Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Job Description

Job title: Advanced Nurse Practitioner in General Practice

Reports to: Hazel Heinink, ANP Partner (Clinically)

Ruth Waldendorf, Practice Manager (Administratively)

Job Summary:

The post holder is an experienced nurse who is responsible for attending to patients who wish to be seen by a healthcare professional; diagnosing and treating patients presenting with minor illness. Acting within their professional boundaries they will provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate critical thinking, safe clinical decision making and expert care, including assessment and diagnostic skills for patients within general practice. They will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures and will provide nurse leadership as required. There is a requirement to see extra or emergency patients. The post holder will need to prioritise and triage the needs of patients accordingly, making any necessary referrals for investigations in the appropriate manner. The post holder will be required to provide some cover when other members of the ANP team are on annual/study leave.

Key responsibilities:

Clinical practice:

• Assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis, referring to GP colleagues and other members of the primary and secondary healthcare teams as necessary.

• Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective, planning clinical care accordingly

• Ensure clinical practice is safe and effective and remains within the boundaries of competence and acknowledges own limitations

• Assess, diagnose plan implement and evaluate interventions/treatments for patients with complex needs

• Proactively identify, diagnose and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing a long term condition(as appropriate)

• Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non-drug based treatment methods into a management plan

• Prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence based practice and national and practice protocols, within own scope of practice

• Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatment: provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter medication, on medication regimens, side effects and interactions

• Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations including initiation of effective emergency care

• Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles and apply principles of self care

• Assess, identify and refer patients presenting with mental health needs

• Promote and deliver evidence based care for patients presenting with aural conditions including ear irrigation as required

• Meet the needs of patients presenting for opportunistic wound care and removal of clips or sutures

• Carry out other general nursing duties including general wound care, ECG recording, phlebotomy and collection of pathological specimens.

Communication:

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment

• Communicate effectively with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, patients and carers recognising need for alternative methods of communication to overcome differing levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred methods of communicating

• Maintain effective communication within the practice environment and with external stakeholders

• Act as an advocate for patients and colleagues

  Deliver a quality service:

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

• Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the NMC

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities. Review and identify learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near-miss events.

• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality

• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patients consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures

• Deliver care according to NICE guidelines and other evidence base

• Participate in audit where appropriate

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; maintaining a record of own personal and professional development; assessing and identifying own learning needs and undertaking learning as appropriate

• It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested

• Undertake mentorship for more junior staff, assessing competence against set standards

• Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice and provide an educational role to patients/carers

Team Working:

• Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop in time

• Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working

• Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team

• Discuss and work with the team to highlight and create opportunities to improve patient care

Confidentiality:

• Use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in planning, implementation and monitoring of care, presenting and communicating information

• Review and process data using accurate Read codes in order to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes

• Manage information searches using the internet and local library databases

• Understand responsibility of self and others to the practice and primary care trust regarding the Freedom and Information Act

• Monitor and confirm that the nursing team are receiving and processing data and information in an agreed format Collate, analyse and present clinical data and information to the team

• Communicate essential financial restraints with the team and discuss with them ideas for effective and efficient working within these

Equality and diversity:

• Identify patterns of discrimination and take action to overcome this and promote diversity and equality of opportunity

• Enable others to promote equality and diversity in a non-discriminatory culture

• Support people who need assistance in exercising their rights

• Monitor and evaluate adherence to local chaperoning policies

• Act as a role model in the observance of equality and diversity good practice

• Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care

• Assist patients from marginalised groups to access quality care

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nurse on part 1 or 2 of NMC register
• Relevant nursing diploma/degree
• Nurse Prescribing
• Principles of physical assessment/examination

Desirable

• Teaching/Mentorship qualification
• Clinical supervision training and experience

Knowledge

Essential

• Advanced clinical practice skills
• Management of patients with long-term conditions
• Management of patients with complex needs
• Accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse-led service
• Patient group directions and associated policy

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health issues
• Able to identify determinants on health in the area
• Knowledge of public health issues in the area

Skills

Essential

• Communication skills, both written and verbal
• Communication of difficult messages to patients and families
• Negotiation and conflict management skills
• Resource management

Desirable

• Clinical leadership skills

Other

Essential

• Self-directed practitioner
• Highly motivated
• Flexibility
• Enthusiasm
• Team player
• Ability to work across boundaries

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 5 years post registration experience
• At least 2 years recent primary and community nursing experience
• Physical assessment and examination skills
• Nurse-led management of minor illness, minor ailments and injuries
• Audit
• Nurse prescribing
• Nurse-led triage
• Health-needs assessment

Desirable

• Experience of working as an ANP within a GP Practice
• Compiling protocols and clinical guidelines
• Project management
• Working with community development initiatives
• Research

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).