Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job responsibilities

As an ACP the post holder will exercise advanced clinical expertise, high levels of judgement, discretion and decision making and leadership in the delivery of clinical care.

Have the ability to work within appropriate legal frameworks with patients as required.

Will be an expert resource, providing a visible clinical profile, having both management, advisory and clinical in-put.

To have a duty and responsibility to act within their professional boundaries. In order to work at this level NMC / HCPC requirements for advanced practice must be met.

Working collaboratively with the wider healthcare team to meet the needs of patients, ensuring patients receive the right care, by the right person at the right time and in the right place. Placing the patient at the centre of all decisions, reinforcing the concept of a more streamlined patient journey, with minimal avoidable delays, whilst improving the quality of care and preventing unnecessary hospital admission.

To provide advanced clinical skills and advice demonstrating a sound understanding of the issues related to the identification, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of service users who may present with a range of physical health issues; utilising non-medical prescribing expertise where appropriate.

Requests relevant investigations and diagnostic tests within the scope of their practice and interpret the results of multiple different assessments and investigations in order to make a diagnosis, and plan and deliver care.

Make use of appropriate measurements to enable monitoring of progress, with critical knowledge of the range of possible outcome measurements, their utility, development, validity, and reliability, and methods for analysis of the results

Confidently and competently make ethical, evidence based decisions and interventions when faced with complexity and assess and manage the risk associated with these decisions. Particularly for people with chronic diseases and to reduce the need for these people to attend or be admitted into hospital or long term residential care.

Use independent professional judgement to plan and deliver programmes of care involving or referring on to other members of the MDT team as appropriate to address patient's social needs, including during unpredictable care events.

Conducts appropriate follow-up, delegating and referring on to other health and social care professionals and agencies when required to optimize peoples outcomes and resources.

To lead on innovation and improvements to standards of care through evidence based practice and the development of care pathways.

Participate in clinical supervision and act as clinical supervisor to others within own area of expertise.

Teach, support and mentor the trainee advanced clinical practitioners and other members of the practice team as required in the development of knowledge and skills and provision of best practice care.

To lead the implementation of relevant research into practice contributing to the further development of the evidence base through research and audit.

To improve outcomes for people with chronic diseases and reduce the need for these people to attend or be admitted into hospital or long term residential care.

To work flexibly across shift patterns to meet the practice operating requirements

Contribute to the development and evaluation of policies/guidelines, protocols for advanced and specialist practice and take responsibility for updating and monitoring policies/guidelines, protocols for specific areas of expertise.

Contribute to the clinical governance process, including adverse incident reporting and investigation and the management of complaints, as appropriate.

Collect and collate data as required to demonstrate patient outcomes and effectiveness of the service.

Ensure effective communication of highly complex, sensitive patient information, between hospital, community professionals, patients and carers, promoting collaborative inter agency working, this will include overcoming communication difficulties (e.g. hearing/language).

Demonstrates person centred values in practice and understands why it is important to work in a way that promotes these values when providing support to people.

Leadership

Role model standards of care and behaviour and professionalism through clinical practice.

Be involved in peer review of own practice and that of others.

Contribute to local and trust wide clinical networks and specialty specific groups, working in partnership with other key professionals. Contribute to the development of guidance, protocols and standards.

Analyse relevant national policy, within area of expertise, advising on impact for service, leading the implementation of changes and evaluation of processes in partnership with the MDT.

Maintain professional registration and practice through Continued Professional Development.

Maintain personal standards of conduct and behaviour consistent with Trust and NMC guidelines.

Monitor and assess own workload through analytical skills and critical reflection.

Identify gaps in service provision and work with the MDT to implement the changes required to improve service provision.

Identifying need for change, developing case for change, leading innovation and managing change, including service development and support implementation of any changes.

Support staff development in order to maximise potential.

Encourage others to make realistic self-assessment of their application of knowledge and skills, challenging any complacency or actions that are not in the interest of the public and/or users of services.

Critically evaluate and review innovations and developments that are relevant to the area of work.

Contribute to the development of local guidelines, protocols and standards and new developments in the provision of services.

Promote the role of the advanced clinical practitioner.

Monitor and lead improvements to standards of care through, supervision of practice, clinical audit, evidence-based practice, teaching and supporting professional colleagues and the provision of skilled professional leadership.

Provide critical thinking and analytical skills in practice, and be able to synthesise experience and knowledge and apply this to unfamiliar situations.

Work in conjunction with clinical and corporate colleagues, together with working in partnership with multi-agency partners to support the implementation of practice and service developments and ensure high quality, evidence based, safe care.

Education

Contribute to the development and delivery of specific and relevant specialist teaching programmes for all disciplines and grades of staff, client group and carers within the Trust in relation to their area of expertise. Identify own development needs in line with service requirements within personal development plan.

Act as a mentor/preceptor and resource person for all students and support staff, as appropriate to the role.

Provide clinical supervision both within and external to the organisation in order to support development of individuals and practice.

Ensure clinical environment is conducive to support the education and learning of all staff and students.

Provide an environment that encourages patient centered involvement where service users and their carers are facilitated to ask for help, advice and education.

Act as a credible expert in advanced clinical practice, designing and delivering specific education, using a range of appropriate teaching strategies, to support the development and consolidation of high-level assessment, assimilation of information and the reaching of differential diagnosis, planning and implementing of evidenced based care in line with local and national guidelines.

Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice.

Research

Evaluate clinical practice through audit of service, developing and managing strategies to address any shortfalls.

Demonstrate knowledge of current research in all aspects of his/her work and to advise others on the findings and ensure implementation of relevant research findings.

Promote the shared objectives of the multidisciplinary team by working closely to ensure that best and evidence based practice is achieved utilising both clinical benchmarking and quality standards to achieve this.

Participate in the Clinical Governance programme, encouraging others in the team to participate.

Participate in any Clinical Audit programmes and the evaluation of own practice within the clinical area. Utilise and participate in research relevant to service.

Demonstrates increased knowledge and able to assist in the implementation of innovative evidence based, cost effective clinical practice.

Undertake research for the purposes of advanced clinical practice and service development, together with the application of critical appraisal and evaluation skills in the context of clinical practice; publish the outcomes along with action plans.

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant Professional qualification RGN, RMN, HCP
• Masters Degree in Advanced Practice
• Non-medical prescriber

Desirable

• Teaching qualification
• Clinical supervisor
• Mentorship qualification

Experience

Essential

• Awareness of current national and local agenda in health and social care
• Demonstration of high level knowledge of multi-agency working (i.e. housing, social services, independent sector, etc)
• Knowledge and understanding of clinical governance.
• Quality improvement and change management
• Demonstrate the ability to work in a highly demanding environment
• Teaching and mentorship clinical setting
• Ability to work independently and make autonomous clinical decision within own area of competence
• Substantial post registration experience in at least one of the following settings:
• General practice
• Walk in Centre
• GP Out of Hours Service
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• High level communication skills, both written and verbal
• Knowledge of audit / research and experience of analysing findings to improve practice.
• Ability to reflect on own practice.
• Extensive post qualification experience
• Current experience in assessing and treating both
• adults and children in a primary
• care/urgent care setting
• Portfolio of evidence showing achievements in practice/speciality
• Supervision experience and the ability to support trainee advanced practitioners and practice nurses in their development and career progression
• Ability to work autonomously at advanced practice level and make expert clinical decisions to support the development of services and inform practice
• Ability and evidence to lead on related research and audit in relation to the development of advanced practice
• Communication of difficult messages to patients and families
• Negotiation and conflict management skills within the context of multi-agency working
• Evidence of multi-agency / professional working
• Demonstrates efficient experience in leadership of team/s in the context of multi-
• agency working

Desirable

• Knowledge and implementation of research
• Development and implementation of protocols and clinical guidelines
• Working with community development initiatives
• Advanced communication training
• Experience of leading patient involvement/patient feedback
• Experience in delivery of AHP/Nursing led services
• Recent experience in primary and/or community setting
• Experience in remote consultation

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).