Practice Nurse

Job summary

The core purpose of this role is to provide high quality practice nursing care that meets the needs of the patients attending appointments as part of our City Wide Services. Our services include: treatment, screening, preventative care, patient education, clinical quality systems maintenance; and the supervision of any less qualified clinical colleagues. The successful candidate will work in partnership with other clinical, management and administrative colleagues to meet the City Wide Services developmental goals and vision.

Main duties of the job

The ideal candidate would be an experienced Practice Nurse that can work within a multi-disciplinary team within General Practice. This is a patient facing role and will require a high level of professional patient care, as well as the ability to travel to various other sites to support practices within Nottingham City and our other 4 partnered surgeries.

About us

As a federation, we promote, support and facilitate the collaboration of GPs and their workforce throughout our city. Examples of our work to date include developing networks whereby tasks and resources can be shared, empowering frontline practice staff to become active sign posters for their patient communities and launching GP+ (part of the City Wide Services) the city's first ever evening and weekend GP service.

It's an exciting opportunity in our city, why not see if you have got what it takes to join us?

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

Maintain accurate patient records, entering onto the practice system the appropriate agreed codes, using agree standards of data entry, templates, and protocols, completing all documentation, computerised and paper-based, as is required for good patient care Provide basic and higher levels of practice nursing care as needed for patients Provide care for minor injuries, dressings, and higher-level wound care, liaising directly, where appropriate with community and secondary care counterparts, escalating to a GP or referring onto community services , leg ulcer clinic/tissue viability etc. Support City Wide Services in achieving quality indicators and targets of the primary care services contract and any relevant National Service Frameworks. Undertake opportunistic screening when clinically required , blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake etc. Perform venepuncture and electrocardiography and suture and staple removal Assessing problems presented opportunistically by patients Take swabs ensuring samples are taken by the lab Provide a holistic approach to wound management and implement wound care dressing techniques in line with current evidence-based guidelines, and locally agreed formulary Carry out ear examination and syringing, following appropriate training and assessment Undertake family planning assessments including regarding LARC, give advice and refer patients appropriately onwards to the GP team Administer adult and paediatric immunisations and injections under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction, ensuring safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs Provide advice on lifestyle issues, health promotion, disease prevention and assist, support, educate patients of healthy lifestyle behaviours and refer appropriately Recognise the signs of child abuse, family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse, addictive behaviours, suicidal tendencies and be aware of local referral procedures Perform a holistic assessment of patients attending for cervical cytology smear test including providing pre-test information, competent sample taking and counselling regarding results. Ensure that current evidence-based approaches to patient are standard practice Apply infection control measures when collecting and handling of laboratory specimens, disposing of waste materials, dealing with blood and body fluids spillages and report and treat sharps injuries as per local policies Undertake first aid and management of emergencies, , burns, haemorrhage, hypo/hyperglycaemic emergencies/asthma attacks Conduct family planning consultations including counselling about LARC methods and communicate back to patients registered GP practice any further action is required Counsel patients on injectable contraceptive methods, including starting and or continuing contraceptive injections. Ensure injections given as per national guidance an injection technique and disposing of any sharps as per local policy Act as a chaperone or similar support for other colleagues as needed Conduct and supervise if necessary other colleagues in anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, spirometry, urinalysis, phlebotomy, microbiology samples, ECG, ABPM, peak flow, and other practice-based tests as needed in the course of the care of patients Carry out health checks in conjunction with national, local and practice initiatives, setting up and maintaining a system for identifying patients in the target group for such checks Provide patient health promotion/ disease prevention education and counselling focusing on health behaviour change, by counselling patients on the nature of their conditions, the use of their medications, diet, exercise and other health behaviours Work to review the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, COPD, Asthma, Hypertension etc. by providing specifically defined clinical sessions, working closely with the GP and non-medical prescriber team to manage a patients overall care. Work within the processes set out in the SOP for chronic disease management Provide support and guidance to patients in times of crisis, breaking bad news where necessary to patients and carers and provide on-going support as needed Counsel patients on the meaning of test results and other medical information, conducting phone and in person consultations; triaging patients to an appropriate clinician, finishing a line of investigation, or arrange additional investigations as appropriate in line with practice guidelines and protocols and in partnership with clinical colleagues Work alongside the Treatment Room Nurse and Health Care Assistants to help develop their skills Able to recognise and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines. Able to perform Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines

Administrative

Maintain accurate patient records, entering onto the practice system the appropriate agreed codes, using agree standards of data entry, templates, and protocols, completing all documentation, computerised and paper-based, as is required for good patient care Obtain and document informed consent (either verbal or written) Support the Clinical Team in the creation, maintenance, documentation, and training of others in robust systems of data collection, audit and review of all clinical activities, protocols, care pathways and clinical systems, liaising with fellow colleagues and in the local and national health system as needed to ensure good patient care Create and maintain in cooperation with other nursing and admin colleagues a system of clinical stock and equipment maintenance, calibration, and supply; working closely with the Practice Manager to ensure cost efficient purchasing of perishable and expensive items Ability to monitor and manage maintenance of stock and equipment to include single use equipment and general treatment room equipment and emergency equipment Work with the wider practice team with the chronic disease recall process either with completion and moving on of the patient recalls or advising patients that their recalls are due. Participate in Infection Control procedure and protocols and their implementation within GP+ including infection control audits. Person Specification

Education & Qualification

Essential

Good standard of education with at least level 3 qualifications including GCSE at English and Maths (or equivalent levels of qualifications) Registered NMC Nurse

Desirable

ARTP Accredited

Experience

Essential

Experience of managing processes, developing standards, promoting process improvement, inventory control Provide care for minor injuries, dressings, and higher-level wound care, liaising directly, where appropriate with community and secondary care counterparts, escalating to a GP or referring onto community services leg ulcer clinic/tissue viability etc Apply infection control measures when collecting and handling of laboratory specimens, disposing of waste materials, dealing with blood and body fluids spillages and report and treat sharps injuries as per local policies

Desirable

Two years plus experience of practice nursing Carry out ear examination and syringing, following appropriate training and assessment Undertake family planning assessments including regarding LARC, give advice and refer patients appropriately onwards to the GP team

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with a range of different audiences Good organisational skills and ability to follow procedures and guidelines consistently and effectively Monitor and maintain consistency of professional standards and take appropriate action if standards are not met

Desirable

Deliver effective implementation of management of patients with chronic diseases as detailed by the Quality and Outcomes framework, supported by the GPs Provide professional and managerial support to, less qualified clinical colleagues and review and monitoring of patients, as appropriate

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