Job summary
NN3 are excited to offer an rare opportunity for a Band 4 Community Assistant Practitioner or Registered Nursing Associate within North Locality. This position is offered at 22.5 hours per week.

We would welcome applicants with a "can do" attitude who reflect the values (compassion, creativity and community) and behaviours of the organisation. You will work as part of the Community Nursing and Therapy team, carrying out nursing interventions for patients in their own homes.

We are keen to enable our patients to achieve optimum function and independence and quality of life. You will play a key part in this along with your nursing and therapy colleagues. To assist you with this you will receive support and development through in service training, regular appraisals, a personal development plan and clinical supervision.

You must be self-motivated, able to demonstrate sound clinical reasoning skills and have good communication skills. Applicants should have a positive enthusiastic approach to working in a community setting.

If this post excites you, and you are looking to improve your quality of life working in rural Norfolk as part of this developing role we look forward to receiving your application.

Main duties of the job
The post will be covering Aylsham, Reepham, Coltishall and Drayton surgeries working with patients in the NN3 area. You will visit patients in their own homes and care homes to perform complex wound care, catheterisations, INR, venepuncture, diabetes management, pressure ulcer risk management, initial nursing assessments and more.

There is an opportunity for a Registered Nursing Associate or a Community Assistant Practitioner to apply. Please find both Job descriptions attached. Please note that Registered Nursing Associate applicants will be asked to provide detail of registration.

About us
NCHC have electronic patient records and there is an expectation that you will be a mobile worker using a lap top to enable you to work with your patients and record their care during the clinical consultation where appropriate. You will receive support and training to enable you to use this functionality.

Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an 'Outstanding' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.

Job responsibilities

• Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
• Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
• Apply competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan.
• Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
• Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
• Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
• Make basic judgements on patients response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
• Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.
• Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
• Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patients co-operation in their treatment/care/management plan.
• Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
• To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
• Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
• Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
• Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
• Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
• Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
• Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
• Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general house keeping tasks.
• Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
• Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
• Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• NVQ 3, or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Foundation degree programme, or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and skills acquired through training and experience
• Good general education
• Experience of working in a health or social care setting

Desirable

• Registered nursing associate

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with people, in the statutory/voluntary/private sector.
• Experience of working with people at the End of life
• Literacy skills
• Evidence of ongoing learning

Desirable

• Experience of working in people's homes.

Skills, abilities and knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses
• Good communication skills
• Highly motivated

Desirable

• Knowledge of multi-disciplinary team roles.
• Experience of working in a community setting.

Communication
Essential

• Tact & diplomacy
• Empathy & sensitivity
• Ability to use own initiative
• Able to communicate effectively using the English language in both verbal and written forms

Personal and people development
Essential

• Ability to manage stressful situations
• A team player
• Awareness of own limitations
• Good organisational skills
• Open to change and development

Other
Essential

• Ability to kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments
• Ability to manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
• Ability to manoeuvre patients using handling aids
• Must have a full UK driving license and have access to a vehicle
• Be reliable

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.