Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job responsibilities

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner(ANP) has been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act and make autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The ANP provides an opportunity for patients to avoid the need to be referred to a GP, thereby enabling them to receive timely care and negate unnecessary delay in receiving treatment.

ANPs in primary care can develop close, long-term relationships with their patients and work in partnership with them to achieve optimum health. They are autonomous in making decisions based on assessment, diagnosis and interpretation of test results. They can independently prescribe appropriate medication, evaluate or refer to other specialists if necessary.

The following are the core responsibilities of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

a. Develop, implement and embed health promotion and wellbeing programmes

b. Manage patients presenting with a range of acute and chronic medical conditions, providing subject matter expert advice

c. Implement and evaluate individual specialised treatment plans for chronic disease patients

d. Identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects to the patients health

e. Provide advanced, specialist nursing care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF

f. Provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler, etc.)

g. Provide specialist clinics such as ear syringing, contraception, etc.

h. Undertake the collection of pathological specimens

i. Provide travel medicine services

j. Request pathology services as necessary

k. Process and interpret pathology and other test results as required

l. Provide chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required

m. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation

n. Ensure SNOMED CT codes are used effectively

o. Maintain chronic disease registers

p. Develop, implement and embed well woman clinics

q. Develop, implement and embed well man clinics

r. Develop, implement and embed travel clinics

s. Develop, implement and embed an effective call/recall system

t. Be responsible for the implementation of an effective immunisation programme

u. Chaperone patients where necessary

v. Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately

w. Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies

x. Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs

y. Implement vaccination programmes for adults and children

z. Be an extended and supplementary prescriber, adhering to extant guidance

aa. Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over the counter medicines (within own scope of practice), reviewing annually as required

bb. Contribute to practice targets (QOF, etc.), complying with local and regional guidance

cc. Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.)

dd. Delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and that the task is within the scope of practice of the individual)

ee. Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters in accordance with local and national policies

ff. Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately

gg. Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Advanced Nurse Practitioner may be requested to:

a. Act as the audit lead, effectively utilising the audit cycle

b. Act as the IPC lead for the practice, ensuring compliance, undertaking audit as necessary

c. Monitor and ensure the safe storage, rotation and disposal of medicaments

d. Undertake overall management of the nursing team, providing guidance when necessary, acting as a mentor to students and newly qualified staff

e. Maintain an effective nursing staff rota ensuring all clinics are staffed appropriately

f. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care

g. Support and participate in shared learning within the organisation

h. Develop an area of specialist interest, taking the lead within the organisation

i. Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate

j. Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach i.e., root cause analysis (RCA)

k. Drive the development of nursing services within the organisation, liaising with external agencies and professional organisations as required

Develop practice administrative and clinical protocols in line with the needs of the patient and current legislation

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Masters degree required for qualification post December 2020 refer to RCN Credentialing for Advanced Level of Nursing Practice.
• Post graduate diploma or degree for Advanced Practice Qualification up to December 2020
• Qualified Independent Nurse Prescriber on the NMC register
• Meets NMC revalidation requirements in accordance with the NMC Revalidation booklet
• Meets the standards for registered ANP working at advanced level
• Minor illness qualification
• Experience of practice within the four pillars
• Job plan that demonstrates advanced nursing practice and has equity with peers working at this level
• Experience of prescribing and undertaking medication reviews
• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• Clinical knowledge and skills including:
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• New patient medicals
• Chaperone procedure
• Requesting and processing pathology tests
• Advising patients accordingly
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• Spirometry
• CHD
• Immunisations (routine and childhood)
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
• Travel medicine
• Understand the importance of evidence-based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Polite and confident, flexible and cooperative
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations as well as ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Occupational health clearance
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for nurse revalidation
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) commensurate with the role of an ANP
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across locality on a regular basis
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours

Desirable

• Qualified triage nurse
• Teaching qualification
• ALS and PALS
• Experience of working as a practice nurse or community nurse
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a lead role and is aware of infection control responsibilities

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).