Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder is responsible for the delivery of basic practice nursing services care to the practice population. They will deliver care within the boundaries of their role, focusing upon supporting patients to be healthy, monitoring of long-term conditions, health prevention and screening activities. They will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures, and providing nurse leadership as required.

Job Responsibilities:

Clinical

• To carry out a wide range of treatment room duties e.g. ear syringing, wound care, venepuncture, blood pressure checks, ECGs, injections and immunisations, leg ulcer management, chronic disease management, smears
• To advise patients on general health care and minor ailments with referral to the doctors as necessary
• To participate in Nurse Triage where acceptable
• To provide general and specific health screening/health promotion to the practice population, with referral to the doctors as necessary, in the areas of QoF management, Travel, Hypertension screening, Diet, Smoking cessation and other lifestyle factors, as agreed within practice protocols
• To work with due regard for Health and Safety standards within the practice, including infection control procedures
• To document care given and report back to the GP as appropriate
• To participate in the cervical screening programme by raising patient awareness, competently carrying out cervical screening and ensuring results are delivered and acted upon appropriately
• Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients with a known long-term condition.

• To be aware of the relative cost of commonly used items
• To adhere to Crabbs Cross Surgery/Hereford and Worcestershire policies and procedures
• To take an active part in clinical supervision and reflective practice sessions
• To report any risks to the GP
• To order and maintain stock levels of treatment room items
• To document clearly all consultations and treatments provided on computer
• To complete all necessary paperwork and computer entries required for practice administration e.g. prescription claims, patient recall systems, quality and outcomes framework.

Communication

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment
• Communicate with 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 preferred ways of communicating
• Utilise communication skills to support patients to adhere to prescribed treatment regimens
• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication

• To assist the Lead Nurse in maintaining effective communication systems with all practice team members, other agencies and the voluntary sector
• To maintain confidentiality at all times

Educational

• To be willing to undertake educational programmes as appropriate to post.
• To identify areas of improvement of practice and review competencies with the Lead Nurse

Work Environment

• The post holder is required to work frequently with bodily fluids
• The post holder will regularly be required to carry out nursing care, which includes the moving and handling of patients with varying disabilities, and the handling of equipment

Professional

• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Produce accurate, contemporaneous 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
• Deliver care according to the NSF and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines and evidence-based care
• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation
• Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required
• Evaluate the patients response to health care provision and the effectiveness of care
• Understand and apply legal policy that supports the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, being aware of statutory child/vulnerable adult health procedure
• Work within policies relating to domestic violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour and refer as appropriate

• To acknowledge clinical limitations and not undertake any procedure for which the nurse is not adequately trained

Other

• To undertake any other reasonable duties within the skills of the post holder as required by the practice
• To be in possession of a current, clean driving licence and have access to a vehicle as necessary for possible domiciliary visits
• To provide holiday or sickness cover if the need arises
• To organise and prioritise own workload on a day to day basis and observe strict rules about patient confidentiality at all times
• To know when to seek direction from the Lead Nurse, Doctors or Practice Manager
• To work with due regard for Health and Safety and infection control procedures

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 assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

• 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
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
• Reporting potential risks identified.

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 recognizes 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.

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.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience working in a Primary Care Setting.
• Experience of chronic disease management within general practice.
• Ability to identify own learning needs and those of other members of the practice nurse team.
• Ability to crucially review and communicate clinical information to both patients and health care professionals.
• Knowledge of Patient Group Directives and associated policy.
• Sound knowledge and experience in using of clinical system
• Confident, positive attitude toward the responsibilities of the role.
• Methodical approach
• Able to take proactive approach towards health promotion in the practice to support patients in accordance with their individual needs and to promote good health to the wider practice population.
• Flexibility to provide cover

Desirable

• EMIS knowledge

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nurse with sufficient demonstrable experience post qualification.
• GCSE GRADE A- C in English and Maths.
• Positive and proactive attitude

Desirable

• Additional qualifications in women's health, chronic disease management or other areas of interest.

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

Crabbs Cross Surgery

Address

1 Kenilworth Close

Crabbs Cross

Redditch

B97 5JX

Employer's website

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