The Long Melford Practice

Practice Nurse

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Practice Nurse to join the Nursing Team at the Long Melford Practice. The Practice has a list of approximately 9500 and operates from two sites based in the historic wool towns of Long Melford and Lavenham, in Suffolk. We are a training practice for GP registrars and Nurse Practitioners. We are committed to the development of a happy, hardworking highly effective, health care team.

The successful applicant will join our team of enthusiastic nurses and HCAs and help to deliver excellent nursing care to our local population providinga range of Practice Nurse Duties including: Chronic Disease Management, Experience of QOF, Childhood & Travel Immunisations, Cervical Smear Screening, Dressing & Wound Care, Contraception, ECG's, Health Promotion/ Advice and where necessary signposting to other appropriate services.

Main duties of the job

Your Duties and Responsibilities will include:

  • Having an understanding of Chronic disease management
  • Maintaining up to date chronic disease registers
  • Monitoring the health of patients with chronic disease and co morbidities
  • Giving advice and support to patients to promote good self-management in line with practice protocol and local formulary.
  • Working in collaboration with the Administration and Reception Team to optimise QOF, arranging the recall of patients for annual review, and monitor attendance.
  • Contributing to the development of practice protocols and audit.
  • Ensuring knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date in line with current guidelines.
  • Participating in the provision of general practice nursing
  • Contributing to ahappy, healthywork environment

About us

We are an established Practice with 4 GP partners, 4 salaried GPs and a Nursing team which includes a Nurse Practitioner, 5 Practice Nurses and 2 HCA's. We have a dispensary which is run by our 4 dispensers. All of us are supported by an excellent team of administrators, secretaries and care navigators. Together we make the Long Melford Practice.

We feel privileged to work with a group of kind and generous health care professionals, who are knowledgeable and supportive.

We hold regular Practice meetings where we share our successes and our challenges. We also share cake and cups of tea!

We work hard together but we also try to have some fun together.

If you would like to join us please apply.

Details

Date posted

05 June 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3421-23-0005

Job locations

Cordell Road

Long Melford

Sudbury

Suffolk

CO10 9EP


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder will assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients, including treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education.

The post holder will work with reference to practice agreed protocols and guidelines, providing nursing treatments to patients both independently and in participation with nurse colleagues and general practitioners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Respiratory Management

  • Have an understanding of asthma and/or COPD care and ensure knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date in line with current guidelines.
  • Maintain up-to-date register of asthmatic and COPD patients. Ensure these are correctly coded on the computer using agreed SNOWMED codes.
  • Monitor the health of patients with respiratory disease as per practice protocol.
  • Give advice and support to patients to promote good self-management in line with practice protocol and local formulary.
  • In collaboration with the Administration and Reception Team, arrange the recall of patients for annual review, and monitor attendance.
  • Contribute to the development of practice protocols and audit.

Diabetes Management

  • Have an understanding of Diabetes and ensure knowledge and skills base are kept up-to-date in line with current thinking.
  • Maintain up-to-date register of diabetic patients. Ensure these are correctly coded on the computer using agreed SNOWME D codes.
  • Monitor the health of diabetic patients against key indicators of diabetic control as per practice protocol and record using diabetes template.
  • Give advice and support to patients to promote good self-management and diabetic control in line with practice protocol and local formulary.
  • In collaboration with the Clinical Administration and Reception Team, arrange the recall of patients for diabetic annual review, and monitor attendance.
  • Liaise with other health professionals involved in the delivery of diabetic care, both inside and outside the practice.
  • Contribute to the development of practice diabetes protocols and audit.
  • Ensure equipment and supplies involved in the delivery of diabetic care, including educational materials, are adequate, appropriate and effective.

Chronic Disease Management (Exc Asthma/COPD)

  • Have an understanding of Coronary Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease and Peripheral Arterial Disease; ensuring knowledge and skills base are kept up to date in line with current thinking.
  • In collaboration with the Clinical and Administrative teams, ensure the practice template for Chronic Disease Management (CDM) is updated at every opportunity
  • Provide patients with written and verbal information about their diagnosis and treatment
  • Offer lifestyle risk reduction advice to patients
  • Work within agreed protocols when managing risk factors to enable patients to manage their own disease
  • Undertake annual reviews of CDM patients

Sexual Health

  • Advise patients on the National and Local Cervical Cytology and Mammography screening programmes
  • Undertake accredited training and perform cervical cytology sampling under supervision until competent
  • Ensure decontamination of instruments
  • Audit a minimum of 20 consecutive smears each year (inadequacy rate should be <10.0%)
  • Promote breast self-awareness, demonstrate breast self-examination and provide supporting literature
  • Advise patients about reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals
  • Take swabs for microscopy as directed
  • Give advice about peri-menopausal and post-menopausal symptoms and make appropriate referrals. Also advising on increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease and offering health promotion/lifestyle advice

Family Planning

  • Must have appropriate training and work to practice protocols
  • Advise patients on available methods of contraception and refer patients as appropriate
  • Advise patients about reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals.
  • Perform interval health checks for patients using hormonal contraception
  • Support patients attending for emergency contraception, including future contraception advice; refer patients as appropriate

Travel Clinics

  • Offer a holistic approach to travel health including comprehensive advice for patients prior to travel including

  • Vaccinations and medications

  • Malaria prophylaxis and bite avoidance

  • Safe sex

  • Food hygiene

  • Sun protection

  • First aid and emergency medication

  • Health insurance

  • Ensure patients have a written travel vaccination schedule

Vaccinations & Immunisations

  • Provide an adult and child immunisation service
  • In collaboration with the Administrative and Reception Teams, help to maintain the call and recall of patients
  • Develop and work to practice protocols (inc. cold chain, anaphylaxis etc)
  • Ensure the cold chain protocol is maintained
  • Ensure anaphylaxis training every 3 years
  • Administer injections under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction
  • Maintain accurate records as per practice protocol
  • Work within the team to identify at risk groups for influenza and pneumococcal
  • Work to increase the uptake of vaccine by at risk groups in accordance with Department of Health guidelines

Ear Care

  • Will have received appropriate training
  • Work to practice protocols for ear care and irrigation
  • Undertake ear irrigation after full assessment
  • Advise patients about safe ear care

Wound Management

  • Provide the diagnosis, management plan and treatment of leg ulcers including onward referral to the relevant local service as required.
  • Ensure chronic wounds are measured at appropriate intervals and changes to management plans made as needed
  • Perform Ankle pressure index (API) measurements on leg ulcer patients if required and refer as appropriate
  • Perform wound care using aseptic technique for a variety of wounds
  • Perform suture and clip removal as needed
  • Assist with Minor Surgery as needed

Clinical Governance

  • Monitor and audit various aspects of the nursing service as required.
  • Adhere to the highest standards of clinical care.
  • Follow practice protocols, professional codes of conduct and local policies.
  • Follow Health & Safety Principles at all time
  • Take responsibility and accountability for own actions.
  • Seek GP support if unsure about the management of a patient.
  • Be prepared to undergo clinical supervision.
  • Contribute to clinical meetings, particularly using significant event audit.
  • Ensure adequate professional indemnity insurance and NMC registration is in

place.

  • Participate in the Revalidation process required to maintain NMC registration

    Miscellaneous

  • Contribute to nurse triage and clinical meetings as required
  • Take part in the Long Melford Practice annual performance appraisal system and undertake such training deemed necessary by the practice.
  • Keep up-to-date with issues relating to primary care and job role.
  • Actively participate in the teaching/supervision of other qualified or unqualified staff, patients and carers if required.
  • Perform other tasks as required by the GPs or Practice Manager which are reasonable and in line with the principles of this job description.

Other nursing duties

  • Take part in the annual flu immunisation programme
  • Support the work of other nursing staff
  • To be available to participate in a system of internal cover for purposes of annual leave and ther leave if required by the Practice Manager.
  • Keep skills up-to-date for all nursing duties you might be required to undertake including smear-taking and wound care, etc.
  • 24 hour blood pressure monitoring
  • Smoking cessation advice
  • Carry out new patient checks as required
  • Carry out over 75 checks as required
  • Carry out health checks for individuals with learning disabilities as required
  • Carry out dementia health care assessments/ health checks as required
  • Participate in providing mental health annual review health checks as required
  • Act as a chaperone for GPs as required
  • Provide emergency nursing services, such as ECGs, bloods etc.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder will assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients, including treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education.

The post holder will work with reference to practice agreed protocols and guidelines, providing nursing treatments to patients both independently and in participation with nurse colleagues and general practitioners.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Respiratory Management

  • Have an understanding of asthma and/or COPD care and ensure knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date in line with current guidelines.
  • Maintain up-to-date register of asthmatic and COPD patients. Ensure these are correctly coded on the computer using agreed SNOWMED codes.
  • Monitor the health of patients with respiratory disease as per practice protocol.
  • Give advice and support to patients to promote good self-management in line with practice protocol and local formulary.
  • In collaboration with the Administration and Reception Team, arrange the recall of patients for annual review, and monitor attendance.
  • Contribute to the development of practice protocols and audit.

Diabetes Management

  • Have an understanding of Diabetes and ensure knowledge and skills base are kept up-to-date in line with current thinking.
  • Maintain up-to-date register of diabetic patients. Ensure these are correctly coded on the computer using agreed SNOWME D codes.
  • Monitor the health of diabetic patients against key indicators of diabetic control as per practice protocol and record using diabetes template.
  • Give advice and support to patients to promote good self-management and diabetic control in line with practice protocol and local formulary.
  • In collaboration with the Clinical Administration and Reception Team, arrange the recall of patients for diabetic annual review, and monitor attendance.
  • Liaise with other health professionals involved in the delivery of diabetic care, both inside and outside the practice.
  • Contribute to the development of practice diabetes protocols and audit.
  • Ensure equipment and supplies involved in the delivery of diabetic care, including educational materials, are adequate, appropriate and effective.

Chronic Disease Management (Exc Asthma/COPD)

  • Have an understanding of Coronary Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease and Peripheral Arterial Disease; ensuring knowledge and skills base are kept up to date in line with current thinking.
  • In collaboration with the Clinical and Administrative teams, ensure the practice template for Chronic Disease Management (CDM) is updated at every opportunity
  • Provide patients with written and verbal information about their diagnosis and treatment
  • Offer lifestyle risk reduction advice to patients
  • Work within agreed protocols when managing risk factors to enable patients to manage their own disease
  • Undertake annual reviews of CDM patients

Sexual Health

  • Advise patients on the National and Local Cervical Cytology and Mammography screening programmes
  • Undertake accredited training and perform cervical cytology sampling under supervision until competent
  • Ensure decontamination of instruments
  • Audit a minimum of 20 consecutive smears each year (inadequacy rate should be <10.0%)
  • Promote breast self-awareness, demonstrate breast self-examination and provide supporting literature
  • Advise patients about reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals
  • Take swabs for microscopy as directed
  • Give advice about peri-menopausal and post-menopausal symptoms and make appropriate referrals. Also advising on increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease and offering health promotion/lifestyle advice

Family Planning

  • Must have appropriate training and work to practice protocols
  • Advise patients on available methods of contraception and refer patients as appropriate
  • Advise patients about reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals.
  • Perform interval health checks for patients using hormonal contraception
  • Support patients attending for emergency contraception, including future contraception advice; refer patients as appropriate

Travel Clinics

  • Offer a holistic approach to travel health including comprehensive advice for patients prior to travel including

  • Vaccinations and medications

  • Malaria prophylaxis and bite avoidance

  • Safe sex

  • Food hygiene

  • Sun protection

  • First aid and emergency medication

  • Health insurance

  • Ensure patients have a written travel vaccination schedule

Vaccinations & Immunisations

  • Provide an adult and child immunisation service
  • In collaboration with the Administrative and Reception Teams, help to maintain the call and recall of patients
  • Develop and work to practice protocols (inc. cold chain, anaphylaxis etc)
  • Ensure the cold chain protocol is maintained
  • Ensure anaphylaxis training every 3 years
  • Administer injections under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction
  • Maintain accurate records as per practice protocol
  • Work within the team to identify at risk groups for influenza and pneumococcal
  • Work to increase the uptake of vaccine by at risk groups in accordance with Department of Health guidelines

Ear Care

  • Will have received appropriate training
  • Work to practice protocols for ear care and irrigation
  • Undertake ear irrigation after full assessment
  • Advise patients about safe ear care

Wound Management

  • Provide the diagnosis, management plan and treatment of leg ulcers including onward referral to the relevant local service as required.
  • Ensure chronic wounds are measured at appropriate intervals and changes to management plans made as needed
  • Perform Ankle pressure index (API) measurements on leg ulcer patients if required and refer as appropriate
  • Perform wound care using aseptic technique for a variety of wounds
  • Perform suture and clip removal as needed
  • Assist with Minor Surgery as needed

Clinical Governance

  • Monitor and audit various aspects of the nursing service as required.
  • Adhere to the highest standards of clinical care.
  • Follow practice protocols, professional codes of conduct and local policies.
  • Follow Health & Safety Principles at all time
  • Take responsibility and accountability for own actions.
  • Seek GP support if unsure about the management of a patient.
  • Be prepared to undergo clinical supervision.
  • Contribute to clinical meetings, particularly using significant event audit.
  • Ensure adequate professional indemnity insurance and NMC registration is in

place.

  • Participate in the Revalidation process required to maintain NMC registration

    Miscellaneous

  • Contribute to nurse triage and clinical meetings as required
  • Take part in the Long Melford Practice annual performance appraisal system and undertake such training deemed necessary by the practice.
  • Keep up-to-date with issues relating to primary care and job role.
  • Actively participate in the teaching/supervision of other qualified or unqualified staff, patients and carers if required.
  • Perform other tasks as required by the GPs or Practice Manager which are reasonable and in line with the principles of this job description.

Other nursing duties

  • Take part in the annual flu immunisation programme
  • Support the work of other nursing staff
  • To be available to participate in a system of internal cover for purposes of annual leave and ther leave if required by the Practice Manager.
  • Keep skills up-to-date for all nursing duties you might be required to undertake including smear-taking and wound care, etc.
  • 24 hour blood pressure monitoring
  • Smoking cessation advice
  • Carry out new patient checks as required
  • Carry out over 75 checks as required
  • Carry out health checks for individuals with learning disabilities as required
  • Carry out dementia health care assessments/ health checks as required
  • Participate in providing mental health annual review health checks as required
  • Act as a chaperone for GPs as required
  • Provide emergency nursing services, such as ECGs, bloods etc.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience & Knowledge of needs of patients with long-term conditions
  • Experience & Knowledge of health promotion strategies
  • Aware of accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse-led service
  • Experience & Knowledge of patient group directions and associated policy
  • Experience & Knowledge awareness and understanding of clinical governance issues in Primary Care
  • Experience & Knowledge and understanding of the Fundamental Standards of Care required by the Care Quality Commission
  • Experience & Knowledge of a clinical data base system
  • Awareness of General Data Protection Regulations May 2018

Desirable

  • Experience of working in general practice
  • Awareness of local and national health policy
  • Awareness of issues within the wider health economy

Qualifications

Essential

  • NMC registered Nurse
  • Evidence of continuing post-registration development
  • Evidence of working in General Practice
  • Evidence of Chronic Disease Management i.e. Diploma in asthma or equivalent and/or Warwick Diabetes Course/Diploma in Diabetes Care or Equivalent;
  • Evidence of Revalidation

Desirable

  • BSc Clinical Skills and diagnostics or equivalent Degree Pathway
  • Independent Nurse Prescriber (V300)
  • Telephone Triage Training
  • Family Planning Qualification
  • Mentor/teaching Qualification
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience & Knowledge of needs of patients with long-term conditions
  • Experience & Knowledge of health promotion strategies
  • Aware of accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse-led service
  • Experience & Knowledge of patient group directions and associated policy
  • Experience & Knowledge awareness and understanding of clinical governance issues in Primary Care
  • Experience & Knowledge and understanding of the Fundamental Standards of Care required by the Care Quality Commission
  • Experience & Knowledge of a clinical data base system
  • Awareness of General Data Protection Regulations May 2018

Desirable

  • Experience of working in general practice
  • Awareness of local and national health policy
  • Awareness of issues within the wider health economy

Qualifications

Essential

  • NMC registered Nurse
  • Evidence of continuing post-registration development
  • Evidence of working in General Practice
  • Evidence of Chronic Disease Management i.e. Diploma in asthma or equivalent and/or Warwick Diabetes Course/Diploma in Diabetes Care or Equivalent;
  • Evidence of Revalidation

Desirable

  • BSc Clinical Skills and diagnostics or equivalent Degree Pathway
  • Independent Nurse Prescriber (V300)
  • Telephone Triage Training
  • Family Planning Qualification
  • Mentor/teaching Qualification

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).

Additional information

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

The Long Melford Practice

Address

Cordell Road

Long Melford

Sudbury

Suffolk

CO10 9EP


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

The Long Melford Practice

Address

Cordell Road

Long Melford

Sudbury

Suffolk

CO10 9EP


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Practice Manager

Scott Hanson

scott.hanson@nhs.net

01787378226

Details

Date posted

05 June 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3421-23-0005

Job locations

Cordell Road

Long Melford

Sudbury

Suffolk

CO10 9EP


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