Mental Health Nurse

The successful candidate will work autonomously to support patients who present with a diverse range of mental health issues; providing rapid assessment and formulation to inform treatment planning and offer brief intervention.

Following an induction period, you will offer 10 to 30-minute appointments to patients 18yrs and over, also providing specialist advice and guidance to GPs and other practice staff.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to; signposting and referral to external agencies, mental health risk assessment, effective communication with MDT and the wider general practice team, demonstrating safe and effective clinical decision making in collaboration with the patient, robust medication review for mental health medications routinely prescribed in primary care (including prescribing if non -medical prescriber), Serious Mental Illness reviews for patients with enduring mental health problems and working as part of the urgent care team to review urgent, same-day, mental health presentations.

Overview of the role

The successful candidate will work autonomously to support patients who present with a diverse range of mental health issues; providing rapid assessment and formulation to inform treatment planning and offer brief intervention.

Job Purpose

To provide a high standard of patient care as a Mental Health Nurse in general practice using a broad and in-depth knowledge base.

To effectively time-manage own clinical workload in general practice, responding effectively to patient and practice needs, promoting patient choice and smooth transition to services where appropriate

To work within a multi-professional primary care team to provide a service for adults with varying levels of mental health needs that may co-exist with physical health problems within the registered patient population.

To work independently providing assessment, treatment and referral of patients presenting with a range of mental health issues.

To liaise with and refer onto primary and secondary mental health services, voluntary and public sector agencies and community support groups.

To carry out annual health reviews for adults on the practice mental health register

To provide advice and support to practice colleagues in relation to patients with mental health issues.

Dimensions

Budget Managed: 0

Number of staff responsible for: 0

Number of sites working across: 1-2

Key Result Areas

Clinical Responsibilities

To provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective and individualised patient care.

Review medication independently for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols

Use highly developed communication skills in working with people to understand their personal andoften very sensitive difficulties

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients including assessing patients for suitability for psychological interventions and medical treatment

Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment and treatment of patients in line with the service and agreed protocols.

Work with other health and social care professionals to assess, treat and monitor management of patients in line with national and local policies and practice needs. Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or patients in treatment, where appropriate.

Educate and involve family members, carers and others in treatment as necessary.

Support in the production of clinical protocols and pathways to ensure high levels of conformance to

QOF objectives

Promote and deliver the care to patients required to manage the demand of the quality and outcomes framework as appropriate.

Work with patients to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment, which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or sign-posting to other psychological therapy services within Primary Care e.g. IAPT.

Provide specialist advice and consultation to other clinicians and staff at the practice on matters related to the practice and delivery of psychological and mental health care and service provision.

Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols

Carry out clinical audits of service performance, including service user surveys and evaluations, and help to collate and disseminate the results for feedback.

Communicate effectively with patients; recognising the need for varying methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.

Professional Responsibilities

Work as an effective and responsible primary care practice team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures and in line with local practice.

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.

Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care.

Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation.

Use practice computer systems accordingly in line with practice policy.

Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required.

Collaborate on improving the quality of health care in partnership with other clinical teams, responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate.

Feedback patients responses regarding the effectiveness of care given.

Support and participate in providing training and shared learning across the practice and wider organisation, including providing specialist advice and information relating to mental health.

Participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events.

Work within local and national policy and guidance relating to vulnerable and abused children and adults, being aware of statutory child/ vulnerable adult health procedure.

Work within policies regarding family violence, safeguarding children, vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour, and refer as appropriate.

Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessing competence.

Understand and implement internal and external referral mechanisms.

Prioritise own workload, including team roles and responsibilities, and ensure effective time management

strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.

Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance including participating in clinical supervision and acting as a positive role model.

Act as a clinical leader in the delivery of general practice mental health nursing services to patients,ensuring that the needs of the patient are the priority.

Develop contacts with and maintain a database of local knowledge on services (statutory and third sector), community support groups and social networks that can benefit patients with a range of mental health issues.

Develop and maintain a suite of accessible information to give to patients with a variety of mental health issues.

Operational

Contribute and participate in the development of local guidelines, protocols and standards.

Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice.

Participate in planning and implementing changes within the area of care and responsibility.

Participate in the planning and engagement of practice-based commissioning of similar initiatives.

Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance ( e.g. PALS) and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising any differences or difficulties and refer where appropriate.

Risk Monitoring

Overview of your organisation

We offer our team

Lunch & learn opportunities

Access to our in-house Wellbeing team and Mental Health First Aiders, WhatsApp groups to keep you in the 'know' and socialise, a newly refurbished break room with free fresh ground coffee from a state of the art ''posh'' coffee machine, fresh fruit and snacks. Herbal teas, squash, chilled spring water etc - all provided free of charge.

Access to the generous NHS scheme

Tax Free Cycle to Work scheme

Secure bike parking and hot showers

Some of the wellbeing activities we participate in are: Mental Health Awareness Week, Nature Competitions, which team could grow the tallest sunflower. Regular free lunchtime Yoga and Wellbeing sessions.

We are a Park Run surgery.

Amazing private outdoor sun terrace with sofas, umbrellas and social spaces.

3-minute walk to bustling Fishponds with its many cafes, independent traders, high street brands, eateries and supermarkets

A tranquil park for walks and time out just across the road

Healthy Work life balance with social 'do's' in and out of the Practice

We are a large team and can therefore accommodate most working patterns.

We love working here and we are sure you will too!

For further details, please feel free to contact Mental Health Team Leader, Hilary Willis for an informal chat and a tour of the beautiful Old School Surgery hilary.willis@nhs.net

Qualifications