure best care and as part of a Nursing Team. All candidates must be fully trained nurses with ideally a minimum of two years nursing experience, specific Practice Nurse training is provided/supported by the Practice to develop disease management skills particularly in diabetes, wound management and asthma.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

All nurses will provide general nursing support:

INR monitoring, Blood pressure monitoring, ECG recording, Wound management, Removal of sutures, Routine urine testing, Routine immunisation, Emergency nebulisation, Covid/Flu vaccinations, Chronic condition reviews, Opportunistic Health Promotion Intervention, e.g. smoking cessation, healthy eating and lifestyle, Up to date knowledge of CPR and anaphylaxis management, Maintenance of equipment Infection control- best practice, Ensure safe storage and disposal of drugs, dressing and vaccines, Ordering and maintenance of stock levels for dressings etc.

You will also provide specialist area support, with the appropriate training and qualifications, which include: Conduct mental health and dementia checks. Administer adult and child immunisations and vaccinations in accordance with national and local programmes. Is competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques. Ensures safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs and adequate stock levels are maintained. Provide comprehensive travel health advice for patients prior to travel including malaria prophylaxis, safe sex, food hygiene, sun protection, first aid and emergency medication, health insurance and vaccinations. Supports the clinical lead in the delivery of disease clinics in areas such as asthma, COPD, spirometry and diabetes management. Initiate the diagnosis process for patients suspected of having a chronic disease eg diabetes, COPD, asthma, CHD referring to other clinicians as appropriate. Manage programmes of care for patients with chronic diseases by planning, providing and evaluating care under agreed local/national guidelines, protocols and patient group directions. Provide family planning advice and annual contraceptive reviews in conjunction with the lead clinician. Support the clinical lead on programmes of care for womens health including providing and evaluating care under agreed local/national guidelines, protocols and patient group directions.

Nursing Responsibilities Undertakes: venepuncture, glucose tolerance tests, BP management, urinalysis, peak flow, health checks, pregnancy testing, stitch/clip removal, wound management and cervical cytology. Provides healthy lifestyle and smoking cessation advice to individuals and groups. Develops and maintains the health promotion material within the practice. Makes referrals to colleagues, statutory and voluntary agencies as appropriate. Accurately updates patient records using the computerised medical information system. Enables, encourages and supports individuals, families and groups to address issues which affect their health and social well-being. Represents individuals and families interests when they are not able to do so themselves. Contributes to a satisfactory call and recall system of patients. Undertake annual reviews for patients and support patients to adopt health strategies that encourage healthy living and self-care. Refer to other members of the extended primary health care team eg chiropodist, dietician, and specialist nurses. Initiates and carries out programmes of health screening and maintains disease registers. Works collaboratively as a team member to achieve Practice objectives, contractual obligations and aspirations of the team. Actively participates in clinical and team meetings. Monitors and uses resources appropriately within the team eg dressings, vaccines, stationary. Makes effective use of the clinical system by ensuring the consistent and accurate entering of data and use of Read Codes. Makes recommendations to raise Practice standards and service delivery. Participates in the annual performance review process. Takes responsibility for own development, learning and performance and shares skills and activities to support others who are undertaking similar work. Alerts other team members to issues of quality and risk. Contributes 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. Support the review and identification of learning points from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near miss events. Works within all relevant practice policies and procedural guidelines eg infection control, chaperoning and patient group directions. Works within policies to support those who are affected by domestic violence, vulnerable adults or children, substance abuse and refer appropriately. Understand and apply policy recommendations for the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults within statutory and local policies. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the responsibilities of the post. It will be subject to review and revision in the light of developments and following appraisals etc.

General Nursing Responsibilities

Essential

• Undertakes: venepuncture, glucose tolerance tests, BP management, urinalysis, peak flow, health checks, pregnancy testing, stitch/clip removal, wound management and cervical cytology.
• Provides healthy lifestyle and smoking cessation advice to individuals and groups.
• Develops and maintains the health promotion material within the practice.
• Makes referrals to colleagues, statutory and voluntary agencies as appropriate.
• Accurately updates patient records using the computerised medical information system.
• Enables, encourages and supports individuals, families and groups to address issues which affect their health and social well-being.
• Represents individuals and families interests when they are not able to do so themselves.
• Contributes to a satisfactory call and recall system of patients.
• Undertake annual reviews for patients and support patients to adopt health strategies that encourage healthy living and self-care.
• Refer to other members of the extended primary health care team eg chiropodist, dietician, and specialist nurses.
• Initiates and carries out programmes of health screening and maintains disease registers.
• Works collaboratively as a team member to achieve Practice objectives, contractual obligations and aspirations of the team.
• Actively participates in clinical and team meetings.
• Monitors and uses resources appropriately within the team eg dressings, vaccines, stationary.
• Makes effective use of the clinical system by ensuring the consistent and accurate entering of data and use of Read Codes.
• Makes recommendations to raise Practice standards and service delivery.
• Participates in the annual performance review process.
• Takes responsibility for own development, learning and performance and shares skills and activities to support others who are undertaking similar work.
• Alerts other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• Contributes 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.
• Support the review and identification of learning points from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near miss events.
• Works within all relevant practice policies and procedural guidelines eg infection control, chaperoning and patient group directions.
• Works within policies to support those who are affected by domestic violence, vulnerable adults or children, substance abuse and refer appropriately.
• Understand and apply policy recommendations for the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults within statutory and local policies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with ideally a min 2 years experience

Desirable

• Practice Nurse experience
• Community Nursing experience
• Chronic disease management experience/qualifications eg diabetes, asthma, HRT

Experience

Essential

• Good IT skills able to learn how to use new applications

Desirable

• Previous knowledge of SystmOne

Qualities & Attributes

Essential

• A real people person who listens
• Reliable, trustworthy and conscientious
• Sensitive to Patient needs
• Confident if faced with challenging Patients
• Patient, polite & good mannered
• Smart, clean & well-presented appearance
• Enthusiastic and a self-starter
• Able to work in a team
• Able to remain calm under pressure
• Takes responsibility for own actions

Desirable

• Flexible approach to duties and working arrangements
• Able to pick up what is happening around you and be able to show a proactive approach to delivering excellent Patient care

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to work without direct supervision
• Ability to manage time and workload
• Manage multiple tasks and conflicting demands with good attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure & maintain a professional / effective approach
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team

Desirable

• Coach/mentor experience & qualification(s)

Special Job Requirements

Essential

• Nurse-led management of chronic disease clinics
• Infection control best practice
• Chaperoning
• Following/implementing protocols and clinical guidelines
• Home visits
• Requirement to provide extended access in line with practice or external initiatives

Desirable

• Respiratory - asthma, COPD, spirometry
• Diabetes
• Womens health
• Family planning
• Anti-coagulation
• Infection control

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).