Practice Nurse

Job Summary

The Practice Nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing General Medical Services to the patients of the Heacham Group Practice, delivering care within their own level of competency and scope of practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by the GPs and other members of the Nursing Team.
• Wound care and dressings.
• Removal of Sutures/clips.
• Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for laboratory and analysis.
• Venepuncture.
• Routine immunisations and vaccinations.
• Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings and acting as chaperone as required.
• Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs.
• Interest in Chronic Disease Management.
• Following agreed clinical protocols as appropriate.

Additional Tasks

• Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
• Supporting ordering of stock and vaccinations with other members of the team to maintain stock levels.
• Participation in administrative systems in the Practice.
• Maintain accurate records at all times.
• Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required.
• To liaise and refer patients to other providers of health care and health promotion services.
• To delegate clinical responsibilities to members of the nursing team as appropriate and necessary, where they are trained to deliver such.
• To support local safeguarding policies - both adult and child.
• Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

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 the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons, in accordance with practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

• The post-holder will adhere to the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines. Supporting adherence to IP&C within the Practice.
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management.
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training.

Equality and Diversity

• The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues by:
• Acting 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 is 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 this 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.

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 recognise 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.

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