Job responsibilities
Post Title: Practice Nurse
Responsible to: Lead Nurse
Accountable to: Partners & Practice Manager of University Medical Centre
Base: University Medical Centre, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7PB
Job Summary
To provide and maintain a high standard of general nursing care to the University Medical Centres patients, working in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols. The duties include all tasks normally undertaken by an experienced RGN.
Working as a member of the practice multidisciplinary team, the post holder will ensure nursing services are delivered effectively to the entitled patient population.
The Practice Nurse will be responsible for a number of clinical areas such as infection prevention and control, health promotion, chronic disease management, health promotion, well women and well man clinics, as well as actively supporting the practice management team in the reviewing and delivery of clinical policy and procedure.
The post holder will undertake any additional roles agreed between the post holder and the Partnership as appropriate, having regard to current training.
The post-holder will work in accordance with the NMC and ensure adherence to NICE and other relevant clinical guidelines.
Responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of the Practice 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:
To support the Infection Prevention Control (IPC) lead and to work to the IPC requirements by providing audits, training, support and evidence of compliance to the practice manager
To assess the needs of patients ensuring the provision of healthcare is appropriate, incorporating evidence-based practice
To develop, implement and deliver health promotion and wellbeing programmes
To implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for chronic disease patients that promote health and wellbeing
To identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects to patients health
As required, to provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF
As required, to diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions
Provide wound care - ulcer/Doppler, etc. to patients
To review patient medications to enhance compliance
To request pathology services and process pathology results as required
To oversee the provision of chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required
To maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation
To ensure SNOMED CT codes are used effectively by all members of the nursing team
To ensure the appropriate maintenance and use of chronic disease registers
To ensure compliance with the practice chaperone policy
To assist GPs with minor surgery when required
To support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies
To recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs
To implement vaccination programmes for adults and children
To support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice)
To liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately -vulnerable patients etc.
To support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies
To understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately
CQC (Care Quality Commission)
- Under supervision of the GP Partners / Practice Manager to assist staff and clinicians to ensure that the practice fully complies with the CQC regulations
- To ensure that all policies and procedures within areas of responsibilities are up to date and are amended as and when required
Confidentiality
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters.They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
- In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
- Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
Health & Safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, the practice Health & Safety Manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
- Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
- Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
- Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
- Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
- Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
- Reporting potential risks identified
- Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Equality and Diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional Development
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
- Be respectful to colleagues and help maintain a supportive working environment.
Contribution to the Implementation of Services
The post-holder will:
- Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.
