Job summary
We are looking to appoint an experienced, RGN registered, Practice Nurse to join our team, working four days (Tuesday to Friday).

We are absolutely committed to finding the right person to join our team. Nothing is more important to us than this. This means that we are prepared to wait for that person until they are able to join us.

Main duties of the job
To be responsible for the delivery of practice nursing services, working as part of the practices multidisciplinary team who provide care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population.

The practice nurse will be responsible for a number of clinical areas such as health promotion, chronic disease management, health prevention, well woman and well man clinics, as well as supporting the management team in the reviewing of clinical policy and procedure.

The practice nurse is responsible for the day to day running of the treatment room and to perform the necessary treatment room functions and procedures as required within her main duties and responsibilities.

About us
You will be working within an enthusiastic and supportive primary healthcare team.

About us:

• Friendly dispensing practice on the outskirts of Ilminster
• 9100 patients with 5 partners, 2 Salaried GP and 1 Retainer GPs
• Modern, large purpose-built premises with extensive parking
• Ideally located for main transport routes (A358, A303)
• Part of the central Chard, Langport and Ilminster Primary Care Network (PCN)
• EMIS web clinical system
• Training practice with 3 GP trainers

Job responsibilities
The following are the primary responsibilities of the Practice Nurse.

There may be on occasion a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels:

• Develop, implement and embed health promotion and well-being programmes
• Implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for chronic disease patients
• Identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on patients health
• Provide routine nursing care to patients as required in accordance with clinical-based evidence, NICE and the NSF
• Provide wound care/dressings to patients
• Provide travel medicine services
• Provide ear syringing, when appropriate
• Request pathology services as necessary
• Process pathology results as required
• Provide chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required
• Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation
• Ensure read codes are used effectively
• Maintain chronic disease registers
• Develop, implement and embed well woman/family planning clinics
• Develop, implement and embed well man clinics
• Undertake ECGs and the recording of
• Chaperone patients where necessary
• Assist GPs with minor surgery when required
• Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately
• Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies
• To attend training and update sessions on main duties and responsibilities
• Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs
• Implement vaccination programmes for adults and children
• Provide immunisation for adults and children
• Working to PGDs ensuring they are in date
• Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice)
• Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.)
• Delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and that the task is within the scope of practice of the individual)
• Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies
• Maintain continued education by attending study days identified as necessary in order for CPD
• Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately
• Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate
• Adhere to practice protocol/policy for Infection Control
• Work within practice policies and protocols
• Ensuring that consulting/treatment rooms are tidy/fully stocked (In the absence of the HCA)
• Ensuring that adequate treatment room supplies are maintained
• Ensuring that resuscitation equipment is correctly maintained

Maintain professional registration and adhere to revalidation requirements

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the practice nurse may be requested to:

• Monitor and ensure the safe storage, rotation and disposal of medicaments
• Support junior members of the nursing team, providing guidance when necessary
• Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
• Support and participate in shared learning within the practice
• To participate in research, audit and recall
• Any other procedure for which the nurse is trained and competent and may be required for the operation of an efficient treatment room.
• Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate
• Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach, i.e. root cause analysis (RCA).

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Desirable

• Experience of working as a practice nurse or community nurse
• Experience of chronic disease management

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered nurse

Desirable

• Post graduate diploma or degree (Primary care)

Clinical Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• Chaperone procedure
• Requesting pathology tests, processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• CHD
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
• Understand the importance of evidence based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy

Desirable

• New patient medicals
• Travel medicine
• Spirometry
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.