Practice Nurse in Bognor Regis

BerstedGreen Surgery is on the lookout for a warm and compassionate Practice Nurse to join our friendly and welcoming nursing team. We are a bustling practice with over 13,000 patients, so adaptability and a caring attitude are key to thriving with us. We are seeking someone who is committed to delivering high-quality nursing care while maintaining professionalism and kindness with every patient interaction. If you are a skilled communicator who enjoys working as part of a strong, supportive team, this is a fantastic opportunity for you.

Main duties of the job

• Chronic Disease Management (Diabetes, COPD, Asthma)
• Travel Health
• General Treatment Room Duties
• Smear Taking
• Wound Care (including Doppler and Compression)
• Childhood Immunisations
• Travel Immunisations

You will also need the flexibility to cover for colleagues during sickness or annual leave when necessary. Applicants must be fully qualified Registered General Nurses (RGN) with a valid NMC registration; primary care experience is not essential, but would be advantageous. Training and support will be given to the right candidate.

About us

BerstedGreen Surgery is a forward-thinking and caring practice, located in the charming seaside town of Bognor Regis, near Chichester and the stunning South Downs National Park. We serve a patient base of over 13,000 and pride ourselves on being an exceptionally friendly and supportive place to work. As a training practice and research hub, we are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals and pioneering new approaches to patient care. We emphasise teamwork, wellbeing, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Our team includes 3 GP Partners and 5 Salaried GPs, alongside a multidisciplinary team of paramedics, pharmacists, nurses, and support staff. We value our staff highly, and professional development is something we strongly encourage and support. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and inclusion in everything we do. If you would like to be part of a practice that values compassion, teamwork, and innovation, we would love to hear from you! We would welcome informal visits to the practice, so you can see for yourself how great it is to work here.

Job responsibilities

• To act as support to the Infection Prevention Control (IPC) lead and to work to the IPC Policy providing audits, training, support and evidence of compliance to the practice manager.
• To develop, implement and embed an effective care management programme for the frail and housebound patients registered at the practice.
• To assess the needs of patients ensuring the provision of healthcare is appropriate, incorporating evidence-based practice.
• To develop, implement and embed health promotion and wellbeing programmes.
• To implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for chronic disease patients that promote health and wellbeing.
• To identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects to patients' health.
• As required, to provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF.
• To diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions.
• To prescribe medication for patients in accordance with PGDs and own scope of practice.
• To review patient medications to enhance compliance.
• To provide guidance to patients in the use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications regarding side effects and dosages.
• To co-ordinate the provision of travel medicine services.
• To request pathology services and process pathology results as required.
• To oversee the provision of chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required.
• To maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation.
• To ensure read codes are used effectively by all members of the nursing team.
• To ensure the appropriate maintenance and use of chronic disease registers.
• To develop, implement, embed and participate in well woman clinics.
• To develop, implement, embed and participate in well man clinics.
• To ensure compliance with the practice chaperone policy.
• To assist GPs with minor surgery when required.
• To prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately.
• To support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies.
• To recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs.
• To implement vaccination programmes for adults and children.
• To support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice).
• To liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients etc.).
• To delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and the task is within the scope of practice of the individual).
• To support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies.
• To understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately.
• To deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate.

Additional responsibilities

• Develop and review audit protocols and process for the practice, effectively utilising the audit cycle.
• Develop, review and implement nursing protocols in conjunction with the partners.
• Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care.
• Support and participate in shared learning within the practice in order to improve patient care.
• Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate.
• Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach, i.e. root cause analysis (RCA).
• Support the practice team with the reviewing and implementation of practice policies and protocols, ensuring conformance to extant legislation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council)
• Post graduate diploma or degree (Chronic Disease Management)
• Family planning qualification

Experience

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of chronic disease management
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• New patient medicals
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based practice
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to GPs
• Chaperone procedure
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Chronic disease management in Respiratory, diabetes
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies

Skills

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Clear, polite telephone manner

Personal Qualities

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and co-operative
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations

Other requirements

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Occupational Health clearance
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for nurse revalidation
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) commensurate with the role of a Practice Nurse

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.