Lead Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

To provide and maintain a high standard of nursing care for patients, as well as providing nursing assistance to the doctors and other members of the primary healthcare team.

Job Responsibilities

Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs. Such tasks may include:

• Wound care - Leg ulcer care
• Removal of sutures
• New patient medicals
• Urinalysis
• ECGs
• Peak flow readings
• Venepuncture
• Blood pressure measurements
• Ear syringing
• Smear taking
• Routine immunisations child and adult
• Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
• Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings
• Requesting basic pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate

Other tasks including:

• Leading on Infection Prevention Control and carrying out required audits
• Clean and sterilise equipment using autoclave
• Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
• Maintaining GP and nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
• Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician
• Undertake housekeeping duties including, general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
• Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by partners and practice manager
• Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
• Ordering of stock from the local hospital
• Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
• Participation in administrative systems in the practice
• At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
• A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks
• Attend and participate in any practice meetings when required.
• On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home or care home visits so car user essential
• Supporting either directly or indirectly with any Health initiatives

Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

Special Requirements of the Post

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness and common sense
• A commitment to maintain a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post
• A commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problems to the practice manager
• A commitment to the effective use of practice and NHS resources
• An awareness of own limitations and experience
• To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the scope of professional practice
• To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up to date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC
• Cooperate with annual appraisal meetings
• Membership of the RCN
• Current validation and planned revalidation for nurse registration

Other Tasks

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners and Managers.

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 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 recognises 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:

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

Recognise 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 when required

Participate in audit where appropriate.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council)
• Completed or working towards formal infection prevention and control training

Desirable

• Mentor or teaching qualification
• Post graduate diploma or degree (Chronic Disease Management)
• Nurse prescriber

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of leading a nursing team in a primary care environment
• Experience of chronic disease management
• Experience of working autonomously
• Experience of working as a practice nurse or community nurse
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Desirable

• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients
• Experience of quality initiatives, i.e., benchmarking

Clinical Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• New patient medicals
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based practice
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to GPs
• Chaperone procedure
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Chronic disease management in [list as appropriate]
• Travel medicine
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
• Strong IT skills and competent in clinical IT systems
• Clear, polite telephone manner

Desirable

• Asthma and or Spirometry
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Experience with clinical risk management

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and co-operative
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations
• Effectively utilise resources

Other Requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for nurse revalidation
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) commensurate with the role of a Lead Practice Nurse

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).