Practice Nurse

Job Title: Practice Nurse Salary: Depending on experience Hours of Work: Part time Responsible to: Practice Manager (Administratively) GP Partners & Advanced Nurse Practitioner (Clinically) Job Purpose Responsible for the delivery of practice nursing services, working as part of the practices multidisciplinary team who provide care within their scope of practice to the entire patient population. The practice nurse will be responsible for several clinical areas such as health promotion, chronic disease management, health prevention, as well as supporting the management team in the reviewing of the clinical policies and procedures. They will work collaboratively with the practice team to meet the needs of patients and to support the delivery of practice goals. They will work Duties & Responsibilities Involved in providing direct patient care, including assessing their needs and discussing their treatment and medical care with doctors. Provide assessment, screening and treatment services and health education advice. Provide nursing treatments to patients in participation with general practitioners or independently to agreed protocols. Provide general and specific health screenings to the 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. Supplies and equipment Treatment room and other areas Co-ordinate with admin staff to ensure the maintenance of equipment and stock levels relating to patient care. Pathological specimens, investigatory procedures and immunisations. Following appropriate training, undertake collection, storage and despatch of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, smears etc and ensure cleanliness of any equipment so used. Perform any investigatory procedures requested by the GPs. Immunisations of patients as requested by other health professionals and dependent on patient needs. Administrative and Professional responsibilities Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team, Ensure accurate notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes on the clinical computer system as appropriate. Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice. Attend and participate in practice meetings as required. Assist int eh formulation of practice policies and develop appropriate protocols. Student / Staff education and training Participate in the education and training of medical students, trainees and the induction of all members of practice staff. Liaison Maintain effective liaison with network staff and other disciplines concerned with patient care. Professional Development Maintain continued education and update skills. Attend courses and/or study days as deemed by the practice or necessary for professional development. Annual appraisal and keeping record of professional development. 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 ther practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data. Health and Safety Be familiar with, and follow the provisions of the Practices Health and Safety Policy and all other procedures and safety rules of the Practice and assist in promoting health and safety policies. Lead on the infection control procedures for the practice Co-operation with all measures the Practice takes to maintain a safe working environment Equality and Diversity The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice Policies & Procedures, and current legislation Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers & colleagues Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. 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 Recognise 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. General This job description does not attempt to describe all the tasks the post holder will undertake. It does not indicate the degree of authority, range of duties covered and the flexibility required for the job. This job description may be amended in consultation with the post holder as developments evolve, and as part of the appraisal process. Person Specification Practice Nurse Job Title: Practice Nurse Recruiter: GPs / Practice Manager