Mental Health Nurse Practitioner General Practice

Job responsibilities

Overall Aim: to undertake more specialist assessment for people experiencing a range of mental health difficulties. The role involves working closely with GPs, ACPs, Practice Nurses and HCAs at the practice sites, also liaising with the Community Mental Health Service.

The post holder is responsible for the assessment of physical health care needs for patients with a Severe Mental Illness (SMI) contributing to the formulation of a relevant plan based upon the persons negotiated goals and relevant evidence based interventions. The post holder will also provide support for patients with a range of Common Mental Illness (CMI) Patients who are identified as High Intensity Users (HIU) of A&E and other services may also benefit from intervention by working closely with other agencies and any identified carer throughout the clinical pathway.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Duties

• Undertake assessment of patient's physical health care needs, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care.
• Deliver a range of interventions in accordance with the agreed plan of care and Pathway guidance including; Social, physical pharmacological and psychologically informed interventions.
• Communicate sensitive diagnosis and treatment related information with patients, utilising highly developed communication skills to overcome barriers to understanding.

• Ensure that all members of the multi-disciplinary team, their colleagues, service users and appropriate others are informed/updated of changes involving current care plans, progress, mental state and psychosocial factors in line with best practice.
• Liaise with and advise service users and carers, local authority and other statutory bodies and third sector agencies.
• Communicate sensitive information to carers and relatives.
• Use a range of communication styles and channels as appropriate to the task.
• Assess patients with complex mental health, physical health and social problems to ensure appropriate treatment support and management.
• Maintain accurate written records and statistics to ensure that service user details and details of detention / assessment are recorded in notes and on the trust database(s) in line with trust policy
• Ensure the physical health needs of service users are met, including advice, support and monitoring of health.
• Work with and support other members of the multi-disciplinary team, using clinical judgements when undertaking assessments.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the post as requested.

Professional Responsibilities

The post holder will be required to work within their Code of Practice and professional guidelines.

Maintain an up-to-date level of professional competence within the specific environment.

Participate in the development of the service to ensure clinical governance processes are actively implemented at team level.

Assist in the implementation of evidence-based practice and participate in research and other projects as required.

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
• Management and maintenance of own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• 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
• 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 once annually)
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults.

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 that 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

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

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Knowledge of the physical health needs and monitoring requirements for people receiving adult community mental health services.
• Skilled in undertaking and interpreting physical health investigations and providing physical health promotion advice including: weight, BMI, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, drugs (prescribed and non-prescribed).
• Skilled in the assessment of clinical risk and developing and communicating appropriate risk management plans
• Knowledge of pharmacological interventions prescribed in mental health
• Knowledge of Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and DOLS.
• Skilled in interventions to engage people difficult to engage.

Desirable

• Standard keyboard skills required for inputting onto Emis
• Demonstrate knowledge of evidence based practice and clinical governance

Qualities/Attributes

Essential

• Commitment and a positive attitude to client group.
• Flexible approach to meeting the needs of the service.
• Demonstrate a commitment to personal development
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of clinical/managerial supervision.
• Team player, integrity, negotiation skills, good time management/organisation skills

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc degree in Adult MH nursing or equivalent level
• Physical Assessment skills
• Independent Prescribing qualification

Desirable

• Psychological intervention Qualification including CBT

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people who are experiencing mental health related difficulties
• Experience of working with people who have difficulty in engaging with services and have complex mental health needs
• Ability to access any local resources and to use networking where possible

Desirable

• Experience of working in general practice and making decisions autonomously
• Experience of assessing, planning, co-ordinating and managing people with mental health problems in a practice setting.
• Skilled in interventions to support concordance with treatment interventions

Other

Essential

• Able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post.
• Ability to demonstrate the positive application of our behaviours.
• Respect and dignity
• Honest and Trustworthy
• Caring and Compassionate
• Working together for patients
• We listen and learn

Qualities/Attributes

Essential

• Commitment and a positive attitude to client group.
• Flexible approach to meeting the needs of the service.
• Demonstrate a commitment to personal development
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of clinical/managerial supervision.
• Team player, integrity, negotiation skills, good time management/organisation skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).