Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the Treatment Room Nurse. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

Administer medications by injection with the appropriate legal authorisation.

Recognise health promotion opportunities and give brief, focussed lifestyle advice using motivational interviewing techniques which may include:

o Alcohol screening

o Smoking cessation

o Weight management

o Sexual health

Undertake initial assessment of patients presenting with wounds, working within expertise to manage independently or refer to other services as necessary.

Remove wound closure materials including sutures, clips and staples.

Take samples for the cervical screening programme according to recognised standards.

Provide ear care including removal of cerumen and provide education and advice.

Administer vaccines to adults and children according to the UK immunisation schedule.

Provide a pre-travel health service including administration of vaccines and advice after undertaking appropriate risk assessment.

Administer prescribed therapies such as contraceptive injections, vitamin B12, and depo neuroleptic medications recognising side effects and contraindications.

a comprehensive approach to handling long-term health conditions like diabetes, COPD or asthma,

Recognise signs and symptoms that may indicate undiagnosed long term conditions e.g. poor wound healing, winter cough in smokers and also factors that may indicate mental health problems and use relevant referral pathways.

Working within guidelines and protocols undertake and record:

• Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for laboratory analysis
• Temperature, pulse and respiratory rate
• Weight, height, waist circumference and Body Mass Index
• Measurement of legs for compression hosiery
• ECGs, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
• Doppler ultrasound measurement
• Measurement of airway function (peak expiratory flow rate and Feno)

Obtain venous blood samples from individuals for investigation.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working autonomously
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Other Requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Ability to travel between sites
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Occupational Health clearance
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for nurse revalidation
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) commensurate with the role of a Treatment Room Nurse

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (NMC)

Skills and Personal Qualities

Essential

• 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
• Strong IT skills
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• 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

Clinical 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
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance

Desirable

• Ear Syringing
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Travel medicine
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• a comprehensive approach to handling long-term health conditions like diabetes, COPD or asthma,

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).