Nurse Associate

Job responsibilities

The Nursing Associate works alongside a team within general practice. The post holder will be an integral part of the general practice team, working as and when required within this organisation.

Their principal task is to support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care of patients.

nursing associates should aim to meet the same standards of behaviour and conduct as nurses and midwives and adhere to the same Code which seeks to:

Prioritise people

Practise effectively

Preserve safety

Promote professionalism and trust

Generic responsibilities

All staff have a duty to conform to the following:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

A good attitude and positive action towards Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) creates an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued, and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)

This organisation is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, wellbeing and safety.

The post holder is to manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients and monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures, and guidelines.

All personnel have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team, and others and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.

All personnel are to comply with the:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Environmental Protection Act 1990

Environment Act 1995

Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999

Other statutory legislation which may be brought to the post holders attention

Confidentiality

The organisation is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality.

It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff must protect patient information and provide a confidential service.

Induction

We will provide a full induction programme, and management will support you throughout the process.

Learning and development

Collaborative working

Managing information

All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information.

Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED CT codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

Service delivery

Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

The post holder must adhere to the information contained within organisation and local practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are always adhered to.

Security

The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.

Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.

Professional conduct

All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role.

Primary key responsibilities

The Nursing Associate is to undertake the following key responsibilities in delivering health services:

Delivery of high quality, compassionate care while undertaking specific clinical and care tasks under the direction of a nominated individual with a focus on promoting good health and independence

To provide high-quality holistic and person-centred care to individuals

To provide routine care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF

To provide wound care, dressings and other clinical tasks as required

To work as part of the organisations MDT to provide and monitor care, under direct or indirect supervision

To improve safety and quality of care at every opportunity

To contribute to the delivery of integrated care

To work with the organisations MDT to ensure delivery of nursing associate duties to complement existing workforce

To work with a supervisor to take responsibility for developing own clinical competence, leadership and reflective practice skills within the workplace

To provide support and supervision to training nursing associates, healthcare assistants, apprentices and those on learning assignments/placements as required

To support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care.

To develop relationships across the MDT to support integration of the role across health and social care including primary care, secondary care and mental health

To perform and record clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations and pulse

After undertaking additional training, to provide flu vaccinations, ECGs and venepuncture and other relevant clinical tasks as required by the organisation in line with the competencies of the role

To promote health and wellbeing to all patients, for example undertaking the NHS health check

To care for individuals with dementia, mental health conditions and learning disabilities

To provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler etc.) to patients

To provide support during minor operations as required

To advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to personalised care colleagues and local community and voluntary sector services

To communicate proactively and effectively with all MDT colleagues attending and contributing to meetings as required

To maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient health records ensuring that clinical data is appropriately recorded with SNOMED CT codes

To process pathology results as required

To enhance own performance through continuous professional development, imparting own knowledge and behaviours to meet the needs of the service

To work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present

To contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

To attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

To contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., flu clinics) through advice or direct care

To support and deliver health promotion and wellbeing programmes including any opportunistic delivery

Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area

Secondary key responsibilities

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Nursing Associate may be requested to:

Be an accountable professional

Support delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, QIPP and other quality or cost effectiveness initiatives enhancing service delivery and patient care

Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner

Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility

To understand practice and departmental policies

Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

To act as a chaperone

There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of time management skills and ability to prioritise
• Ability to communicate with members of the public and health and care providers
• Understand the importance of following procedures and treatment plans
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Ability to work effectively as a team player under appropriate supervision and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Understanding of the scope of the role of the nursing associate in the context of the nursing and interdisciplinary team and the organisation and how the role may contribute to service development
• Intermediate IT skills
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information
• Experience of working in teams under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate
• Chaperone procedure

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nursing associate and on the NMC register
• Meets the specific qualification and training requirements as specified in the Nursing Midwifery Standards of proficiency by having undertaken and completed the two-year Foundation Degree delivered by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved provider
• Is registered with the NMC and revalidation is undertaken in line with NMC requirements

Skills and personal Qualities

Essential

• Skills
• Ability to take part in reflective practice and clinical supervision activitie
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
• Ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload
• Knowledge of IT systems including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• Clinical IT system user skills
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Understanding of the importance of the promotion of health and wellbeing (Making Every Contact Count)
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi -disciplinary team
• Ability to support, supervise, assess and act as a role model to nursing associate students, other learners and healthcare support workers as required within the clinical setting
• Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues
• Personal qualities
• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non-judgemental way
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Knowledge of when to seek advice and refer to a registered care professional
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety
• Other requirements
• Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home

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).