Job summary
Thepost-holders duties will include all tasks normally undertaken by anexperienced RGN working in primary care. The post-holder will be expected toprovide a high standard of nursing care for patients, and provide nursingassistance to doctors and other members of the primary healthcare team, andsupport work that maximises Practice income (eg QOF and enhanced servicecontracts). There will be some additional specialist clinical duties and responsibilities,for example respiratory care, Doppler ultrasound assessment, 24-hour ECG and BPrecording, family planning and so on. Thepost will be primarily Practice-based, but community home visits mayoccasionally be a requirement. There may be a requirement to work outside corehours depending on the need of patients and the Practice (for examplesupporting extended access appointments or flu clinics). The Post-holder willoffer guidance and mentoring to healthcare assistant colleagues, and beexpected to engage in mandatory and individual learning and trainingopportunities.
Experience of Diabetes would be an advantage.
Core clinical nursing responsibilities.
Conducting and recordingcore clinical observations:Venepuncture andphlebotomy.
Venepuncture and Urinalysis
o Conducting pathology tests, for example urineculture, swabs, phlebotomy.
o Blood pressure
o Height / weight / BMI
o ECG
o Peak flow recording and asthma diaries.
Venepuncture andphlebotomy.
Basic wound and ulcercare and dressings.
Removal of sutures.
Cervical smears.
Pregnancy tests.
Basic contraceptionadvice.
Basic healthy lifestyleadvice and referral onwards.
Supporting carers accesssupport.
Ensure vaccines areadministered under patient group directions.
Routine immunisations(eg influenza, pneumococcal, shingles).
Infant immunisation andvaccinations.
Ear syringing.
Chaperoning and assistingpatients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician.
Able to recognize andmanage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines.
Able to performCardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines.
Assist in and performroutine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff andGPs (eg supporting GP with contraceptive coil insertion and removal).
Ensuresafety netting advice given to patients, make sure patients know what to do iftheir symptoms worsen, and record this.
Able to document consultationsaccording to NMC guidelines.
Housekeeping, orderingand infection control duties including:
o Maintaining general tidiness and cleanliness ofnurses and treatment rooms.
o Maintaining and cleaning equipment and fridges.
o Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking androtating items as required
o Ordering of drugs and stock
o Using web portals to access clinical information(eg OpenExeter, PCSE)
o Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
Attend and participatein any practice meetings when required, including the weekly multi-disciplinaryteam meetings.
Supporting work neededto fully achieve QOF and enhanced service contract targets.
Any other delegatedduties appropriate to the post.
Specialist clinical nursing responsibilities (the post-holder may be supported toprovide nursing input for some or all of the following areas, depending on thePractice need, in discussion with Practice Manager. Training will be provided.)
24-hour blood pressuremonitoring.
24-hour ECG monitoring
Chronic DiseaseManagement.
Spirometry.
Travel health careadvice and immunisations.
New patient medicals.
Assisting GPs with minorsurgery and coil fittings.
Specialist contraceptionadvice and family planning.
Specialist wound care,ulcer management and dressing (eg 4-layer bandaging).
Doppler ultrasoundassessment.
General responsibilities
Maintain registrationwith the NMC and engage in the revalidation and appraisal processes, ensuringyou have a written development portfolio.
Commitment to maintain a high professionalstandard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing carerelevant to the post, working in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct and withinthe scope of professional practice.
Commitment to ensure all Health and Safetyrequirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problemsto a manager or Partner.
Maintainaccurate, comprehensive electronic records of all consultations and treatment,using our SystmOne clinical system.
Interveneappropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations,including initiation of effective emergency care.
Commitment to the effective use of Practiceand NHS resources, avoiding unnecessary waste.
Meet theneeds of patients presenting for opportunistic wound care.
SupportHealthcare Assistants and supervise delegated nursing tasks.
Supportpatients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles,and apply principles of self-care.
Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulnessand common sense.
Demonstrate an awareness of own limitationsand experience, and proactively seek solutions and learning opportunitiesaccordingly.
Followall practice policies, protocols, guidelines, and codes of practice, andcommunicate any concerns.
Recordand report any complaints, untoward incidents and significant events to the PracticeManager in a timely manner.
Participatein data collection, audits, and performance achievement targets (eg QOF) as requiredby the practice.
Maintain and monitorhigh standards of care and work flexibly when required inthe interests of the practice and patients.
Workwith colleagues to coordinate annual leave requests to ensure the safe deliveryof a service to our patients.
Supportthe Practice by working additional shifts when required to cover staff absence.
Learning, training anddevelopment
Activelyengage with any learning following complaints, untoward incidents andsignificant event audits.
Identifypersonal development and training needs in conjunction with themanager/partners and actively engage with annual appraisal and ongoing CPDportfolio.
Participatein continuing education and maintain a contemporary level of professionalknowledge and skills.
Attendany ad hoc meetings with the practice team as required.
Supportother nurses within the team with their training and development needs.
Interpersonal
Utiliseand demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fullyinformed and consent to treatment.
Buildpositive working relationships with colleagues in order to support patientsafety and the clinical effectiveness of the team.
Ensureclothing, personal grooming, and manner are at all times professional, safe,infection-control suitable, and are not likely to hinder relationships withcolleagues or patients.
Safeguarding
Thepost-holder will have responsibility to make all reasonable efforts tosafeguard adults at risk and children, and promote their welfare, by followingthe practice policy, keeping up to date with training and learning andcommunicating issues of concern.
Confidentiality
In the course of seeking treatment, patientsentrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation totheir health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right toexpect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
In the performance ofthe duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder will have accessto confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practicestaff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to informationrelating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information fromany source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
Information relating to patients, carers,colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may onlybe divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies andprocedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal andsensitive data.
Health and Safety
The post-holder will take responsibilityfor their own health and safety and wellbeing, and take reasonable steps toensure the same for other persons, including acts of omission. Key ways toensure health and safety obligations are met are being familiar with thepractice health and safety policy, ensuring mandatory training is completedannually, and communicating any concerns to the named practice health andsafety lead in a timely manner.
The post-holder will follow the practiceinfection control policy and guidelines for safe practice, again communicatingany concerns in a timely manner.
Equality and diversity
The post-holder will support the equality,diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
Acting in a way thatrecognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way thatis consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
Respecting the privacy,dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
Behaving in a mannerwhich is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respectstheir circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. GCSE (or equivalent level) English and mathematics at grade C or above.
2. UK registered nurse
3. Valid and current registration with NMC.
4. Clinical experience in Primary Care.
5. Working in a GP surgery as a Practice Nurse
6. Using a clinical system ( EMIS, SystmOne.)
7. Ability to use email, Word and Excel.
8. Effective personal organisational skills and time management. Self-motivated and able to prioritise.
9. Good verbal and written communication skills.
10. Diligent, and attentive to detail.
11. Reliable.
12. Resilient; ability to work under pressure and manage personal stress.
13. Works well both as part of a team and autonomously.
14. Have ability to work on own initiative, whilst acknowledging limitations and recognizing when referral or consultation with more experienced colleagues is needed.
15. Friendly and approachable with a patient-centred approach to work.
16. Satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
17. Two satisfactory employment references, one of which is from the current/most recent employer.
18. Ability to travel easily in the community when required.
19. Willingness and ability to be flexible and support team and patients to cover colleagues annual leave and sickness, including working outside core hours when needed.
Desirable
20. Higher level qualifications ( A-Level maths).
21. Minor illness/injury qualification
22. Portfolio evidence of relevant continuing professional development and training.
23. Evidence of recent core training, including safeguarding, infection control and basic life support.
24. Respiratory disease management.
25. Warfarin management.
26. Experience using SystmOne.
27. Portfolio of complaints over last twelve months available.
28. Excellent communicator with an appreciation that patients may need a range of communications styles.
29. Good fit with the practice team.
30. Own car with valid UK driving licence.