Practice Nurse

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced Practice Nurse to join our existing healthcare team working 2 days a week (16 hours plus). Experience in chronic disease management is essential. We are a large practice (13,500 patients) with 3 GP Partners, 2 Salaried GP's, 5 Practice Nurses, 3 HCA's, pharmacist, pharmacy tech an admin. We can provide support and a fun environment to the right candidate.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will need to be experienced in chronic disease areas such as diabetes or respiratory. Childhood imms and smears will also be part of the role and therefore training in these areas would be desirable. Routine procedures such as venepuncture, BP checks, dressings etc are also required.

About us

We are a large 13,500 friendly practice, who work hard but like to play hard. We are based in Darlington, 10 minutes walk from the train station in purpose built premises. We have a good CQC rating and achieve highly in QOF. We can offer NHS Pension, membership to a Simply Health plan and are flexible on hours to be worked.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs Chronic disease management (respiratory, diabetes, family planning, CHD, hypertension) Urinalysis ECGs Peak Flow Readings Venepuncture Blood pressure measurements Ear syringing Routine immunisations Travel vaccinations Requesting basic pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs using ICE Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate Infection Control Other tasks including: Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician. Undertake housekeeping duties including, general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms Participation in administrative systems in the Practice A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within the range of assigned tasks Maintain accurate records Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required. Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.

Special Requirements of the Post:

An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality. Ability to use own judgment, resourcefulness and common sense. A commitment to maintain a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post. A commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection Control measures are met and to report any problems to the Practice Manager A commitment to the effective use of Practice and NHS resources. An awareness of own limitations and experience. To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the Scope of Professional Practice To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up to date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC

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 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 & Safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in 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 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 Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice 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 / 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 provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate. 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 Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually) Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards 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

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.

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 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 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:

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

Registered Nurse

Desirable

Qualified in chronic disease areas such as diabetes or respiratory Qualified in cervical cytology Qualified in family planning and sexual health Venepuncture

Experience

Essential

Registered Nurse Venepuncture Chronic disease management Cervical Screening Qualification Immunisations Willingness to learn and acquire new skills Insight and understanding of current issues in nursing and the NHS Evidence of appropriate knowledge base

Desirable

Experience of working in a GP practice SystmOne experience

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