Practice Nurse, chronic disease in Cockermouth

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Practice Nurse to join our busy Practice working within a dynamic and passionate primary healthcare team. The successful candidate/s would undertake the role as a Practice Nurse focusing on chronic disease. Although this is a full-time role, we would consider part-time applicants.

Main duties of the job

• Work as part of the primary health care team in providing and maintaining high standards of nursing care to the practice population and work within the scope of the NMC code of professional conduct.

About us

Castlegate and Derwent Surgery is a busy surgery situated in Cockermouth providing primary care to 18,000 patients. We aim to provide high-quality health care in a responsive, supportive, courteous and caring manner.

Job responsibilities

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Undertake the general duties of a Practice Nurse focusing on Chronic Disease.
• Be competent to offer chronic disease management to support the practice in achieving quality indicators and targets of QOF, LIS and DES including COPD/Asthma/Heart Failure/Diabetes.
• Carry out childhood immunisations.
• Hold a non-medical prescribing qualification, or willingness to undertake training to achieve this.
• Competent to offer travel health advice and vaccinations.
• General treatment room duties which include wound management and minor injuries.
• To offer family planning and contraceptive advice as required.
• Qualified to undertake cytology screening.
• Provide appropriate treatment to the practice population in accordance with practice protocols and procedures.
• Apply infection control measures within the practice according to local and national guidance.
• Maintain accurate records and document consultations according to local and NMC guidelines.
• Ensure awareness of statutory and local clinical protection procedures, including systems of referral including child protection strategies.
• Work in accordance with PGDs and support HCAs working to PSDs.
• Liaise with other members of the primary health care team as required.

General Duties

• Ensure accurate patient details and consultations are recorded accurately on EMIS.
• Chaperone for the GPs if requested to do so.
• Actively participate in nursing meetings, following up actions as required.
• Responsibility for standard operating procedures (SOPs) and policies within own area of work and ensuring these are kept up to date.
• Liaising with other team members regarding changes to service.
• Ensuring annual leave is covered with other staff members in advance and informing the Practice Manager of any staff shortages.

Educational

• Participate in continuing education as identified whether personally or by the Practice to maintain a high level of professional knowledge and skills.
• Promote the continuing professional development of yourself and other nurses and healthcare assistants, facilitating a learning culture within the team.
• Offer innovative ways of working and opportunities to facilitate learning.

Communication

• Practice staff 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 people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Work Setting and Review

• Works under own initiative, seeking advice either clinically or managerially as required.
• Recognising work within own competence and other requirements as regulated by the NMC.
• Ability to prioritise duties to ensure patient needs are met.

Individual Responsibilities

• Attendance and completion of mandatory training as directed by the practice.
• Adhere to practice policies and procedures.
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Identify personal development and training needs in conjunction with clinical lead and Practice Manager.
• Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrate skills and activities to other team members who undertake similar work.

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. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Health & Safety

• Practice staff will comply with all policies in relation to Health and safety and ensure they complete any mandatory training as advised by the Practice Manager.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of health and safety and infection control statutory and best practice guidelines and ensure implementation across the business.
• 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 across the business, conduct risk assessments as required.

Information Governance

Practice staff must keep up-to-date with the requirements of information governance and must follow practice policies and procedures to ensure information is dealt with legally, securely, efficiently and effectively.

Equality and diversity

Practice staff will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes 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

Practice staff 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 team's performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients' needs.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience in minimum of two long-term conditions.
• Previous experience in Primary Care minimum 3 years.
• Previous experience as a practice nurse.

Qualifications

• Membership of a professional body.
• Minimum 3 years post registration.
• Qualification in travel vaccine management including yellow fever.

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.

£15.90 to £19.31 an hour dependent on qualifications & experience.