Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

1. Nursing management

Nursing care

To provide a nursing service to patients, working closely with other members of the practice team to deliver the best possible care.

To provide all aspects of nursing treatment including cytology, wound care/dressings, ear syringing, venepuncture, depot injections and other injections, as service needs require and training enables etc.

To administer vaccinations and plan vaccination programmes (including recall programmes) for childhood immunisations, flu/covid, travel, contraception, disease prevention, neuroleptics etc.

To select, carry out and interpret the results of specific tests e.g. swab results, blood pressure, urinalysis, blood glucose monitoring, basic blood test results.

To provide sexual health and family planning advice and treatment, after appropriate training.

To evaluate the effectiveness of all care given and provide appropriate follow-up.

To ensure that current evidence-based approaches to patient are standard practice.

Health promotion

To develop, implement and embed health promotion and well-being programmes and campaigns.

To screen patients for disease risk factors and early detection of illness.

To offer and perform NHS health checks.

To assess the needs of frail/elderly patients, in the surgery or in their homes.

To provide education to patients regarding prevention of illness to enable them to make decisions regarding their health.

To deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate.

Chronic Disease Management

To identify, manage and support patients as risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patients health.

To offer regular follow-up and support to patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, asthma and diabetes.

To deliver effective management of patients with chronic diseases as detailed by the Quality and Outcomes (QOF) framework, by conducting thorough annual health reviews, using appropriate templates or coding to capture all key clinical information.

To work with the district nursing service to ensure good management of housebound patients with chronic disease.

2.Research and Teaching

To be conversant with current clinical nursing and medical research, incorporating it into patient care as appropriate.

To participate in the teaching of medical students and other learners attached to the practice.

To participate in research projects within the practice.

3.Infection prevention and control / health and safety

To be responsible for infection control within the practice, supporting staff awareness, escalating concerns where appropriate, undertaking audits, and taking remedial action to resolve issues.

To ensure that all treatment rooms comply with infection control regulations.

To monitor and ensure the safe storage, rotation and disposal of medications and vaccines.

To be responsible for ensuring own infection control knowledge and training is up to date and to keep abreast of changes to local and national guidance e.g. in relation to the management of specific disease outbreaks.

To implement the practices infection control and health and safety policies, including updating staff on their responsibilities under NHS IPC guidance and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).

4.Practice organisation

To manage the maintenance of supplies and correct storage of medical and surgical equipment as required, including vaccines.

To work to targets for childhood immunisations and cytology, population vaccination targets (flu, shingles, covid etc), involving the whole team in achieving these targets. This may include staff training and developing accurate and effective systems.

To maintain cold chain procedure and action abnormal fridge activity in line with guidelines.

To undertake drug ordering for the emergency drugs store, ensuring there is a clear and accurate system for checking expiry dates and restocking drugs and equipment.

To undertake the monthly sharps bin audit.

To work in line with safeguarding policies and promote the welfare of vulnerable patients.

5.Clinical audit

To undertake relevant clinical audits such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, ICE, and lipids.

To feedback results of audits to other members of the team and participate in implementing any planned changes to patient care.

6.Record keeping and patient data

To maintain accurate clinical records via the electronic patient system.

To ensure that SNOMED codes are used effectively, often through the use of standard templates (Ardens).

To maintain the chronic disease register.

7.Advice and referrals

To give advice on sources of information and help outside of the practice.

To make appropriate referrals to other health and local authority services.

8.Working as part of the practice team

To provide a supportive and pro-active contribution to the practice multi-disciplinary team.

To participate in the administrative and professional duties of the practice team where appropriate.

To ensure clear channels of communication exist between clinical, administrative, and community teams.

To be aware of responsibilities under the Health and Safety Act (1974).

To maintain regular liaison with other members of the team and attend/contribute to clinical and team meetings.

To participate in needs assessments for the practice population.

To contribute to development of Lambeth-wide services by taking part in special interest advisory groups.

9.Professional development

To understand the importance of professional accountability and to recognise individual responsibility for professional development.

To continue professional development by reading journals and attending study days and courses, in agreement with the partners.

To avoid professional isolation by attending local practice nurse groups and liaison with other nurses in the area e.g. within the Primary Care Network (PCN).

To take part in clinical supervision.

To support and participate in shared learning within the practice.

10. General duties

1. To assist in the absence of colleagues as and when necessary.
2. To adhere to Brockwell Park Surgery policies and procedures.
3. To undertake any other reasonable duties, commensurate with the role.

Please note:

This job description reflects the core activities of the role at Brockwell Park Surgery. As the post holder develops, there will inevitably be changes in the emphasis of duties.

It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the practice. It is expected that the post holder will be willing to participate in training to support their role and the wider service needs.

The partners and line managers reserve the right to re-distribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be reasonably refused.

If changes to the job become significant, the job description should be reviewed formally by the Partners, Practice Manager and the post holder.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications
• Registered general nurse (RGN) registered with the NMC

Desirable

• Postgraduate diploma or degree (primary care)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a practice nurse in a primary care environment
• Experience of chronic disease management
• Knowledge of GDPR & confidentiality requirements
• Experience of clinical audit
• Knowledge of public health issues
• Knowledge of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and infection control regulations

Key skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and interpersonal)
• Understands the importance of evidence-based practice
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work independently but refer appropriately to GPs
• Strong IT skills
• Effective time management (planning & organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Problem solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow policies and procedure
• Polite and confident
• Motivated and cooperative, with a can-do attitude
• High levels of integrity
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure
• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours

Clinical comptency

Essential

• Wound care / removal of sutures & staples
• Chronic disease management
• Venepuncture
• Travel medicine
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• Coronary heart disease
• Immunisations (routine, childhood, travel)
• Women's health (cervical cytology, contraception etc.)

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).