Experienced General Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

• Job Title: Experience General Practice Nurse
• Responsible to: Drs Whittle, Dr W Yousaf, Dr F Yousafand the Practice Manager
• Working Hours: Full Time or Part Time
• Salary: Depending on experience

Job Responsibilities:

Clinical Duties

• a. Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need
• b. To provide expert clinical case management and support for patients with complex care needs living in Nursing & Residential Homes, who are at risk of deteriorating health that may result in declining quality of life or avoidable hospital admission.
• c. As part of this role, you will undertake regular ward rounds at care homes and nursing homes.
• d. Deal empathetically with sensitive information, to include discussing patients changing condition with patient and/or carer.
• e. You will diagnose, prescribe, and implement a range of core interventions with an emphasis on avoiding hospital admission or an unnecessary longer length of hospitalisation.
• f. Actively case-manage by advising and co-ordinating on preventative health care input to vulnerable care home residents.
• g. Planning care interventions for people with multiple and complex long-term conditions, working with the multi-professional team. You will work collaboratively with Care home and Nursing home staff and the practice team in managing the health needs for the designated patient group
• h. Able to provide the interface between hospital and primary, community and social care settings
• i. Able to effectively communicate at all levels of the organisation; to a variety of health professionals; users and carers, to provide the best outcomes.
• j. Support care homes with nursing staff to proactively screen and deliver enhanced care planning
• k. Support in the long-term condition management within the organisation, including being involved with quality improvement and assurance initiatives
• l. Support public health and screening programmes, including immunisations, vaccinations, and also provide opportunistic health promotion advice
• m. As required, provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF
• n. Teach and advise patients and their families on how to manage their condition
• o. Participate in clinical audits and research projects and implements changes as required, including supporting with the development, and updating of practice protocols/guidelines and procedures locally
• p. Work within national and local protocols where these exist
• q. Recognise the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred
• r. Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements
• s. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
• t. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
• u. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
• v. Attend a formal appraisal with their 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
• w. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation ensuring that SNOMED CT codes are used effectively
• x. Contribute to practice targets (QOF, etc.), complying with relevant guidance

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the nurse has the following wider responsibilities:

• a) Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
• b) Support and participate in shared learning in order to improve patient care
• c) Chaperone patients where necessary
• d) Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies
• e) Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.)
• f) Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

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

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

All patients diagnosis and treatments must be held in the STRICTEST CONFIDENCE at all times

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:

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

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

Recognize 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

Additional Duties:

Undertake additional duties as may from time to time be deemed necessary.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council) and maintains revalidation in line with NMC requirements
• Has evidence of working at the relevant level of practice as described in the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework (Registered Nurse Level Practice)
• Holds more than one academic Level 6 diploma or postgraduate certification in long-term conditions care and/or public health initiatives

Desirable

• Mentor or teaching qualification

Experience

Essential

• Broad knowledge of general practice and experience of working as a Practice or Community Nurse
• Experience with chronic disease management
• Experience of working autonomously
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients

Desirable

• Has demonstrable experience in leading long-term conditions management and quality improvement within a PCN
• Experience of quality initiatives, i.e., benchmarking
• An appreciation of the NHS landscape including the relationship between individual organisations, PCNs and the commissioners

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and professional policies/local policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Clear, polite telephone manner

Desirable

• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet

Clinical Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Request pathology tests and process the results, advising patients accordingly
• Understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice
• Ability to promote best practice regarding nursing matters
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Good clinical system IT knowledge and an ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people by telephone, email and face to face
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children
• Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP surgeries, QOF and enhanced service
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient

Desirable

• Experience of Nurse skills including wound care, ECG, venepuncture, immunisations, new patient medicals)
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena and knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Knowledge of national standards that inform general practice (NSF NICE guidelines)

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).