Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Practice Nurse - Maximum 16 Hours per week

Main Duties - 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. The duties will include all tasks normally undertaken by an experienced RGN and in addition any roles agreed between the nurse and the doctors as appropriate, having regard to current training.

Professional -

-Offer a holistic approach to travel health by providing comprehensive advice to patients prior to travel including vaccinations and medicines, safe sex, food hygiene, sun protection.

-Offer advice about childhood and adult vaccinations and ensure vaccines are administered under patient group directions.

- Running well person clinics and health promotion programmes by providing a holistic assessment and lifestyle advice on diet, smoking, alcohol intake and exercise, facilitating change.

-Assessing problems presented opportunistically by patients, dealing with minor illness.

-Able to document consultations according to NMC guidelines.

- Ensure awareness of statutory and local clinical protection procedures, including systems of referral. Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of child abuse.

-Perform a holistic assessment of patients attending for ear irrigation.

-Perform a holistic assessment of patients attending for cervical cytology smear tests.

-Perform venepuncture according to local guidelines.

-Perform injections e.g. Vit B12, contraception.

-Provide a holistic approach to wound management and implement wound care in line with current evidence-based guidelines.

-Suture removal.

-Take ECG's.

-Request basic pathology tests, for example bloods, urine culture, swabs.

-Ability to recognise and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines.

-Ability to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines. Assist in the provision of minor surgery.

-Ability to obtain and document informed consent (either verbal or written).

-Ensure infection control guidelines are maintained.

-Ability to monitor and manage maintenance of stock and equipment to include refrigeration and emergency equipment.

-Confidentiality of information gained at work must be preserved at all times.

-Chronic disease management to include respiratory /diabetes preferred but not essential as training will be given.

Managerial:

-Contribute to the assessment of service needs.

-Assist patients to identify their health needs.

-Contribute a nursing perspective to the practice development plan.

-Manage and organise individual patient consultations.

-Aware of identification and reporting procedures related to professional standards.

-To attend staff meetings.

-Ensure effective relationships and communications with PHCT and other agencies.

-Support the practice clinical governance agenda.

-Identify changes to clinical practice that are required to implement evidence-based guidelines.

Educational:

-Identify personal development and training needs in conjunction with the Manager.

-Participate in clinical supervision.

-Support others with their training and development needs.

-To participate in continuing education and maintain a contemporary level of professional knowledge and skills.

Personnel:

-Maintain good industrial relations.

-Take reasonable care of his/her own safety and of other persons who may be affected by his/her act or omission.

-Co-operation with the practice to ensure all members of the team adheres to statutory regulations/policies and codes of practice and departments safety rules.

-Offer innovative ways of working and opportunities to facilitate learning.

-Facilitate a learning environment within the team.

-Maintain a caring environment through the support of colleagues.

Quality Assurance:

Every employee is personally responsible for the quality of the work, which they individually perform. It is their duty to seek to attain the highest standards achievable both individually and collectively with their knowledge, skills and resources available to them in furtherance of the Practice's philosophy of pursuing quality in all its services.

Flexibility:

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive description of every duty performed by the Practice Nurse but rather a guide to the type and nature of the duties. In a small business such as Barnard Castle Surgery flexibility in the duties undertaken and the hours worked are essential to achieve objectives of a smooth-running practice.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience working within a nursing team.
• Experience of treatment room duties required for the post.
• Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care.
• Knowledge of patient group directions and associated policy.

Desirable

• Experience in Chronic disease management desirable
• Experience working in general practice
• Experience of quality initiatives such as QOF
• Experience of S1 Clinical system
• Awareness of local and national policy

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse
• Current NMC registration
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Work without direct supervision

Desirable

• Qualifications /experience in:
• Cervical cytology
• Childhood /adult immunisations and travel vaccination
• Chronic disease management experience in 1 or more chronic disease

Attitudes

Essential

• Ability to provide quality care.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Be a supportive team member providing assistance to other team members.
• Attend training and study days as necessary.
• Ability to adapt and implement change.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Barnard Castle Surgery

Address

Victoria Road

Barnard Castle

County Durham

DL12 8HT

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.barnardcastlesurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)