Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Eye Casualty/Ophthalmology

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; Reading; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Band 7 Advanced Nurse Practitioner to lead Eye Casualty/Ophthalmology, delivering autonomous advanced clinical care and non-medical prescribing within Ophthalmology. The post involves assessment at first contact, OCT imaging interpretation, and AMD/Medical Retina support.

The role requires substantial ophthalmology experience, leadership, and a commitment to quality improvement and safe care, with sponsorship not normally available and right-to-work

Qualifications

• NMC registered adult nurse with ophthalmology postgraduate education.
• Evidence of Level 7 study or equivalent.
• Prescribing qualification and ability to work within PGD/independent prescribing.
• Leadership experience in ophthalmology or eye care settings.

Responsibilities

• Practise autonomously with high accountability, delivering advanced clinical care.
• Undertake comprehensive history taking and holistic assessment.
• Assess, diagnose and manage ophthalmic conditions per protocol.
• Interpret OCT and retinal imaging; monitor AMD/Medical Retina.
• Prescribe and manage treatments within professional standards.
• Prioritise urgent ophthalmic presentations and refer when needed.

Skills

Autonomous practice

Advanced clinical assessment

Ophthalmology experience

Leadership

Non-Medical Prescribing

Education

NMC Registered Nurse (Adult)

Specialist ophthalmology qualification

Level 7 MSc in ophthalmology/advanced practice

Independent/Supplementary Prescriber

Leadership qualification

Mentoring/Clinical supervision

Tools

Ophthalmic imaging (OCT)

Ophthalmology protocols

Job description

Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Eye Casualty/Ophthalmology

Band 7 Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Eye Casualty/Ophthalmology

PLEASE NOTE: Sponsorship is not normally available for this vacancy - applicants must have the right-to-work in the UK for this role by their proposed start date.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Advanced Nurse Practitioner to work within our Ophthalmology department.

The successful candidate will be responsible for assessing the patients at the first point of contact within Eye Casualty, providing autonomous practice which demonstrates high level of accountability at an advanced clinical level, delivering high-quality direct patient care, and providing treatment based on advanced clinical skills assessment and non-medical prescribing.

The successful candidate will also support the Age-related Macular Degeneration, considering the role as an injector and also supporting clinical reviewing.

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner should continuously seek to develop and implement improvement, meet key performance indicators, quality and safety standards relevant to the service.

Main duties of the job

Practise autonomously with a high level of accountability, delivering advanced clinical care and making complex decisions based on expert assessment, diagnostic reasoning and clinical management skills.

Work in partnership with patients, families and carers, undertaking comprehensive history taking, holistic assessment, risk identification, mental health assessment, and the requesting, performance and interpretation of diagnostic investigations to determine health and care needs.

Assess, diagnose and manage patients with a wide range of ophthalmic conditions, developing and implementing treatment plans within agreed protocols and scope of practice.

Independently assess and manage patients attending AMD and Medical Retina services, interpreting OCT and retinal imaging, monitoring disease progression, determining treatment requirements in line with established pathways, providing patient education, and escalating complex cases where necessary.

Independently assess, diagnose and treat patients presenting to Eye Casualty with urgent and emergency ophthalmic conditions. Prioritise care according to clinical need, initiate appropriate investigations and treatment, arrange follow up, and refer sight-threatening or complex presentations to medical staff.

Practise as a Non-Medical Independent Prescriber, prescribing and monitoring treatments safely within professional standards, current legislation, local policies and Patient Group Directions (PGDs).

About us

Reading sits on the River Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford, and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work, and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.

The CQC rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

Our Trust "CARE" values: Compassionate,Aspirational,Resourceful,Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.

Job responsibilities

We are looking for a talented individual who has excellent communication skills promoting high quality care and service delivery.

The attached job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

Person Specification

Education, Qualifications and Training

• Registered Nurse Adult (NMC)
• Specialist post-graduate education/qualifications relevant to Ophthalmology
• Demonstrable evidence of ability to study at Level 7 (either previous Level 6 or level 7 study)
• Mentoring, Facilitating Workplace Learning or Clinical Supervision Qualification
• Hold History Taking and Clinical Assessment module
• Completed or completing Level 7 MSc, relevant to clinical area or speciality, or willing to undertake
• Hold or able to undertake & register with professional regulatory body (NMC) as an Independent/Supplementary Prescriber
• Leadership course/qualification

Experience

• Significant post-registration clinical experience with evidence of sustained professional development and a minimum of 3 years experience within Ophthalmology
• Proven evidence of management ability and leadership
• Evidence of existing clinical skills / procedures as per job description
• Experience of Change Management
• Post-registration clinical experience in Emergency Eye Care

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.