Practice Nurse (GP surgery)

Woodchurch Surgery; Ashford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A rural healthcare provider in Ashford is seeking a motivated and compassionate practice nurse to join their friendly team for 30 to 35 hours per week. The ideal candidate should have experience in general practice and be capable of providing essential treatment room services while pursuing further professional development. Responsibilities include managing chronic diseases, advising patients, and contributing to a multi-disciplinary team in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• RGN qualification and NMC registration essential.
• Experience in general practice preferred.
• Demonstrate continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Undertake treatment room procedures.
• Advise patients on healthcare and minor ailments.
• Manage chronic disease under competencies.

Skills

NMC registered

Wound care knowledge

Immunisation and vaccination competency

Ability to work as part of a team

Respiratory diploma (asthma and/or COPD) or willingness to achieve

Education

Registered General Nurse (RGN)

Primary care experience

Job description

Woodchurch Surgery is a friendly rural dispensing practice outside Ashford in Kent with over 5,900 patients. Our clinical team comprises 1 GP partner, 4 salaried GPs, 3 Nurse Practitioners, 3 Practice Nurses and 2 HCAs who are supported by our dispensary and administration teams.

Due to retirement we are looking for a motivated and compassionate practice nurse to join our friendly team for between 30 and 35 hours per week. The ideal candidate will have experience in general practice, but consideration will be given to those from other nursing backgrounds. It is essential that you are able to offer basic treatment room services as well as being prepared to undertake further professional development in additional skills and management of chronic conditions.

Main duties of the job

Primarily undertaking treatment room procedures and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide a safe and effective service to the patients that you care for.

• Work within their competencies and specialist areas as stipulated by their ongoing training and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Demonstrate up to date competencies and continuous professional development (CPD).
• Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments with referral to other members of the primary and secondary healthcare team as necessary.
• Ensure specimens are labelled and bagged ready for collection with the necessary paperwork completed.
• Maintenance and cleaning of equipment and clinical rooms in line with infection prevention and control policies.
• Dependent on satisfactory completion of CPD, manage the following conditions within your training and competencies:
• Chronic disease management: diabetes, asthma, COPD, CKD, CHD, HF, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, PVD and non-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
• Routine treatment room injections: B12; hormone injections, etc.
• Immunisations and vaccinations.
• Contraception and menopause.
• Assisting & preparation for minor surgery.
• Compression bandaging and Doppler studies.
• Wound assessment and management.
• Removal of sutures/clips.
• Assist with the following services where an HCA is unavailable:
• Venepuncture.
• ECGs.
• BP monitoring.
• Urinalysis.
• Lifestyle advice to patients, making any necessary referrals.
• Weight monitoring.
• Chaperone.
• Restocking/maintenance of equipment.

About us

Woodchurch Surgery is a small and friendly but hard‑working environment where the emphasis is on teamwork to provide good quality healthcare for our patients. We have high QOF achievement and are rated good by the CQC. We are a training practice and support the development of staff.

Job responsibilities

Woodchurch Surgery General Practice Nurse

Reporting to: Nursing Team Lead and Practice Manager

Job Overview:

Primarily undertaking treatment room procedures and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide a safe and effective service to the patients that you care for.

Be able to recognise your gaps in knowledge and limitations and seek appropriate further training where appropriate and agreed by the GP Partner.

Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and maintain Practice Assessor/Supervisor competency.

Maintain CPD by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary.

If it is necessary to expand the role to include additional responsibilities, full training will be given.

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of your own personal and professional development.

As part of the nursing team, work closely with Admin, dispensary staff and the wider MDT to ensure the smooth running of the practice. Report any problems encountered to the relevant person and ensure that everyone is aware of the different roles within the nursing team.

There is also a need to establish and maintain good liaison with other surgeries and agencies including secondary care.

It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various Practice meetings as requested as well as quarterly Clinical Supervision within the PCN.

Confidentiality

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.

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, to 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.
• Being responsible for appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and safe way, free from hazards.

Equality and Diversity

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

• Acting in a way that recognises 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.

Quality

• 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 team's performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients' needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

• 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 audits where appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RGN
• NMC registered
• Primary care experience
• Friendly and work well as part of our lovely team
• Demonstrable wound care knowledge
• Immunisation and Vaccination core competency
• Respiratory diploma (asthma and/or COPD) or willingness to work towards this
• ARTP accreditation (or willingness to work towards this)
• Ear Care (or willingness to do the 2 day course)

Experience

• Experience of working within general practice.

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.

Competitive salary dependent on experience.