Practice Nurse

NHS; Chepstow; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Chepstow is seeking an experienced Practice Nurse for temporary maternity cover with potential for permanent employment. The role involves leading a nursing team while undertaking vital nursing responsibilities such as managing chronic disease reviews and overseeing health promotion clinics. The ideal candidate will be a Registered General Nurse with proven clinical knowledge and excellent communication skills, dedicated to patient care and professional development.

Qualifications

• Must demonstrate commitment to personal and professional development.
• Experience in practice nursing or similar environment.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information requiring empathy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the practice nursing team and assist in patient care delivery.
• Undertake annual reviews of patients with chronic diseases.
• Plan and run health promotion clinics.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Teamwork

Leadership

Clinical knowledge

Education

Registered General Nurse

Professional Clinical Knowledge (degree/diploma level)

GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths

Tools

EMIS

Job description

This is an opportunity for an experienced Practice Nurse to join our friendly and experienced team of Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants.

This vacancy has occurred due to the forthcoming maternity leave of our lead nurse.

Temp maternity cover with potential Permanent offer.

In addition to undertaking the core Practice Nurse role, the successful candidate will take on some responsibilities of the Lead Nurse role, leading our remaining team of two Nurses and two HCAs.

Main duties of the job

Undertaking Asthma/COPD, Diabetes, IHD and Hypertension review appointments.

Helping to plan and run health promotion and disease related clinics while ensuring that the care given meets the requirements of local and national guidelines, policies and standards including QAIF.

Offer general practice nurse duties including Wound Management, Contraception, Assist at GP Coil and Implant Clinics, Cervical Cytology and ECG.

Taking part in vaccination clinics to protect patients against influenza, pneumonia, shingles, etc.

Undertaking childhood immunisations.

As mentioned above, the successful candidate will take the Lead Nurse role within our Nursing Team.

About us

The Vauxhall Practice is situated in the pleasant market town of Chepstow in the Wye Valley, looking after 9,206 registered patients.

Our friendly practice team is made up of six GPs, one GP Registrar, two Advanced Nurse Practitioners, one Nurse Practitioner and one Clinical Pharmacist in addition our Practice Nurses and Healthcare Assistants. The clinical team is supported by a team of secretaries, administrators and dispensers. We regularly take part in tutoring Medical Students from Cardiff University School of Medicine on rotation during the year.

Job responsibilities

Purpose of the Role

Working under the direct supervision of the clinical partners and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols, the lead practice nurse will lead the practice nursing team and assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of prescribed programmes of patient care.

Clinical Duties and Responsibilities:

To promote and maintain high standards of nursing care in accordance with the NMC Code of professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses

To undertake annual reviews of patients with chronic disease and long-term conditions and appropriate training, such as Asthma/COPD, Diabetes, IHD and Hypertension

To plan and run health promotion and disease related clinics. Ensure that the care given meets the requirements of local and national guidelines, policies and standard including QAIF and rules and guidelines laid down by NHS Wales and the Practice

To take part in vaccination clinics to protect patients against influenza, pneumonia, shingles, etc

To undertake childhood immunisations

To offer general practice nurse duties including Wound Management, Contraception, Assist at GP Coil and Implant Clinics, Cervical Cytology and ECGs

To undertake Travel Clinics including travel risk assessments and vaccinations

To directly communicate with patients on matters relating to their ongoing and highly complex health needs giving due consideration to the likelihood that there will be emotive issues which will require developed skills of tack, diplomacy and empathy

To ensure that patients have detailed assessments made of their healthcare needs and that individual programmes of care are planned, implemented and regularly reviewed

Facilitate patient referrals to appropriate clinical services

To liaise with other disciplines and outside agencies with a view to providing holistic healthcare, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality in accordance with the NMC Code

To participate in the delivery and evaluation of healthcare services at The Vauxhall Practice through meetings and regular liaison with colleagues

To be responsible for the ordering, safe systems and processes, storing and administering of all medicines/drugs according to NMC standards

To undertake and participate in clinical audit projects as necessary to own work

To undertake minor illness assessments

Respond to medical emergencies

Ensure that the principles of Infection Control are always adhered to

Education and Development

To keep abreast of advances in clinical practice and identify personal training and development needs

Support junior colleagues in their development by encouragement, informal teaching and coaching

To attend meetings as directed by the nurse team leader or member of the senior management team and/or partners

To attend mandatory training identified through the appraisal system

Administrative Responsibilities

Follow practice and NHS Wales policies, procedures and guidelines

Complete reports and forms required by the practice and NHS Wales

Participate in staff surveys and contribute to research-based practice

Ensure all equipment and drugs with expiry dates are in date

Confidentiality

While 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 implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and 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.

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 manager

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 include:

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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities, rights.

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

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

Quality

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, 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

Recognise needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards, guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audits

Person Specification

Additional Criteria

• Must demonstrate commitment to personal and professional development
• Flexible approach to work
• Commitment to team working
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Good interpersonal and communication skills

Qualifications

• Registered General Nurse
• Professional Clinical Knowledge acquired through training to degree/diploma level
• Good general education including GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths
• Experience in practice nursing or similar environment

Experience

• Evidence based decision making
• Evidence of multi-professional working
• Ability to work on own initiative dealing with confidential issues
• Ability to communicate sensitive, confidential information requiring empathy, persuasion and reassurance
• Ability to organise and prioritise work, and to adhere to deadlines and targets
• Ability to make a judgement on problems requiring investigation
• Ability to delegate tasks to HCA, Nursing Associates and Phlebotomist
• Ability to work in a changing environment
• Able to develop networks to learn from others
• To work within code of practice, professional guidelines and practice protocols and procedures
• Ability to represent the practice professionally
• Ability to demonstrate commitment to personal development
• Experience using EMIS
• Have experience of leading a team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants

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.