Practice Nurse

Job summary
Lunesdale Surgery is seeking a hard-working, enthusiastic and dynamic Practice Nurse to join our friendly and supportive team. We are ideally looking for someone to work at least 24 hours per week, with hours available up to full-time.

This role has a strong emphasis on chronic disease management. Applicants must have relevant experience and be confident assessing, monitoring and independently reviewing patients with long-term conditions. The successful candidate will also undertake treatment room duties, including injections, immunisations, vaccinations and wound care. Experience of travel health and travel vaccinations is desirable.

You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enjoy working within a multidisciplinary team and be able to work independently. Previous team leadership experience, or an interest in developing into a leadership role, would be an advantage.

Salary is £17.00 - £24.00 per hour, depending on experience. We welcome all enquiries and informal visits.

Main duties of the job
The main focus of this role is chronic disease management. The successful candidate will independently assess, monitor and review patients with long-term conditions, provide structured reviews in line with current guidance and practice protocols, support self-management and identify or escalate changes in patients health.

The role also includes treatment room duties such as administering injections, immunisations and vaccinations; wound assessment and care; health promotion; and supporting national and local vaccination programmes. Travel health advice and vaccinations may be included where the postholder is appropriately trained.

The postholder will maintain accurate clinical records, work within professional standards and practice policies, contribute to audit and quality improvement, support infection prevention and control, attend relevant meetings and training, and work collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team. Depending on experience, the role may also include leadership and development of the nursing team.

About us
Lunesdale Surgery is a friendly rural GP practice caring for approximately 6,500 patients from our main surgery in Kirkby Lonsdale and branch surgery in Hornby.

Our experienced multidisciplinary team includes five GP Partners, three Salaried GPs, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, nursing, dispensary, reception and administration colleagues. The District Nursing Team and Western Dales Primary Care Network team are also based on site, enabling close working across practice, community and wider primary care services.

The PCN team includes Social Prescribing Link Workers, Health and Wellbeing Coaches, First Contact MSK Physiotherapists, Clinical Pharmacists and Mental Health Practitioners.

We offer a supportive working environment, NHS Pension Scheme membership, annual leave and bank holiday allowance pro rata, and free on-site parking. We welcome all enquiries, and informal discussions or visits can be arranged before application.

Job responsibilities
Chronic disease management

• Independently assess, monitor and review patients with chronic diseases and long-term conditions
• Undertake structured reviews in line with current guidance, local pathways and practice protocols
• Monitor symptoms, clinical observations, medication, test results and disease control
• Recognise deterioration or changes in a patients condition and take appropriate action
• Escalate or refer patients to a GP or other clinician where required
• Support patients to understand and self-manage their conditions
• Provide health promotion, lifestyle and preventative care advice
• Develop and review personalised care plans where appropriate
• Support practice recall systems and contractual requirements, including QOF
• Maintain accurate coding and clinical records
• Contribute to the development and improvement of chronic disease services

Treatment room duties

• Administering prescribed injections and medicines
• Providing routine immunisations and vaccinations
• Supporting seasonal and national vaccination programmes
• Assessing and treating wounds
• Applying and changing dressings
• Removing sutures and clips
• Undertaking relevant clinical observations and diagnostic procedures
• Obtaining specimens and carrying out point-of-care testing where required
• Providing cervical screening where appropriately trained
• Delivering care under Patient Group Directions or other appropriate legal authorisation
• Maintaining vaccine cold-chain requirements
• Managing treatment room equipment, supplies and stock
• Following infection prevention and control procedures

Travel health

• Undertake individual travel health risk assessments
• Review vaccination histories
• Provide evidence-based travel health advice
• Recommend and administer appropriate travel vaccinations
• Provide advice on malaria prevention and other travel-related risks
• Recognise when specialist advice or onward referral is required

Clinical care and patient safety

• Deliver safe, compassionate and evidence-based care
• Work within the NMC Code and their professional scope of practice
• Obtain informed consent and respect patient dignity, privacy and choice
• Recognise and respond appropriately to urgent or deteriorating patients
• Seek advice when a clinical situation is outside their competence
• Follow practice policies, clinical protocols and national guidance
• Administer and record medicines safely
• Report incidents, near misses and clinical concerns
• Participate in significant event reviews and shared learning
• Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns

Communication and multidisciplinary working

• Communicate clearly, sensitively and professionally with patients, carers and colleagues
• Adapt communication to meet individual patient needs
• Work collaboratively with GPs, the Advanced Nurse Practitioner, nursing, dispensary, reception and administration teams
• Work closely with the District Nursing Team and Western Dales PCN team based on site
• Liaise with Social Prescribing Link Workers, Health and Wellbeing Coaches, First Contact MSK Physiotherapists, Clinical Pharmacists and Mental Health Practitioners
• Participate in relevant clinical, nursing, practice and multidisciplinary meetings
• Provide clear clinical handovers and referrals
• Support continuity and coordination of patient care
• Manage difficult or sensitive conversations professionally
• Promote a positive and respectful team environment

Independent working

• Plan and manage their own clinics and workload
• Prioritise care according to clinical need
• Use clinical judgement to make safe decisions
• Work within agreed professional and clinical boundaries
• Recognise their limitations and seek advice appropriately
• Respond flexibly to changes in workload and service requirements
• Work at either practice site where required

Leadership and team development

• Provide day-to-day leadership and support to the nursing team
• Assist with the coordination and development of nursing services
• Promote consistent standards of clinical care
• Support the induction, supervision and development of colleagues
• Assist with competency assessment and training
• Identify service pressures, risks and training needs
• Contribute to the review of clinical policies and procedures
• Support implementation of new clinical guidance and service changes
• Promote learning and continuous improvement

Clinical records and confidentiality

• Maintain accurate, clear and contemporaneous clinical records
• Record assessments, advice, care plans and treatments appropriately
• Use agreed clinical codes and templates
• Maintain patient and organisational confidentiality
• Comply with UK GDPR, data protection and information governance requirements
• Access and share information only where professionally and lawfully appropriate
• Report any confidentiality or information security concerns

Infection prevention and control

• Follow practice infection prevention and control policies
• Apply standard precautions and use personal protective equipment appropriately
• Maintain safe and clean clinical environments
• Clean and decontaminate equipment appropriately
• Dispose of clinical waste and sharps safely
• Report infection prevention and control concerns
• Participate in relevant audits and training

Quality, governance and professional development

• Participate in clinical audit and quality improvement
• Support the practice in meeting contractual, regulatory and professional requirements
• Contribute to significant event analysis and shared learning
• Identify and report clinical or organisational risks
• Contribute to the development of practice protocols
• Participate in mandatory training, appraisal and performance review
• Maintain current NMC registration and meet revalidation requirements
• Take responsibility for maintaining their professional competence
• Keep up to date with relevant clinical guidance and legislation
• Maintain an appropriate continuing professional development portfolio
• Support students or other learners where appropriately experienced

Health, safety and equality

• Follow practice health and safety, fire safety and lone-working procedures
• Use clinical equipment safely and only where trained and competent
• Report hazards, accidents and near misses
• Treat patients and colleagues fairly, respectfully and without discrimination
• Support equality of access to practice services
• Recognise individual patient needs and make reasonable adjustments where appropriate

General responsibilities

• Work flexibly to meet the reasonable needs of the practice
• Work at the Kirkby Lonsdale and Hornby sites where required
• Comply with practice policies and procedures
• Attend relevant practice meetings and training
• Maintain professional standards of conduct
• Promote the values and reputation of Lunesdale Surgery
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role

Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Strong clinical knowledge and competence in chronic disease management
• Ability to assess, monitor and review patients with long-term conditions
• Ability to recognise deterioration and escalate concerns appropriately
• Knowledge of immunisation, wound care and infection prevention principles
• Understanding of safeguarding, confidentiality and information governance
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Good organisation, prioritisation and time-management skills
• Ability to use clinical judgement within professional boundaries
• Ability to maintain accurate electronic clinical records
• Commitment to safe, compassionate and patient-centred care

Desirable

• Knowledge of QOF and primary care contractual requirements
• Knowledge of travel health
• Ability to provide clinical leadership
• Ability to support and develop colleagues
• Ability to contribute to service development and quality improvement

Experience
Essential

• Experience of managing patients with chronic diseases or long-term conditions
• Experience of undertaking structured chronic disease reviews
• Experience of working independently within an appropriate scope of practice
• Experience of administering injections, immunisations and vaccinations
• Experience of wound assessment and care
• Experience of maintaining accurate clinical records
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working

Desirable

• Previous general practice or primary care experience
• Experience across a range of chronic disease areas
• Travel health and travel vaccination experience
• Cervical screening experience
• Experience of leading or supervising a nursing or clinical team
• Experience of clinical audit and quality improvement
• Experience of using EMIS Web or a similar clinical system

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Relevant training or demonstrated competence in chronic disease management

Desirable

• Travel health qualification or training
• Childhood immunisation training
• Wound care training
• Cervical screening qualification
• Leadership, management, teaching or mentoring qualification
• Immunisation and vaccination training, or willingness to complete required updates

Other Requirements
Essential

• Ideally able to work at least 24 hours per week, with hours available up to full-time
• Ability to work flexibly according to the agreed working pattern
• Ability to work at both practice sites where required
• Eligibility to work in the United Kingdom
• Satisfactory references
• Appropriate DBS and occupational health clearance

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Hard-working, enthusiastic and dynamic
• Professional, reliable and conscientious
• Approachable and compassionate
• Self-motivated and able to use initiative
• Flexible and adaptable
• Calm under pressure
• Committed to teamwork
• Aware of professional limitations
• Committed to continuing professional development

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. For further information please see NHS Careers website.