Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: PRACTICE NURSE (Band 6)

REPORTS TO: LEAD NURSE (Clinically)

CLINICAL & HR MANAGER (Administratively)

HOURS: 37 hours per week

Job summary:

The practice nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing personal medical services to the practice patients. This will include long-term condition management, health screening and promotion, immunisations, treatments and dressings.

Essential Qualifications:

• Registered General Nurse with evidence of current NMC registration
• Diploma in chronic disease management e.g. Respiratory, Diabetes, CHD and willingness to work towards any not yet obtained
• Qualifications/signed competencies in the activities listed below and a willingness to work towards any not yet obtained

Role of the Nursing Team

City View Medical Practice serves the needs of 15,500 registered patients from diverse cultural and ethical backgrounds. The team offers a range of clinical services including health promotion and chronic disease management, NHS health checks, hypertension management, contraception and sexual health advice (including device fitting and removal), cervical cytology, wound management, travel advice, administration of national childhood and adult vaccinations, ear care and phlebotomy. We liaise with the multidisciplinary team as necessary.

Non-medical prescribers work within the team to provide holistic episodes of care, so achieving NHS England and CCG mandates to meet patient need safely, seamlessly, efficiently and effectively by completing clinically robust, evidence-based episodes of care. There is a strong focus on support, training, education, assessment and audit, ensuring the team is clinically confident and competent to meet simultaneous Practice and external guidance.

Key roles and functions

• Provide a high quality, safe and supportive environment for patients, meeting their identified physical and psycho-social needs within the scope of individual accountable practice.
• Work within Practice guidelines, policies, protocols and procedures reporting outcomes to appropriate clinical staff so standards of care can be monitored and improved where necessary. This includes adhering to the following agendas: infection control, equality and diversity, health and safety.
• Maintain effective communication with patients, carers, relatives and members of the multidisciplinary team ensuring information is shared appropriately and confidentially so patient needs are met in accordance with NHS directives and safeguarding policies (DH 2003; DH 2010).
• Protect and maintain patient records to the agreed Practice standard and in accordance with professional record keeping standards (NMC 2009).
• Administer medicines in accordance with a non-medical prescribing framework, patient specific direction or patient group direction in accordance with the standards for medicine management (NMC 2007).
• Organise, manage and prioritise own workload ensuring care of patients is paramount.
• Develop the role by using evidence-based practice and continuously improving own knowledge as defined in the PREP handbook (NMC 2011) and revalidation guidelines.

Job responsibilities:

• Chronic disease management: Respiratory Disease (Asthma/COPD), Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease Applicant should hold diploma(s) or be willing to train
• Assist in/perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs
• Contraception
• Cytology
• Wound care / ulcer care / Doppler
• Travel Health
• Removal of Sutures
• New Patient Medicals / Urinalysis
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• Hypertension Management
• Routine immunisations / Childhood immunisations
• Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings
• Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
• Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate
• If appropriate, prescribe medicines in accordance with the NMC Standards for Medicines Management (2007), the NMC Code of Professional Standards (2015) and the Nurse Prescribing Implementation Plan (1998).

• Other tasks will include
• Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms, including stocking and rotating items as required
• Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by the Practice Management Team
• Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
• Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
• Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
• At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
• A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks
• Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required.
• On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visits
• Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

Assignment and review of work

The Nurse is responsible to the Lead Nurse for clinical guidance and professional management, work review and formal performance appraisal. Workload is generally autonomously managed within professional and practice guidelines, policies and directives. Communication and liaison with the Lead Nurse is requisite in negotiating and prioritising a realistic workload. The Lead Nurse is contactable throughout the working day, but in her absence the on- call GP is available to maintain support and guidance.

The following are implicit expectations of the post holder:

• A willingness to undertake additional courses, training and education to meet the needs of the position; this includes attendance at on and off-site meetings and some study during non-working hours.
• A willingness to adapt working practice to meet changing practice and service development.
• Flexibility of working across sites if required.
• Performance is monitored on an ongoing basis and formally appraised annually.

Experience

Essential

• Working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience of multi-skilled approach to Chronic Disease Management
• Using electronic healthcare records systems
• Diplomas/skills in areas key to General Practice, e.g. Phlebotomy, immunisation and vaccination, wound management, health screening, travel health advice

Desirable

• Have worked with other members of the Primary Care Team (Community Pharmacists, Dieticians etc.)
• Minor illness management
• Triage in healthcare
• Participation in research
• Knowledge and understanding of current national developments and trends in health care

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (with a current NMC PIN)
• Hold a first level degree in nursing

Skills

Essential

• Able to work alone without direct supervision when appropriate
• Able to undertake and report on autonomous decisions taken in practice
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication skills
• IT skills
• Time Management
• Problem solving

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Excellent team player
• Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
• Flexible approach
• Self-motivated
• Accurate and thorough approach
• Strong appreciation of customer service skills
• Strong work ethic
• Positive role model
• Ability to work core hours

Desirable

• Ability to work flexibly to provide cover

Knowledge & Understanding

Essential

• Understanding of the General Practice Environment
• Wellbeing and Health Promotion
• Awareness of the role of community nursing overall
• Knowledge of quality assurance processes

Desirable

• Knowledge of the audit process in healthcare
• Awareness of issues across the wider health economy

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).