Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

General Nursing Duties

• To provide nursing services to patients, including treatment, screening and advice during routine clinics.
• To undertake diagnostic tests including blood glucose monitoring, PERF and urinalysis.
• To advise and supervise patients use of devices including PERF meters, urinary diagnostic sticks and blood glucose monitoring.
• To take and dispatch according to Practice policy laboratory specimens including blood, urine, swabs and smears.
• To provide immunisations for all ages and diseases and to know the contraindications and side effects of vaccinations.
• To provide immunisations and health advice to patients travelling abroad as per practice policy.
• To maintain nursing treatment room, consultation rooms and utility rooms in good order.

Clinical:

To work within the Primary Care Team at Millbrook Medical Centre and utilise chronic disease care planning templates to effectively assess, plan, implement and evaluate the care of patients with chronic diseases as detailed by the Quality and Outcomes Framework and Practice vision including:

o CDM reviews

o Asthma reviews

o Atrial Fibrillation reviews

o Coronary Heart Disease reviews

o Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

o Diabetes

o Learning Difficulties/Disabilities

o Dementia

o Rheumatoid Arthritis

o Peripheral Arterial Disease

o Heart Failure

o Epilepsy

o Chronic Kidney Disease

o Impaired Glucose Regulation

o Hypertension

Work alongside Health Care Assistants to help develop their skills.

Support the practice in achieving quality indicators and targets of the contract and any relevant National Service Frameworks.

Undertake opportunistic screening when clinically required.

Undertake wound care/management/dressing techniques.

Undertake male, female and family planning assessments, give advice and refer patients appropriately.

Perform cervical screening, pill checks and promote breast awareness.

Administer adult and paediatric injections under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction ensuring safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs as per Practice policy.

Undertake accredited training in specific chronic disease management as or if required e.g diabetes, respiratory, epilepsy, CHD etc.

Contribute to the maintenance of the practice disease registers.

Provide advice on lifestyle issues, assist and support patients with healthy lifestyle choices and refer appropriately.

Provide and adult and childhood immunisation service working to Patient Group Directions.

Deliver travel health care including vaccination and advice.

Recognise the signs of child above, family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse, addictive behaviours, suicidal tendencies and is aware of local referral procedures.

Ensure that current evidence based approaches to patients are standard practice.

Apply infection control measures when collecting and handling of laboratory specimens, disposing of waste materials, dealing with blood and bodily fluid spillages and report and treat sharps injuries.

Undertake annual training and demonstrate competency in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques.

Exercise an autonomous role in prescribing from the independent nurse prescribing formulary in accordance with The Medical Products: Prescription by Nurses Act 1992, taking into account the NMC guidelines for the Administrations of Medicines 2002 within the scope of national and local protocols.

Service specific:

• Acts as an effective and positive change agent, identifying and initiating changes as required to enhance service provision.
• Ensure safe storage of prescription pads and associated documentation at all times in accordance with the organisations policy.
• Contributes to evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting with colleagues in the organisation.
• Records data in patient record systems to agreed standards within the organisation clinical computer system.
• Contributes to the strategic management and development of the organisation e.g in developing and contributing to practice policies and guidelines.

Financial responsibility:

• Maintain responsibility to ensure effective use of resources.

Human resource:

• Keep up to date in new developments in patient care and taking advantage of in-service training programmes provided by the ICB in accordance with a personal development plan.
• Disseminate and share clinical knowledge gained from study days/update through feedback at clinical governance and other formal meetings.
• Maintain own professional development and requirement to take part in appraisal process.

1. Professional responsibilities

Training and Development:

• To participate in the Organisations annual appraisal process.
• To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so. Undertake mandatory training and any other training relevant to the role as required by the Organisation.

General:

• To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
• To comply with the Professional Codes of Conduct and to be aware of changes in these. To maintain up to date knowledge of all relevant legislation and local policies and procedures implementing this.
• To ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the work area.
• To comply with all relevant organisational policies, procedures and guidelines. Including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information and to be aware of any changes in these.
• To comply at all times with the organisations Information Governance related policies.
• To respect the confidentiality of information about staff and patients in particular the confidentiality and security of personal identifiable information in line with the Data Protection Act.
• All staff are responsible for ensuring that any data created by them is timely, comprehensive, accurate and fit for the purposes for which it is intended.
• Participate in practice MDT meetings.

Quality and Patient Safety:

Protection of Children and Vulnerable adults to promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Implementation of NICE guidance and other statutory/best practice guidelines.

To report any incidents of harm or near miss in line wit the organisations incident recording policy ensuring appropriate actions are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

To contribute to the identification, management and reduction of risk in the area of responsibility/

To ensure day to day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and patient experience.

To ensure monitoring of quality and compliance with standards is demonstrable within the service on an ongoing basis.

To be aware of the responsibility of all staff to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients/clients, visitors and workers.

Maintain NMC registration and participate in revalidation process.

Equality and Diversity:

The organisation is committed to equality and diversity and works hard to make sure all staff and service users have access to an environment that is open and free from discrimination.

As an organisation we value the diversity of our staff and service users, and therefore recognise and appreciate that everyone associated with the organisation is different and so should be treated in ways that are consistent with their needs and preferences.

All staff are required to be aware of the organisations equality and diversity policy and the commitments and responsibilities the organisation has to:

o Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act

o Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

o Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

o We firmly believe that it makes good business sense to have a workforce representative of the communities we service and so encourage applications from all sections of the community.

To be noted:

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and staff may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the role, in discuss with the Planned Care Team Leader and/or Management Team.

This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the staff member.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemption Order 1975) and as such it will be necessary for a submission for disclosure to be made to the Criminal Records Bureau to check for previous criminal convictions.

The organisation is committed to the fair treatment of its workers, potential workers or users in line with its Equal Opportunities Policy and policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience working in either general or community practice
• Experience managing acute minor illness
• Experience in implementing clinical guidelines and protocols

Desirable

• Experience of working in a GP practice

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Knowledge of the personalised care approach
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use EMIS, emails and templates
• Knowledge of basic life support
• Knowledge of health and safety
• Knowledge of information governance and confidentiality
• Knowledge of safeguarding adults and children and how to escalate any concerns
• Knowledge of practice policies and procedures
• Understanding of when and how to introduce reasonable adjustments for patients needing them
• Knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity

Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Ability to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• A commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders
• Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies
• Able to take a leadership role to manage chronic diseases and QOF/DES/IIF/GMS
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
• Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC Registration
• Basic life support training

Desirable

• Relevant training for childhood immunisation, cytology, chronic disease management including asthma, AF, CHD, diabetes, LD, Dementia, RA, PAD, HF, Epilepsy, CKD
• Leadership and/or management training

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).