Nurse Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Reports to: Nurse Manager

Hours: Between 25 - 37.5 hours per week

Job Summary

The post holder will always work within the boundaries of their professional body. The post holder will review patients presenting with minor illness and minor injuries that have been booked into their designated clinics using the local template system. The patients presenting needs will be assessed using history taking and clinical assessment. A diagnosis and plan of care will be provided in partnership with the patient. Safe clinical decision making that fits with national and local guidance will be demonstrated. There is a requirement that extra or emergency patients may also need to be seen. The Nurse Practitioner will be required to prioritise and triage the needs of the patients accordingly making any necessary referrals for investigations in the appropriate manner. Patients needing referral to secondary care can be made using the referral pathways on Ardens. If referral criteria are not met but the referral is still deemed necessary then advice from Duty GP is required.

Clinical Role

The post holder will:

• Provide telephone and face to face reviews for the patients registered with Combe Down Surgery to include those patients who have undifferentiated or undiagnosed problems.
• Make professionally autonomous decisions using broad and in-depth theoretical knowledge base.
• Use skills in history taking, physical examination, problem solving and clinical decision making to establish a diagnosis and management of care acceptable to the patient.
• Carryout or organise necessary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret their results.
• Independently prescribe within the requirements of their professional body to ensure the prescribing is required, safe and appropriate whilst meeting national and local guidance
• Ensure that the care delivered is evidenced based, cost effective and in keeping with local/ surgery policies and procedures.
• To maintain accurate documentation in keeping with the relevant professional bodies guidance.
• Help promote health and well-being to patients of Combe Down Surgery.
• Assist in the ongoing management of patients with long-term conditions.

Professional/Organisational Role

Work as an effective team member and promote a multi-agency collaborative approach to health care.

Follow agreed protocols with referral to senior nurse or GPs as appropriate.

Ensure that accurate record keeping, and communication is maintained to ensure efficient evaluation and monitoring.

Advise senior nurse of potential problems or errors within range of assigned tasks.

Attend and participate in practice meetings as per contract.

To promote clinical excellence and personal development.

Work with the practice to explore and develop new ways of working in keeping with the changing healthcare needs of the patients of Combe Down Surgery.

Monitor the effectiveness of own practice by means of audit, bench marking and reviews for quality assurance.

Education, Training and Research

Maintain professional registration.

Monitor the effectiveness of her/his own clinical practice through participation in quality assurance strategies such as audit and peer review.

Take responsibility for own professional development, undertaking training for specific clinical tasks.

Use reflective practice to support and maintain own professional standards and development.

Participate in research programmes as appropriate.

Attend all mandatory training courses and updates. Identify and attend any study days as deemed appropriate in agreement with your line manager.

Attend performance and development reviews with your line manager.

Develop own portfolio in preparation for nurse re-validation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse on NMC register or Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP)
• Relevant Clinical assessment and physical reasoning qualification or similar
• Non-medical Prescribing Qualification

Clinical skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Clinical examination skills
• Management of patients with complex needs
• Understanding of local Health promotion
• Good communication style, clear and concise
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedures
• Able to problem solve and analytical thinking skills
• Effective time management
• Able to recognise your level of competence within your scope of practice and when to refer to others

Desirable

• Management of long-term conditions
• Good IT skills
• Experience of carryout relevant clinical audits

Personal qualities

Essential

• Polite and approachable
• Flexible and co- operative
• Motivated and passionate about your role
• High level of integrity
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Able to use resources effectively
• Ability to work under pressure in stressful situations

Experience

Essential

• Management of minor illness or ailment

Desirable

• At least 2 years recent experience working in primary care
• Minimum of 4 years post registration
• Use of system one

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).