Job Title Practice Nurse
Responsible to Lead Nurses & GP Partners (Clinically)
Practice Manager (Administratively)
Accountable to Partners
Salary Depending on experience
No. of Hours Part-time to full-time

Job summary
The Practice Nurse will work as part of the primary healthcare team providing Personal Medical Services to the patients of practice.

Job responsibilities
Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed by senior nursing staff and GPs
Cytology
Removal of Sutures
New Patient Medicals/Urinalysis
ECGs
Venepuncture
Hypertension Management
Chronic Disease Management/Reviews

• Providing travel health advice and travel vaccinations in line with training, competency and appropriate PGDs or PSDs.
• Providing wound care, dressings and suture or clip removal.
• Administering B12 injections and other injections under appropriate PGDs or PSDs.
• Administering hormonal or oncology-related injections where directed by secondary care and where appropriate training, governance and authorisation are in place.
• Undertaking health checks and lifestyle advice

Ear syringing
Routine immunisations/Childhood immunisations
Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
Assisting GPs with minor surgery and coil fittings as required
Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
Interest in Diabetes or Coronary Heart Disease and Contraception.
Following agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate

Other tasks will include
Maintaining and cleaning equipment used by the nurses and GPs
Maintaining GP and Nurses rooms, stocking and rotating items as required
Chaperoning and assisting patients who are being examined by another clinician.
Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment rooms
Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
Participation in administrative systems in the Practice
At all times there will be a need to maintain accurate records
A duty to advise senior nurses of potential problems or errors within a range of assigned tasks
Attend and participate in any Practice meetings when required.
On occasion there may be a requirement to undertake home visits
Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post

Care and Programme Management
The postholder will:

• Contribute to local and national targets, including cervical screening, immunisations and long-term condition care
• Support safe and effective call and recall systems
• Help ensure appropriate coding and documentation of nursing activity
• Contribute to audit and review of nursing outcomes
• Support the identification of patients requiring follow-up or escalation
• Refer or signpost patients to other members of the multidisciplinary team, community services, statutory services or voluntary organisations where appropriate.
• Be aware of safeguarding protocols for children and vulnerable adults and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Support appropriate reimbursement processes for drugs, vaccines, injectables and dressings that the practice can claim back from NHS England.

Working Within Scope of Practice
The postholder will:

• Work within NMC professional standards and their own scope of competence
• Be accountable for their own professional actions
• Recognise professional and personal limitations
• Seek advice and escalate appropriately where clinical issues fall outside their competency
• Maintain evidence of training and competency for key clinical activities.
• Participate in supervision, appraisal and continuing professional development.
• Ensure that any expanded clinical duties are only undertaken following appropriate training, assessment and agreement with the practice.

Health Improvement
The postholder will:

• Provide health promotion and lifestyle advice as part of routine nursing care.
• Support programmes of screening and prevention.
• Encourage uptake of immunisations, cervical screening and other preventive health services.
• Support patients to manage long-term conditions and reduce health risks.
• Help identify opportunities to improve health outcomes for the practice population.

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 people's 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.

Health & safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others' health, safety and security 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:
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role
Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
Reporting potential risks identified

Policies, Protocols and Governance
The postholder will:

• Work within all relevant practice policies and procedural guidance, including infection control, chaperoning, safeguarding, confidentiality, cold-chain, incident reporting and risk management.
• Implement and adhere to local and national guidance, PGDs, PSDs and clinical pathways.
• Contribute to the review and improvement of nursing policies and protocols.
• Alert the Practice Manager and GP partners to risks, gaps or areas requiring improvement.
• Support the practice in meeting CQC, NHS England, ICB, PCN and Public Health requirements relevant to nursing services.

Quality
The postholder will:

• Maintain high standards of nursing care.
• Alert other team members to issues of quality, safety and risk.
• Reflect on their own performance and contribute to improvement.
• Work effectively with colleagues and external agencies to meet patients needs.
• Manage their own time, workload and resources effectively.
• Contribute to the effectiveness and development of the wider practice team.

Confidentiality
The postholder will:

• Follow NHS confidentiality requirements.
• Comply with information governance and Caldicott principles.
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
• Report any breaches or concerns to the appropriate manager.
• Take personal responsibility for safe handling and use of patient information.

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 people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Personal and Professional Development
The postholder will:

• Participate in annual appraisal and development review.
• Take responsibility for maintaining their own professional development.
• Keep up to date with relevant clinical guidance, legislation and professional standards.
• Maintain NMC registration.
• Keep evidence of competency for clinical duties undertaken.
• Participate in training and development agreed with the practice.

Information Management
The postholder will:

• Use the clinical system effectively and accurately.
• Record consultations, procedures, immunisations and clinical activity using appropriate coding.
• Support accurate data entry for QOF, local enhanced services and other practice targets.
• Assist with searches, recalls and audit work relevant to nursing services.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with Caldicott principles and information governance requirements.

Safeguarding
All members of staff have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable adults, children and young people. The postholder will:

• Attend relevant safeguarding training.
• Follow practice safeguarding procedures.
• Escalate concerns appropriately and promptly.
• Communicate with safeguarding leads and external agencies where required.
• Support the practice in maintaining safe and effective safeguarding processes.

Depending on experience, the successful candidate may also have the opportunity to act as the practices Safeguarding Lead, working with the GP partners, Practice Manager and wider team to support safeguarding processes, training, escalation and liaison with external agencies.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration

Desirable

• BSc in Nursing
• Diploma in various chronic diseases management

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• New patient medicals, including height, weight, BP, pulse
• Chaperone procedure
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes

Desirable

• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• Understanding of infection prevention and control measures
• Experience of working in a primary care environment

Personal qualities
Essential

• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and clinical policy and procedure
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously

Desirable

• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Effectively utilise resources
• Good organisational skills
• Competent in the use of MS Office and Outlook
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure

Essential Criteria
Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Experience working as a Practice Nurse or in a relevant primary care nursing role
• Competent to deliver core nursing services within general practice
• Competent in cervical screening, or willing to complete any required update training.
• Competent in childhood immunisations and adult vaccinations.
• Experience or training in travel health and travel vaccinations, or willingness to undertake training where appropriate.
• Ability to work autonomously as part of the General Practice team.
• Ability to work safely within own scope of practice.
• Understanding of infection prevention and control, cold-chain processes and vaccine governance.
• Good communication and team-working skills.
• Ability to escalate clinical concerns appropriately.
• Good organisational skills
• Commitment to high-quality, patient-centred care
• Commitment to continuing professional development.
• Ability to use clinical systems and maintain accurate records

Desirable

• Previous experience in general practice.
• Childhood immunisation training.
• Travel health training.
• Experience contributing to audits, recalls or quality improvement
• Experience in long-term condition reviews.
• Understanding of QOF, local enhanced services and recall systems.
• Experience or interest in safeguarding leadership.

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.