Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: PRACTICE NURSE

REPORTS TO: THE PARTNERS (Clinically)

THE BUSINESS MANAGER (Administratively)

Job summary:

The practice nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing Personal Medical Services to the patients of practice.

Job responsibilities:

• Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs
• Cervical Cytology
• Wound care/ulcer care/performance of dopplers/Tissue Viability Assessment.
• Removal of Sutures/Clips
• New patient health checks (delivering opportunistic health promotion at the same time)
• Travel Clinic
• ECGs
• Peak flow readings/Spirometry
• Venepuncture
• Blood pressure checks
• Ear syringing
• Urinalysis
• Routine immunisations/Childhood immunisations
• Covid-19 vaccinating including in other care settings such as care homes.
• Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
• Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings
• Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
• Management of long-term conditions eg asthma/COPD/diabetes
• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate
• Contraception reviews
• Maintenance of clinical equipment, including contributions to the care and calibration of equipment, managing repairs and maintenance ensuring accurate record keeping.
• Carry out support and advice for cervical screening
• Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
• Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by Partners and Business Manager
• Ordering of supplies and clinical resources within budget.
• Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
• Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
• At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
• The duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks
• Attend and participate in any Faversham Medical Group meetings when required.
• On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visits, which may include INR and immunisations.
• Ensure the vaccination cold chain protocol is followed and understand what to do in the event of a cold chain adverse incident.
• Act as a mentor and positive role model to students and junior members of staff, sharing information and good practice.
• Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• 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:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
• Comply with the nursing and midwifery council code of conduct, maintaining an up to date registration and documentation.

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute 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
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Able to demonstrate enthusiasm to develop nursing skills.
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team.
• Pleasant and articulate.
• Able to work under pressure.
• Able to work in a changing environment.
• Able to use own initiative.
• Flexibility of working hours/ability to work at the desired times.
• Experience of Primary Care.
• Car driver/clean licence & access to own transportation during working hours.
• Willingness to visit patients in their home environment if required.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Competent in basic nursing duties required for the post. Including Smear tests and dressings.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Good organisational and record keeping skills.
• Very good IT skills (use of Microsoft office software and using the internet).
• Willing to develop clinical skills and competency relevant to the role.
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Interest in and knowledge of long term conditions.
• Able to carry out Wound/Ulcer care including removal of sutures and staples.
• Able to carry out Childhood Immunisations
• Able to carry out Womens health including Cytology
• Able to carry out Family Planning.

Desirable

• Awareness of current QOF guidelines.
• Able to carry out Management of long term conditions eg asthma/ COPD/ diabetes.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct (2015) and The Scope of Professional Practice (1992).
• Experience of dealing with the public/patients.
• Experience working in General Practice

Desirable

• Experience of Microsoft Office software.
• Experience of performing audits.
• Leadership and management experience.
• Experience using EMIS software.

Qualifications

Essential

• English and Maths GCSE grade C or above (Or equivalent).
• Registered General Nurse (with current NMC registration).
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development.

Desirable

• Recognised qualification to diploma level or above (or equivalent) for Diabetes, (or working towards).
• Recognised qualification to diploma level or above (or equivalent) for Asthma & COPD (or working towards).

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).