Practice Nurse

Job summary
The purpose of the post is to delivery of safe, high quality primary care nursing services. Working within the NMC Code of Conduct the post holder will deliver primary health care interventions to the practice population.

Main duties of the job
Clinical care delivery general

• Administer medications by injection with the appropriate legal authorisation.
• Cervical cytology sampling
• Recognise health promotion opportunities and give brief, focussed lifestyle.
• Undertake assessment of patients presenting with wounds, working within expertise to manage independently or refer to other services as necessary.
• Remove wound closure materials including sutures, clips and staples.
• Take samples for the cervical screening programme according to recognised standards.
• Administer all relevant vaccines to adults and children according to the UK immunisation schedule and as described in the Green book, published by the UK HSA.
• Provide a pre-travel health service including administration of vaccines and advice after undertaking appropriate risk assessment.
• Administer prescribed therapies such as contraceptive injections, vitamin B12, and depo neuroleptic medications recognising side effects and contraindications.
• Develop and follow referral pathways for patients with specialist needs.

Long term conditions

• Manage nurse-run long term condition clinics:
• Carry out clinical measurements and conduct annual reviews for patients with diabetes, asthma, COPD and Learning Disabilities (or another area of interest) in line with NICE guidance and QOF.

We welcome newly qualified Nurses to apply for the role.
The advert may close earlier than the scheduled closing date if a suitable candidate is found

About us
The Grove Medical Centre was built in 1985 to provide facilities for a comprehensive range of primary health care. It provides care to approximately 15,500 patients.

There are three partners and a clinical team of salaried GPs, Practice Nurses, Health Care Assistants, as well as allied health professionals. There is an administrative and management team, including an Operations Manager and Reception Manager who support the Practice Manager and partners.

The practice is part of the SASSE 2 PCN, made up of five local GP practices that work together with the aim of improving healthcare for the community and reducing health inequalities.

Job responsibilities
Clinical care delivery general

• Administer medications by injection with the appropriate legal authorisation.
• Cervical cytology sampling
• Recognise health promotion opportunities and give brief, focussed lifestyle advice using motivational interviewing techniques which may include:
• Alcohol screening
• Smoking cessation
• Weight management
• Sexual health
• Undertake assessment of patients presenting with wounds, working within expertise to manage independently or refer to other services as necessary.
• Remove wound closure materials including sutures, clips and staples.
• Take samples for the cervical screening programme according to recognised standards.
• Administer all relevant vaccines to adults and children according to the UK immunisation schedule and as described in the Green book, published by the UK HSA.
• Provide a pre-travel health service including administration of vaccines and advice after undertaking appropriate risk assessment.
• Administer prescribed therapies such as contraceptive injections, vitamin B12, and depo neuroleptic medications recognising side effects and contraindications.
• Develop and follow referral pathways for patients with specialist needs.

Long term conditions

• Manage nurse-run long term condition clinics:
• Carry out clinical measurements and conduct annual reviews for patients with diabetes, asthma, COPD and Learning Disabilities (or another area of interest) in line with NICE guidance and Quality and Outcome Framework.
• Recognise signs and symptoms that may indicate undiagnosed long term conditions e.g. poor wound healing, winter cough in smokers and also factors that may indicate mental health problems and use relevant referral pathways.

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 outlines in their Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to the patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the 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 person and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

• The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
• Follow appropriate infection control procedures.
• Oversee suitability of resuscitation equipment and monitor any new guidance.
• Maintain work areas in a tidy and safe manner.
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity

• The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
• Activing in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which his welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development

• The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of its employment, such training to include:
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
• Complete statutory training/updating and mandatory training as defined by the practice.
• Complete skills specific training and regular updating

Quality assurance/service support

• 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.
• Participate in quality improvement and innovations e.g. audit, significant event analysis and contribute to development of protocols and new services.
• Attend in-house meetings, including nurses-only meetings, and contribute to development of the nursing service and where appropriate wider practice systems.
• Participate in ongoing supervision and mentorship of unregistered health care staff, nursing students and junior nurses including mentorship for preceptor programmes and contributing to revalidation needs of nurse colleagues.
• Attend in-house and external training events and contribute to continuing education of unregistered health care staff by identifying learning opportunities.
• Update role-relevant policies and procedures.

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.
• Recognize 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.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Part 1 of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Register registered as adult, child, mental health, or learning disability nurse.
• We welcome newly qualified nurses to apply, conditional to them obtaining their registration with the NMC as above.

Desirable

• Adult Nurse qualification
• Immunisation and vaccination
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Long Term Condition (LTCs)
• Managing Unplanned and Emergency Presentations in Primary Care
• Mental Health in Primary Care
• Or willing to follow training in regards to all the above

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.