Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical:

The exact responsibilities will depend on the profile and experience of the person employed, and may include the following as appropriate.

Treatment room

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver safe and high quality care.
• Diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions, including drug and non-drug based treatment methods into a management plan.
• Co-ordinate the planning and delivery of care ensuring patients and carers/relatives are involved.
• Provide a holistic evidence based approach to wound management and the implementation of wound care in line with Practice formulary. Application of compression bandaging on completion of relevant training
• Provide travel health advice following a comprehensive assessment of need, administering immunisations as required under Patient Group or Patient Specific Directions
• Participate in the national immunisation programme administering vaccines as required to babies, children and adults
• Promote and deliver the Cervical Cytology Programme to eligible patients
• Carry out treatment room duties as needed including phlebotomy, ECGs, ear irrigation, suture/clip removal, chlamydia screening
• Visit patients within their own homes when needed
• Ensure the maintenance of equipment and stock levels relating to patient care

Care Management and Health Improvement

• Communicate effectively with other team members, patients and their carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication
• Provide highly specialised care advice e.g. care treatment plans, making referrals as appropriate (including fast track referrals).
• Contribute to local and national practice targets clinical remit e.g. QOF, prescribing incentive scheme, National benchmarking.
• Monitor and meet care outcomes against standards and recommend or initiate changes as necessary.
• Manage health screening programmes and ensures other team members are aware of health priorities and screening objectives and programmes.
• Innovate in practice to meet ongoing demands on the Networks delivery of care.
• Improve health outcomes for patients by introducing new developments, and demonstrate them as reports and presentations where appropriate.
• Support practitioners in reporting the practice population to promote health improvement and disease prevention.
• Makes referrals to appropriate agencies (statutory and voluntary) where necessary

Administration and Professional responsibilities:

• Maintain annual registration with the NMC or Health and Care Professions Council, and adhere to the code of professional conduct
• Maintain accurate patient records in line with NMC standards of record keeping, using READ codes to ensure accurate retrieval of information for monitoring and audit purposes
• Organise and prioritise own workload and manage effectively, being adaptable to deal with emergency situations when needed

• Act always in a way to protect the confidentiality of patients and maintain the integrity of the patient/health carer relationship.
• Demonstrate knowledge and apply principles of Information Governance
• Work effectively as a member of a team, maintaining a caring environment through the support of colleagues
• Co-operate and participate as required in any research projects within the practice
• Always be aware of own limitations, working within scope of own competence
• Maintain professional appearance and professional conduct with colleagues, patients and relatives
• Contribute to the work of the nursing and allied professionals team and provide cover as needed
• Maintain effective liaison with other agencies and staff concerned with patient care and with all other disciplines within the practice, with appropriate regard to confidentiality
• Contribute a nursing perspective to the Practice development plan.
• Identify changes to clinical practice that are required to implement evidence-based
• guidelines, updating practice protocols as necessary
• Maintain high standards, clinically and administratively, in line with CQC requirements
• Participate in Audit
• Attend and participate in practice meetings to discuss and implement changes as well as to keep abreast of developments within the Practice and locality
• Restock and maintain clinical areas and consulting rooms

Training and personal development:

• Maintain own continuous professional development and personal development plan. Participate in annual appraisal. Ensure required standards for revalidation are met
• Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self-reflection and peer review, as well as benchmarking and formal evaluation.
• Contribute to the identification and assessment of learning needs of staff and other professionals and assist in planning effective programmes of education.
• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the introduction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate.
• Complete mandatory training requirements to include CPR, anaphylaxis, immunisation, cytology, safeguarding, information governance
• Attend study days, courses and complete e-learning as required to maintain safe standards of practice and ensure high quality care
• Participate in clinical supervision

Health & Safety:

• Demonstrate knowledge and application of principles of Health and Safety in the work place: to include fire, infection control, COSHH, cold chain procedures as per practice policy
• Assist in promoting and maintaining own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policies
• Identify the risks involved in work activities and undertake such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Identify and report significant events, following procedures related to professional standards
• Use appropriate infection control procedures, maintain work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards - clean cupboards and restock as per schedule

Equality and Diversity

• Support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, respecting their privacy and dignity needs
• Behave in a manner which is welcoming to everyone, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights

Personal attributes

Essential

• Ability to work core hours with flexibility to cover additional hours when needed
• To be supportive of all colleagues and be a strong team player
• A cheerful caring nature

Desirable

• Full Driving licence and car/transport

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications and
• experience
• NMC Registered General Nurse
• Computer literacy
• Willingness to develop clinical skills and competency relevant to the role

Desirable

• Experience of working in General Practice
• Cervical cytology qualification
• Experience of using EMIS web
• Completion of an accredited prescribing course and registered qualification

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Good interpersonal skills, both verbal and written
• Consultation skills
• Problem-solving and decision making skills
• Organisational skills, ability to prioritise and perform under pressure
• Ability to be reflective, accept criticism and act constructively
• Willingness to accept additional responsibilities
• Understanding of Information Governance principles
• Awareness of the CQC requirements for General Practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of national immunisation programme
• Experience with health promotion
• Knowledge of travel health and immunisation
• Knowledge of motivational techniques
• A full understanding of CQC requirements

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).