Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

Key Result Areas

Clinical Care

Assist in and perform routine tasks relating to patient care in a patients home

Undertake opportunistic screening of BP checks, height, weight, BMI, urinalysis, glucose monitoring and smoking status, if required.

Administer injections under an individual prescription or patient group direction

Support patients and colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures

Competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques

Child Health and Child Protection

Promote health and well-being through the use of health promotion, health education, screening and therapeutic communication skills

Refer and use social prescribing teams

To clearly communicate the health status of the patient using appropriate terminology, technology and format.

To supervise and assist junior members of the nursing team, NAs, trainee NAs, HCAs.

Professional

Adhere to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct and Scope of Professional Practice.

Ensure that professional practice adheres to organisational policies, procedures and guidelines

Maintain a professional manner

To promote and maintain own personal development and clinical excellence.

Participate in organisational decision making, interpret variations in outcomes and use data from information systems to improve practice.

To promote evidence-based practice through the use of the latest research-based guidelines and the development of practice-based research.

Monitor the effectiveness of their clinical practice through the quality assurance strategies such as the use of audit and peer review

Participate in continuing professional development opportunities to ensure that up-to-date evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role is maintained

To regularly participate in clinical supervision as agreed with Lead Nurse.

Communication

Communicate effectively with patients and families regarding information about their care

Provide advice and information to patient, carers and their families where appropriate

Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and allied health professionals to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated service

Ensure accurate documentation record keeping in line with local policies and NMC guidelines

Promote and demonstrate effective communication networks within the organisation, with partner organisations and other service providers

Organisational

To complete records, audits, reports and respond to appropriate questions and requests.

To help develop protocols and assist in audits and research.

To attend meetings as requested.

Support effective communication channels between the whole team.

To work according to Clinical Governance and support the Clinical Governance Agenda.

To understand the role of Risk Management within the Practice setting and contributing to risk assessment and Significant Event Audit and the importance of Infection Control.

Educational

To contribute to the development and maintenance of an excellent learning environment

Participate in defining own developmental plan to maintain and develop own clinical skills and ensure own professional development

Undertake and complete all statutory and mandatory training

Contribute to their own personal development and participate in an appraisal and regular performance reviews with their line manager

To take part in clinical supervision within the organisation

Attend any training and keep skills and knowledge up to date, inline with NMC CPD requirements.

Clinical Governance

To be familiar with and comply with the Practices Clinical Governance standards, policies and procedures.

Undertake any PSIRFs that you have been involved in.

Work with the Lead Nurse to investigate adverse clinical incidents and complaints

Other

Demonstrate commitment to flexible working patterns and across sites to meet the needs of the service and staff

To maintain patients confidentiality at all times

This post is deemed to require a Disclosure check

General

The main duties and responsibilities shown above are not exhaustive but should merely be regarded as a guide. The post-holder will be expected to conduct any reasonable activities according to the service needs at that time. These will be subject to periodic review and may be amended to meet the challenging needs of the service. The post-holder will be expected to participate in this process and the organisation would aim to reach agreement to changes.

Infection Control

Staffs are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any actual or potential infection prevention and control risks to their managers immediately

Confidentiality

All staff and contractors working for the organisation have both a common law duty and a statutory duty of confidentiality to protect patient (and indeed any personally identifiable) information and only use it for the purposes for which it was intended. The disclosure and use of confidential patient information needs to be both lawful and ethical.

Information Governance

All staff must keep up-to-date with the requirements of Information

Governance and must follow organisational policies and procedures to ensure that the organisation information is dealt with legally, securely, efficiently and effectively. Staff must appropriately manage all the Information they handle during the course of their employment, making the information available for sharing in a controlled manner, subject to statutory requirements.

Records Management

All employees have a legal responsibility for all records worked with e.g. patient records, financial records, personal, administrative etc., that are gathered or used as part of working within the organisation. The records may be held in a variety of formats such as paper, electronic, microfiche, audio and video tapes etc. Any doubts regarding the correct management of records must be discussed with immediate line manager.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 2 years post registration experience
• Experience of working in Primary Care
• Evidence of appropriate continuing professional development activity to maintain up-to-date knowledge and on-going competence in all aspects of the Home Visiting Nurse Role
• Vaccine and Immunisation training
• Evidence of working autonomously and as part of a team
• Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their own clinical practice
• Undertake Home visits

Desirable

• Willingness to undertake further development opportunities.
• Experience of working with vulnerable patients
• Experience of working in areas of deprivation

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered General Nurse (Currently registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, with a valid pin and no restrictions)

Desirable

• Evidence of further study/professional development

Skills

Essential

• Ability to assess and manage patient risk effectively and safely
• Well-developed word processing/data collection/IT skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Reflective practitioner
• Time management and ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to work under pressure
• Able to analyse data and information, drawing out implications for the individual patient/impact on care plan
• Able to establish and maintain effective communication pathways within Primary Care and with key external stakeholders
• Flexible working
• Clean UK Driving Licence Essential

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding and knowledge of policy developments related to the delivery of primary care services within a GP Practice
• Understanding of evidence based practice
• Knowledge of national standards that inform practice (e.g. National Service Frameworks, NICE guidelines etc)
• Understanding of equal opportunity and diversity issues
• Understanding and experience of interagency working and adult/child safeguarding.
• Ability to follow and undertake policy and procedures

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).