Practice Nurse

Job summary

Woodlands Medical Centre is a growing practice on the outskirts of Didcot. We are 9 partners, 6 salaried doctors and a friendly team of nurses and HCAs with a supportive management team. The practice is looking to expand premises to support the growing practice population in the nearby housing developments with the potential to provide services at a new facility on Great Western Park in the next few years. We currently have 18,500 patients but continue to grow and the new premises will be essential to support the housing growth in Didcot.

Main duties of the job

You will need to be an experienced Practice Nurse with knowledge of dressings, immunisation, contraception advice and smears as well as the potential to work in more specialist areas such as minor illness.

The practice is open 3 evenings a week so your working hours will include one evening a week or a fortnight. Ideally your working week will include Mondays and Wednesdays to ensure an even spread of nursing skills throughout the week.

About us

Woodlands Medical Centre is a friendly practice team which encourages personal development and has the additional bonus of free tea, coffee and biscuits and a friendly chat in the kitchen and at regular lunchtime meetings.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

Professional

Support the delivery of national immunisation programmes including babies, under-fives, flu, shingles, pneumonia and others as required administering under Patient Group Directions. Provide support and treatment for patients with complex dressing needs and wound management in line with current evidence-based guidelines Carry out cervical cytology smear tests and provide women with support and advice as part of a holistic assessment during their appointment. Provide comprehensive advice to patients prior to travel including vaccinations and medicines, safe sex, food hygiene, sun protection Offer well-person clinics and health promotion programmes, facilitating change by providing holistic assessment and lifestyle advice on diet, smoking, alcohol intake and exercise Assess problems presented opportunistically by patients Able to document consultations according to NMC guidelines Ensures awareness of statutory and local clinical protection procedures, including systems of referral. Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of child abuse. Perform venepuncture according to local guidelines Perform Suture removal Take ECGs Able to recognize and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines Able to perform Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines Assist in the provision of minor surgery, dermatology surgery and coil clinics Ability to obtain and document informed consent (either verbal or written) Ensure infection control and cold chain guidelines are maintained in accordance with practice and national standards Ability to monitor and manage maintenance of stock and equipment to include refrigeration and emergency equipment Confidentially of information gained at work must be preserved at all times Aware of identification and reporting procedures related to professional standards To attend staff meetings Ensure effective relationships and communications with the PHCT and other agencies Support the Practice clinical governance agenda Supporting Mental Health patients and vulnerable adults Offering contraceptive advice and family planning

Personnel

Maintain good relationships with practice staff, patients and other healthcare agencies Take reasonable care of own safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their act or omission Co-operation with the practice to ensure all members of the team adhere to statutory regulations, policies, codes of practice and department safety rules Offer innovative ways of working and opportunities to facilitate learning Facilitate a learning environment within the team Maintain a caring environment through the support of colleagues

Confidentiality

When 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 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 personal and sensitive data

Health and Safety / Infection Control

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotions. They will manage their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health and Safety policy, the practice Health and Safety manual, the practice Infection Control policy and other 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 and professional requirements, as well as good practice guidelines 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 Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses or training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate 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, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that availability is sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal Using appropriate infection control procedures and maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial action where needed or escalation to responsible management Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised Keeping own work areas and general patient areas clean, sterile; identify issues and hazards or risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business Undertake infection control training in accordance with practice policy Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection Spillage control procedures, management and training Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance Maintenance of sterile environments Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

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.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN & VULNERABLE ADULTS

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults. Familiarisation with, and adherence to, the appropriate organisational Safeguarding Policies and any associated guidance is an essential requirement of all employees as is participation in related mandatory/statutory training. All employees must ensure that they understand and act in accordance with this clause. If you do not understand exactly how this clause relates to you personally then you must ensure that you seek clarification from your immediate manager as a matter of urgency. Equally, all managers have a responsibility to ensure that their team members understand their individual responsibilities with regard to Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.

Personal/Professional development:

Participation in an annual individual appraisal or performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and professional development Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work Work with the practice team on any new skills and developments as part of the continuing development of modern healthcare techniques and general practice requirements

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk Report significant events or learning events for discussion at Practice governance and learning event meetings 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 patient needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Degree Level Membership of Nursing and Midwifery Council RGN Qualification Previous Practice Nurse Experience Experience of dealing with public/patients Excellent communication skills Friendly, courteous manner Computer literate A willing and helpful team player An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the strict need for confidentiality DBS check A demonstrable commitment to professional development

Desirable

Previous use of the EMIS computer system Keen to develop nursing skills Flexibility of working hours/ Specialism in long term condition Used to working autonomously

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