Deputy Lead Practice Nurse

Primary Responsibilities The following are the core responsibilities of the post holder There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels: Support the Lead Nurse in the leadership of the Nursing and HCA team. Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice including : Representing the Nurse team at Practice, Business and or external meetings, contribute to Nurse staff training and development, ensure Nurse team comply with CQC, NICE, NHSE, national and local guidelines, contribute to cost effective achievement of QOF and enhanced services, promote innovative ideas, be a resource of information, mentorship and support to others, act as a mentor for new staff and students assisting with induction and training. Assess, plan, develop, implement, and evaluate treatment plans that promote health and well-being across the practice population and for specific patient groups Proactively identify, diagnose, and manage treatment plans for patients at risk developing and or having a long-term condition, including prescribing/deprescribing for that condition (medical and or social) in line with national and local guidance. For all areas of clinical practice understand the implications, needs of the patient and signpost appropriately. Contribute to practice targets both local and national, e.g. QOF. Provide adult and childhood immunisation service. Follow PSD/PGD guidelines, UK immunisation schedule. Plan and support leadership team with annual Flu campaign and mass population vaccination programmes. Administer prescribed therapies such as contraception injections/vitamin B12/GNHR/Aranesp/Denosumab and other patient specific injections, recognising side effects and contraindications. Perform wound management using appropriate (aseptic/clean) technique. Have good understanding of the process of wound healing, knowledge of wound management, potential complications, local and national guidance. Be proficient at Doppler assessment, knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiology of venous, arterial, and diabetic foot ulcers. Recognise signs of wound infection, manage appropriately and interprets results from microbiology sampling. To oversee the provision of chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required To maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation To ensure clinical codes are used effectively by all members of the nursing team To ensure the appropriate use of chronic disease registers Review medication for therapeutic effectiveness. Work with the Lead Nurse and Practice Management team to improve the management of disease within the practice population. Implement clear management plans with patients including appropriate prescribing and referral. Work to support compliance and adherence to prescribed treatments by detecting and managing side effects and or adverse reactions. Emphasise the importance of prevention and self care. Refer patients to other services or agencies as appropriate. Promoting communication between all involved in the patient care. To request pathology services and process pathology results as required. To implement vaccination programmes for adults and children. To support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice). To liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.). To conduct regular audits, e.g. smear audit, infection control audit. Take the lead in Infection Control, conduct audits, review policies and procedures, conduct training for all practice staff To delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and the task is within the scope of practice of the individual) Secondary Responsibilities In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Deputy Lead Practice Nurse may be requested to: Develop and review audit protocols and process for the practice, effectively utilising the audit cycle Develop, review and implement nursing protocols in conjunction with the nurse lead partner and practice management. Support all members of the nursing team, providing guidance when necessary, conducting appraisals and training needs analyses as required Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care Support and participate in shared learning within the practice in order to improve patient care Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach, i.e., root cause analysis (RCA) Lead the planning and implementation of changes within the nursing team, enhancing the provision of services to patients Support the practice team with the reviewing and implementation of practice policies and protocols, ensuring conformance to extant legislation