Practice Nurse

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a practice nurse to join our well established nursing team. Due to retirement we are looking for a practice nurse with core primary care skills to include cervical cytology, vaccinations (child and adult) and more specialist skills in managing Long Term conditions, including heart failure/COPD/Asthma/diabetes/CHD etc. We would also be keen for the candidate to have training in Contraception initiation and follow up.

We are looking for 37.5hours over 4-5 days and we would accept a job share for the right candidate(s). We do understand that not all nurses have training in all areas.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 8th September.

Main duties of the job

• Knowledge of all aspects of primary care
• Excellent communication skills (Written and Oral)
• Experience in the management of diabetic patients
• Experience in the management of chronic disease i.e. COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure & Stroke
• Sexual Health
• IT skills
• Time Management and the ability to work to deadlines
• Problem solving skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Organisational skills
• Team working
• A detailed understanding of a General Practice environment
• Some knowledge of the Practice clinical system
• Planning and organising
• Performing under pressure
• Adaptability
• Self motivated
• Flexibility
• Confidentiality

About us
The Whickham Practice was established in the 1870's and is situated in Newcastle upon Tyne. We moved into our modern, spacious premises in July 2002. We have consulting and examination rooms, a minor surgery suite and modern nurse and treatment rooms. We have a large patient reception area and we use an electronic system to call patients. We have spacious offices for our admin staff and a library where we hold most of our meetings.

We are a large practice but communicate well together, currently using a combination of Microsoft Teams and face to face meetings where appropriate. Our clinical team meet monthly to discuss clinical matters and share information. There is also a monthly nurses meeting. These meetings provide a forum for exchanging information and ideas and reviewing systems currently in the practice.

Our practice list size is 15,700 patients. We currently have 10 GPs, 2 GP registrars, 1 ANP, 3 practice nurses, Trainee Nursing Associate, 2 health care assistants, 2 GP assistants and a 1 phlebotomist and in addition we have a Frailty Nurse, Community Nurse, Pharmacist, Pharmacist Technician, Social Prescribing Link Workers, Physios and Counsellors who are employed by our local Primary Care Network.

We hold a number of clinics at the practice including nurse run chronic disease clinics e.g. asthma, COPD, CHD and hypertension and our GPs have diabetic and heart failure clinics.

Job responsibilities
For full in-depth job description please see supporting documents

To provide nursing care for the patients that the practice serves and share workload and responsibility with GPs making best use of clinical skills within the practice to enable the practice to develop and deliver the nursing services.

Main Duties:

• Long Term Conditions management (COPD, Asthma, Diabetes, CHD, CVD, Hypertension, Weight Management etc) including appropriate health, referrals and monitoring.
• The nursing team will be taking the lead on hypertension and lipid management.
• Cervical Screening
• Childhood immunisations
• Travel Advice and Vaccines
• Contraceptive Advice (including administration of contraceptive depot)
• Wound Care
• Uncomplicated dressings (including leg ulcers)
• Suture and clip removal
• ECGs
• Dopplers
• Opportunistic screening (height, weight, BMI, BP, urinalysis, smoking status, alcohol intake etc)
• Opportunistic venepuncture
• Health Promotion
• Administration of injectable medications in-line with shared care and NICE guidance (e.g. B12, GnRH Analogues etc)
• Emergency management (is competent in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques)
• Contributing to practice protocols
• Supporting other clinicians within the practice

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Good standard of general education,
• Registered Nurse,
• Long Term Conditions Management

Desirable

• Insulin Initiation,
• Contraception Initiation

Experience
Essential

• Experience of using own initiative,
• Experience of working within a General Practice,
• Practical experience of computerised clinical systems,
• Practical experience of NICE guidance,
• Practical experience of long term condition management

Desirable

• Practical experience of using the EMIS clinical system

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.