Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder is an experienced nurse, who acting within their professional boundaries will provide care for the patient presenting with long term conditions and raise awareness. The nurse is responsible for the care delivered, demonstrating clinical decision making skills in the management of patients. They will work collaboratively within the practice team to meet the needs of patients, support the delivery of policy and procedure, and provide nurse leadership as required. They will also be a part of supporting and mentoring the practice healthcare assistant.

Job Responsibilities:

• Assess, plan, develop, implement and evaluate programmes which promote health and wellbeing, and prevent adverse effects on health and well being
• Assess, plan, develop, implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patient with a known long term condition
• Proactively identify, diagnose and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing a long term condition as appropriate.
• Work with other health care professionals to diagnose, monitor, manage and treat long term conditions.
• Blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm, temperature, height and weight -body mass index, venepuncture, glucose tolerance test, peak flow readings, inhaler technique, cytology, travel and childhood vaccinations, chronic disease management
• Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiating effective emergency care.
• Supports patients to adopt health promotion strategies that encourage patients to live healthily, and apply principles of self-care
• Deliver opportunistic health promotion using opportunities such as new patient medicals
• Provide information and advice on prescribed or over the counter medications, on medication regimens, side effects and interactions
• Support and guide women attending for family planning advice and manage the needs of women attending for cervical cytology
• Implement and participate in immunisation programmes for both adults and children
• Advise, support and where appropriate vaccinate patients travelling abroad
• Undertake the collection, storage and despatch of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, smears etc. and ensure the cleanliness of any equipment used. Perform any investigatory procedures requested by the GPs
• Supporting the practice with the Quality Outcome Framework (QOF), Enhanced Service and Bolton Quality Contract (BQC)
• Work with the practice manager in the organisation and implementation of call and recall of patients for screening/health promotion, immunisation and disease management clinics, as necessary to meet the agreed needs of the service.
• To work collaboratively with the Healthcare Assistant and others as appropriate, providing professional support as necessary to improve and develop practice and competence to ensure fitness for practice and assure service quality.
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and clinical rooms, inventory of equipment and fit for purpose record
• Oversee clinical stock systems to ensure safe and sufficient supplies.
• Ensure regular checks of clinical consumables, emergency equipment, sharps and clinical supplies
• Ensure expiry dates are monitored and acted upon in a timely manner
• Oversee and support the HCA in ordering clinical and lab stock orders
• Provide clinical oversight to HCAs or admin staff undertaking delegated stock checks
• Escalate stock shortages or risks promptly
• Take responsibility for oversight of lab stock ordering including blood bottles, swabs sample bags and forms and cytology equipment
• Monitor stock usage and maintain appropriate levels, removed expired or damaged stock.
• Liaise with laboratories and Practice Manager regarding supply issues.
• Take lead responsibility for vaccine management and cold chain compliance
• Ensure vaccines are store correctly according to UKHSA guidance.
• Organised, labelled and rotated appropriately
• Checked routinely for expiry dates
• Monitor vaccine stock levels to prevent wastage or shortages
• Investigate and document cold chain breaches where documented
• On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visit
• Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

Quality Service

• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Produce accurate and complete records of patient consultation consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality
• Participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation
• Evaluate the patients response to health care provision and the effectiveness of care
• Support and participate in shared learning across the practice and the wider organisation
• Identify learning needs from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near misses utilising a structured framework
• Participate in the performance monitoring of the team, providing feedback as appropriate
• Understand and apply legal policy the supports the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, being aware of the statutory health procedure and local guidance
• Work within policies relating to domestic violence, vulnerable persons, substance and alcohol misuse; and refer as appropriate
• Attend training /informative events on behalf of the nursing team/practice as and when required

Team Working

• Understand own role and scope within the organisation and identify where this may develop in time
• Work and an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
• Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice, and assessing the competence of those taking on delegated duties
• Ensure clear referral mechanisms are in place to meet the patient need
• Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team
• Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery

Health & Safety:

• Assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy
• 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
• Apply appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
• Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs is undertaken. Oversee the monitoring, stock control and documentation immunisations clinical stock, PPE and any other items as that are appropriate
• Identifying and Reporting potential risks

Equality and Diversity:

• Support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Acting in a way that recognises 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:

• Participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice
• Undertake mandatory and statutory training as required
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Take part in training to undertake responsibilities of QOF and BQC initiatives on behalf of the practice

Communication:

• The post-holder will utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure that patients are fully informed and consent to treatment
• Communicate and support patients who are receiving bad news
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background, and language differences
• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication
• Maintain effective communication with individuals and groups within the practice environment and with external stakeholders

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a Primary Care Setting and experience of chronic disease management. Must be able to work autonomously.
• Registered Nurse qualified cervical smear sample taker.

Desirable

• Nurse prescriber.

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

Cornerstone Surgery

Address

469 Chorley Old Road

Bolton

BL1 6AH

Employer's website

https://www.cornerstonesurgery.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)