Job responsibilities
Clinical Practice:
Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions
and care for patients presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis
Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological
and psychological perspective and plan clinical care accordingly
Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate
interventions/treatments for patients with complex needs
Proactively identify, diagnose, and manage treatment plans for
patients at risk of developing a long-term condition
Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions,
integrating both drug- and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management
plan
Prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness,
appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and
national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice
Work with patients to support compliance with, and adherence to,
prescribed treatments
Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter
medication on medication regimens, side-effects and interactions
Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist
the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of
effective emergency care
Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that
promote healthy lifestyles, and apply principles of self-care
Support and manage health needs of women presenting for family
planning, cervical cytology or sexual health consultation
Assess, identify and refer patients presenting with mental
health needs
Implement and participate in vaccination and immunisation
programmes for both adults and children
Communication:
Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to
ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment
Communicate with and support patients who are receiving bad news
Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising
the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels
of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating
Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve
communication
Maintain effective communication within the practice environment
and with external stakeholders
Act as an advocate for patients and colleagues
Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance and provide
information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising any
difficulties and referring where appropriate
Delivering a Quality Service:
Recognise and work within own competence and professional code
of conduct as regulated by the NMC
Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of
patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures
Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that
maintains and promotes quality
Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines, and
evidence-based care
Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer
review, benchmarking and formal evaluation
Initiate and participate in the maintenance of quality
governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities
Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of
the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required
In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on
improving the quality of health care responding to local and national policies
and initiatives as appropriate
Evaluate patients' response to health care provision and the
effectiveness of care
Support and participate in shared learning across the practice
and wider organisation
Use a structured framework (e.g. root-cause analysis) to manage,
review and identify learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and
near-miss events
Assess the impact of policy implementation on care delivery
Working with the practice management team, monitor and develop
the performance of the clinical team
Contribute to the appraisal of the performance of the team,
providing feedback as appropriate
Understand and apply legal issues that support the
identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, and be aware of
statutory child/vulnerable patients health procedures and local guidance
Working with the PCN and practice management team,
ensure the whole team have skills and knowledge regarding domestic violence,
vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour. Provide guidance
and support to ensure appropriate referral if required.
Leadership Personal & People Development
Act as a clinical leader in the delivery of practice nursing
services ensuring that the needs of the patient are a priority
Take responsibility for own learning and performance including
participating in clinical supervision and acting as a positive role model
Support staff development in order to maximise potential
Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment,
encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice
Encourage others to make realistic self-assessment of their
application of knowledge and skills, challenging any complacency or actions
that are not in the interest of the public and/or users of services
Critically evaluate and review innovations and developments that
are relevant to the area of work
Enlist support and influence stakeholders and decision-makers in
order to bring about new developments in the provision of services
Work with practice management to ensure sufficient staff of
appropriate ability, quality and skill-mix are available to meet current and
future service delivery, that selection and recruitment processes are effective
and that equality of treatment of the team incorporates quality HR principles
and processes
Contribute to the development of local guidelines, protocols and
standards
Maintain effective communication with those responsible for the
overall commissioning and procurement process
Promote the role of the advanced nurse practitioner in general
practice
Team Working
Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop
over time
Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting
others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of
safe practice and assessment of competence
Create clear referral mechanisms to meet patient need
Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management
strategies are embedded within the culture of the team
Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction
and policies impacting upon care delivery
Discuss, highlight and work with the team to create
opportunities to improve patient care
Manage and lead on the delivery of specifically identified
services or projects as agreed with the practice management team
Agree plans and outcomes by which to measure success
Management of Risk
Manage and assess risk within your areas of responsibility,
ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients
Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and
free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation,
policies, procedures and guidelines
Ensure appropriate supervision of safe storage, rotation and
disposal of vaccines and drugs.
Oversee the monitoring, stock control and documentation of
controlled drug usage according to legal requirements where appropriate
Working with the practice management team, ensure the nursing
team has access to and undertakes mandatory and statutory training requirements
Apply infection-control measures within the practice according
to local and national guidelines
Advocate for policies that reduce environmental health risks,
are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all
Interpret national strategies and policies into local
implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general
practice
Managing Information
Use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management
in planning, implementation and monitoring of care, presenting and
communicating information
Review and process data using accurate Read codes in order to
ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit
processes
Manage information searches using the internet and local library
databases
Understand responsibility of self and others to the practice and
others regarding the Freedom of Information Act
Collate, analyse and present clinical data and information to
the team
Communicate essential financial restraints with the team and
discuss with them ideas for effective and efficient working within these
constraints
This job description outlines the key duties and
responsibilities of the role but is not an exhaustive list. It may be amended
and developed as required to reflect changing circumstances, development of the
role or the needs of the practice.