Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: PRACTICE NURSE

REPORTS TO: THE PARTNERS (Clinically)

THE PRACTICE MANAGER (Administratively)

Job summary:

The practice nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing general medical services to the patients including treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education.

Providing assessment, screening and treatment services and health education advice

Job responsibilities:

Provide nursing treatments to patients in participation with general practitioners or independently, meeting agreed protocols

Provide general and specific health screenings to practice patients (within agreed protocols) with referral to general practitioners as necessary

Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments with referral to GPs as necessary

Perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by the Practice to include

• Cytology
• Wound care / ulcer care/Doppler
• Removal of Sutures
• New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis
• Travel Clinic
• ECGs
• COPD/Asthma/Peak Flow Readings/Spirometry -
• Diabetes management
• Coronary Heart Disease care
• Venepuncture
• Hypertension Management
• Routine immunizations/Childhood immunisations
• Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
• Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings
• Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
• Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to nurse colleagues or GPs as appropriate
• Other tasks will include
• Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
• Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
• Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
• Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
• Maintain stock of waiting room leaflets as instructed by partners and Practice Manager
• Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
• Ordering of stock from approved medical supplier and SUH
• Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
• Participation in administrative systems in the Practices
• At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
• A duty to advise the Partners of potential problems or errors within a 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

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 confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons, in accordance with practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & safety

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control 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 (but will not be limited to):

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements

Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff

Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice

Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice

Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes

Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.

Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers

Undertaking periodic infection control training

Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards

Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection

Spillage control procedures, management and training

Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance

Maintenance of sterile environments

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 by:

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 recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council)

Desirable

• Post graduate diploma or degree (Chronic Disease Management)
• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of working autonomously
• Experience of working as a practice nurse or community nurse
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients
• Experience of quality initiatives, i.e., benchmarking
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based practice
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to GPs
• Chaperone procedure
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies

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

Dr Kumar & Dr Sinha Practice

Address

Shoebury Health Centre

Campfield Road

Shoeburyness

Essex

SS3 9BX

Employer's website

https://www.shoeburyhealthcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)