Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Title:

Practice Nurse

Responsible to:

Practice Manager/Partners

Job Purpose:

The Practice Nurse will play a vital role in ensuring that the nursing team runs smoothly and provides a high standard of care and service to patients, doctors, fellow nurses, and other members of the practice team. This includes delivering safe, evidence-based nursing care, supporting the management of chronic diseases, promoting patient health and well-being, and contributing to the efficient operation of the practice.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Practice Nurse will deliver high-quality, evidence-based nursing care as part of the multidisciplinary team, ensuring that patients receive appropriate health management, education, and support. The post holder will be responsible for the following duties:

Clinical Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and embed health promotion and well-being programmes.

Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients with chronic diseases.

Identify, manage, and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, helping to prevent adverse effects on their health.

Provide routine nursing care in accordance with clinical evidence, NICE guidelines, and the National Service Framework (NSF).

Deliver travel medicine services, including vaccinations and advice.

Request and process pathology services and results as required, ensuring appropriate follow-up actions.

Provide and manage chronic disease clinics, delivering patient-centred care and referring to secondary or specialist services when appropriate.

Maintain accurate and comprehensive clinical records in line with professional standards and current legislation.

Ensure read codes are used effectively and maintain chronic disease registers accurately.

Health Promotion and Preventive Care

Develop, implement, and embed Well Woman and Well Man clinics.

Deliver opportunistic health promotion and lifestyle advice during patient consultations.

Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately to support early intervention and prevention.

Implement vaccination programmes for both adults and children in line with national guidelines.

Support patients in the safe and effective use of prescribed or over-the-counter medicines, within the scope of professional practice.

Safeguarding and Holistic Care

Chaperone patients where appropriate, maintaining dignity and confidentiality at all times.

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

Liaise with external services and agencies to ensure appropriate support for vulnerable patients and those with complex care needs.

Support the clinical team with safeguarding matters, ensuring compliance with local and national safeguarding policies and procedures.

The following are the core responsibilities of the Practice Nurse.

On occasion, there may be a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will depend on factors such as workload, staffing levels, and service needs.

Develop, implement, and embed health promotion and well-being programmes.

Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients with chronic diseases.

Identify, manage, and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on their health.

Provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical evidence, NICE guidelines, and the National Service Framework (NSF).Deliver travel medicine services, including vaccinations and health advice.

Request and process pathology services and results as necessary.

Provide chronic disease clinics, delivering appropriate care and referring patients to secondary or specialist services as required.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records in accordance with relevant legislation and professional standards.

Ensure read codes are used effectively and maintain chronic disease registers accurately.

Develop, implement, and embed Well Woman and Well Man clinics.

Chaperone patients where required, maintaining dignity and confidentiality at all times.

Assist GPs with minor surgery when required.

Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately to support patient wellbeing.

Support the team in responding to and managing clinical emergencies.

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

Implement vaccination programmes for adults and children in line with national guidelines.

Support patients in the safe and effective use of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, within own scope of practice.

Liaise with external services and agencies to ensure vulnerable or high-need patients are appropriately supported.

Delegate clinical responsibilities safely and appropriately, ensuring tasks fall within the scope of practice of the individual.

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

Understand and apply practice and local policies for substance misuse and addictive behaviours, referring patients appropriately.

Deliver opportunistic health promotion and education during patient interactions.

Secondary Responsibilities

• In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Practice Nurse may also be required to:

  • Complete clinical audits as instructed, utilising the audit cycle to support quality improvement.

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

  • Support junior members of the nursing team, providing guidance and mentorship as required.

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

  • Support and participate in shared learning and multidisciplinary meetings within the practice.

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

  • Participate in the review of significant events and near misses, using structured approaches such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA).

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications
• Registered Nurse (NMC registration).
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Occupational Health clearance.
• Desirable -
• Postgraduate Diploma or Degree in Primary Care or related field.
• Experience
• Essential -
• Experience working in a primary care environment.
• Competence in venepuncture, new patient medicals, and chaperone procedures.
• Experience managing hypertension, chronic disease monitoring, and health promotion.
• Understanding of evidence-based practice and clinical governance.
• Strong record-keeping skills and ability to work within own scope of practice.
• Knowledge of PGDs and associated policies.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Strong IT skills, including use of EMIS Web, Microsoft Office, and Outlook.
• Effective time management, organisational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and patient-centred care.
• Flexible and cooperative approach to work, including availability to work outside core hours if required.

Desirable

• Experience working as a Practice Nurse or Community Nurse.
• Experience in chronic disease management (e.g. diabetes, asthma, COPD, CHD).
• Experience in travel medicine and immunisations (routine childhood and travel).
• Competence in ECG, spirometry, and requesting/processing pathology tests.
• Knowledge of local public health issues and wider health policy context.
• Experience conducting clinical audits and contributing to risk management.
• Additional Requirements -
• This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. As such, it will be necessary for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to be undertaken to identify any previous criminal convictions.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

The Castle Practice

Address

2 Hawthorne Road

Castle Bromwich

Birmingham

B36 0HH

Employer's website

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