Job responsibilities
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of PCN nursing services, working as part of the PCN's multidisciplinary team who provide care within their scope of practice to the registered patient population, supporting all members of the nursing team and providing guidance when necessary.
About us
You will join a clinical team of the North Lewisham Primary Care Network, based at the Waldron Centre (SE14 6LD), consisting of the Clinical Director, Enhanced Hours GPs & Practice Nurses, HCAs, and Phlebotomists.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of the lead PCN 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:
a. Develop, implement and embed health promotion and well-being programmes
b. Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for chronic disease patients, which promote health and well-being
c. Identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patients health
d. Provide routine nursing care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF
e. Diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions
f. Prescribe medication for patients in accordance with PGDs and own scope of practice
g. Review patient medications to enhance compliance
h. Provide guidance to patients in the use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications on side effects and dosages
i. Oversee the provision of wound care services to patients
j. Request pathology services as necessary
k. Process pathology results as required
l. Oversee the provision of chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary / specialist care as required
m. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation
n. Ensure SNOMED codes are used effectively by all members of the nursing team
o. Chaperone patients where necessary
p. Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately
q. Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies
r. Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs
s. Implement vaccination programmes for adults and children
t. Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over the counter medicines (within own scope of practice)
u. Liaise with external services / agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.)
v. Delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and the task is within the scope of practice of the individual)
w. Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies
x. Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately
y. Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate
z. Develop, review and implement PCN policies and protocols, ensuring conformance to extant legislation
aa. Develop, review and implement nursing protocols in conjunction with the Clinical Director
Secondary Responsibilities
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the lead PCN nurse will be requested to:
a. Develop and review audit protocols and process for the PCN, effectively utilising the audit cycle
b. Support all members of the nursing team, providing guidance when necessary, conducting appraisals and training needs analyses as required
c. Support and participate in shared learning within the PCN
d. Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate
e. Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach i.e. root cause analysis (RCA)
f. Coordinate the nursing team rota, ensuring sufficient staff are available to meet patient needs
h. Lead the planning and implementation of changes within the nursing team, enhancing the provision of services to patients
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Registered Nurse
Desirable
Post graduate diploma or degree (Chronic Disease Management)
Nurse Prescriber
Experience
Essential
Experience of working in a primary care environment
Experience of chronic disease management
Experience of working autonomously
Desirable
Experience of leading a nursing team in a primary care environment
Experience of working as a practice/PCN nurse or community nurse
Experience of developing and implementing practice / PCN policies
Clinical Knowledge & Skills
Essential
Wound Care / Removal of sutures & staples
Venepuncture
New patient medicals
Chaperone procedure
Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
Diabetes
Hypertension
Asthma
Spirometry
CHD
Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
Womens health (Cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
Understands the importance of evidence based practice
Broad knowledge of clinical governance
Ability to record accurate clinical notes
Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to GPs
Knowledge of health promotion strategies
Understands the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
Strong IT skills
Clear, polite telephone manner
Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
EMIS user skills
Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
Good interpersonal skills
Problem solving & analytical skills
Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
Desirable
Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
Experience with clinical risk management
Personal Qualities
Essential
Polite and confident
Flexible and cooperative
Motivated, forward thinker
Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
High levels of integrity and loyalty
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations
Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
Commitment to ongoing professional development
Effectively utilises resources
Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
Other requirements
Essential
Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Occupational Health Clearance
Meet the requirements and produce evidence for nurse revalidation.
Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) commensurate with the role of a lead practice/PCN nurse
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
North Lewisham Primary Care Network PCN
Address
The Waldron Centre SE14 6LD