Practice Nuse

**Job Title: Practice Nurse**

**Grade: F**

**Responsible to: G.P’s & Practice Manager.**

**Accountable to: Lead Nurse**

PURPOSE OF JOB:
To undertake the duties of a practice nurse in the treatment room within primary care setting. To perform cervical smears. To ensure that all nursing care delivered to the practice population is relevant, of a high standard and effective and maintains responsibility for the nursing components of care. Accountable for own practice: in accordance with the code of conduct from the N.M.C.

**Responsibilities**:
**Clinical Nursing Practice**

**Wound Management**:

- Perform wound care using aseptic technique
- Provide wound care management, including leg ulcers
- Suture and clip removal
- Assist with minor surgery
Screening:

- Undertake opportunistic screening - BP checks including ambulatory BP monitoring, height, weight, BMI, urinalysis, smoking status
- Carry out New Patient checks
- Undertake opportunistic venepuncture
- Inform patients of test results as required and document information given in patients electronic notes.
- POC testing - INR
**Health Promotion**:

- Recognise patients’ readiness to change in supporting their attempts to change unhealthy behaviour.
- Provide healthy eating advice in individuals or to groups, including the underweight.
- Provide smoking cessation advice individually in opportunistic consultations
- Provide individual advice to patients about increasing activity or exercise.
- Offer advice on recommended safe limits for alcohol consumption.
- Develop and maintains the Health Promotion material within the practice and the waiting room notice board.
- Refer as appropriate.
Vaccinations and Immunisations:

- Administer injections under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Directive
- Travel Health advice
- Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs.
Ear Care
- Undertake ear syringing.
- Advise patients about safe ear care.
**Infection Control.**
- Support patients and colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures
This included:

- Universal hygiene precautions.
- The collection and handling of laboratory specimens.
- Segregation and disposal of waste materials.
- Decontamination of instruments and clinical equipment.
- Reporting and treatment of sharp injuries.
- Dealing with blood and body fluid spillages.
- Educate colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures.
Emergency Management
- Maintain competence in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques.
Housekeeping
- To clean and maintain equipment and sterilise instruments in accordance with protocols, and to keep a tidy treatment room. To keep control of stock and order as necessary within budget control.
Child Health/Child protection
- Recognise the signs, symptoms and categories of child abuse.
- Understand the importance of recognition, observation, documentation and communication.
- Is aware of child health procedures, statutory local procedures and points of referral.
- Has knowledge of other practitioners and agencies roles.
- Understand basic legal issues around child abuse.
Mental Health
- Recognise and awareness of appropriate referral mechanisms for family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviours.
- Recognise psychological needs of patients’ presenting with depression or suicidal tendency.
**Care and Programme Management**

Family Planning
- Advise patients on available methods on contraception and refer patients as appropriate.
- Support patients attending for emergency contraceptive and refers patients as appropriate.
- Perform interval health check for patients using hormonal contraception.
- Advice patients on reducing risk of sexually transmitted diseases and refer patients appropriately.
Woman’s Health
- Advise patients on the national and local Cervical Cytology and mammography screening programmes.
- Promote breast self-awareness and provide supporting literature.
- Advise patients about reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and make appropriate referrals.
- Take swabs for microscopy as directed.
- Give patients basic advice about peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms and make appropriate referrals.
- Advise on the increased peri-menopausal and post-menopausal risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Offer health promotion/lifestyle advice to patients.
- Advise on basic incontinence management and make appropriate referrals.
**All nurses should have minimum training and understanding of diabetes**

Diabetes
- **Support patients in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes.**:

- **Undertake opportunistic screening for the diagnosis of diabetes.**:

- **Support and provide education for diabetic patients**:

- **Provide emergency treatment for hypo/hyperglycaemic emergencies.**:

- **Make appropriate referrals.**:

- **Contribute to the maintenance of the practice diabetic register.**
Respiratory Disease Management
- **Have a basic understanding of asthma care; its