Practice Nurse

To provide and maintain a high standard of nursing care for patients, as well as providing nursing

assistance to the doctors and other members of the primary healthcare team. The duties will include

all tasks normally undertaken by an experienced RGN and any additional roles agreed between the

nurse and the doctors as appropriate, having regard to current training.

Offer a holistic approach to travel health by providing comprehensive advice to patients

prior to travel including vaccinations and medicines, safe sex, food hygiene, sun protection

Offer advice about childhood and adult vaccinations and ensure vaccines are administered

under patient group directions

Running well person clinics and health promotion programmes, facilitating change by

providing holistic assessment and lifestyle advice on diet, smoking, alcohol intake and

exercise

Able to document Consultations according to practice protocols

Ensures awareness of statutory and local clinical protection procedures, including systems of

referral. Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of child abuse.

Perform a holistic assessment of patients attending for ear irrigation.

Perform a holistic assessment of patients attending for cervical cytology smear tests.

Perform venepuncture according to local guidelines

Provide a holistic approach to wound management and implement wound care in line with

current evidence-based guidelines

Assess patients with minor injuries, treat appropriately and refer to GP where necessary

Suture removal

Able to recognize and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines

Able to perform Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines

Assist in the provision of minor surgery

Ability to obtain and document informed consent -either verbal or written Lead on ensuring infection control guidelines are maintained across the practice

Ability to monitor and manage maintenance of stock and equipment to include refrigeration,

sterilizer and emergency equipment

Confidentially of information gained at work must be preserved at all times

Contribute to the assessment of service needs

Assist patients to identify their health needs

Contribute a nursing perspective to the practice development plan

Manage and organise individual patient consultations

Aware of identification and reporting procedures related to professional standards

To attend staff meetings

Ensure effective relationships and communications with other health care professionals

Support the Practice clinical governance agenda

Identify changes to clinical practice that are required to implement evidence-based guidelines

Identify personal development and training needs in conjunction with the manager

Participate in clinical supervision

Support others with their training and development needs

To participate in continuing education and maintain a contemporary level of professional

Take reasonable care of his/her own safety and that of other persons who may be affected

by his/her act or omission

Co-operation with the practice to ensure all members of the team adheres to statutory

regulations/policies and codes of practice and departments safety rules

Offer innovative ways of working and opportunities to facilitate learning

Facilitates a learning environment within the team

Maintains a caring environment through the support of colleagues

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

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotions. They will manage their own

and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy,

the practice Health & Safety manual, the practice Infection Control policy and other 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

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to

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

Participation in an annual 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

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

The post-holder will

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.

Qualifications