PCN Wound Clinic Nurse in England

The nurse will have skills, training and experience relating to wound management, vascular assessment and dressing application to provide and maintain a high standard of nursing care for patients. Provide nursing assistance to the GPs and other members of the primary healthcare team, whilst providing supervision and working closely with a wound clinic Healthcare Assistant.

The duties will (with training where necessary) include running a practice-based wound management, vascular assessment and dressings clinic, and providing a vaccination service to our housebound and care home patients. The nurse will undertake independent consultations with patients relating to specific symptoms within the post holder's scope of practice; assessing, examining, investigating, diagnosing (with support where needed), treating, and following up patients as required. The nurse will use clinical decision making within their scope of practice and be responsible for leading the wound clinic and housebound vaccination service for the PCN Practices. They will ensure the delivery of evidence-based care in relation to tissue viability including leg ulcer management.

Main duties of the job

• Assist and perform routine tasks related to patient care as directed. Such tasks may include (list not exclusive): Management of patients with chronic disease relating to wound prevention and management, including diabetes and vascular conditions.
• Provide a holistic approach to wound management and implement wound care in line with current evidence-based guidelines.
• Make and receive referrals for patients with compromised tissue viability, from nurses, general practitioners, consultants and other health professionals.
• Provide advice on the most appropriate wound dressing products.
• Assess for and advise on compression bandaging and hosiery.
• Be responsible for the follow-up of the patients under their care.
• Provide advice on management of slow healing wounds.
• Practice with autonomy and accountability and make decisions within the scope of own professional practice area of clinical competence.
• Promote a supportive and collaborative team-working environment.
• Provide supervision and support to Healthcare Assistants.
• To identify future service requirements to the Line Manager.
• Administration of adult vaccinations to our housebound and care home population.
• Assist patients to identify their health needs, incorporating the use of care plans.

About us

Carlisle Primary Care Network (PCN) consists of 3 Practices: Eden Medical Group, Warwick Square Group and Carlisle Central. The Network and Practices are focused on shaping our services to best meet our patients' needs, and work collaboratively to ensure we improve services and build for the future. We are focused on providing new and innovative solutions to addressing the healthcare requirements of our patients, now and in the future. We are passionate about providing our multi-disciplinary teams with support and positive working environments, and strive to ensure we work collaboratively to provide this. The role is part of a wider team supporting patients across all practices, liaising closely with clinicians from practices and PCN to improve the health & wellbeing of patients.

Job responsibilities

The nurse will play an important role in the PCN, utilising the appropriate skills, training and experience to undertake independent consultations with patients relating to specific symptoms; assessing, examining, investigating, diagnosing, treating, and following up patients as required. You will use clinical decision making within your scope of practice and ensure the delivery of evidence-based care in relation to wound management and tissue viability. This role will work closely with GPs and practice teams to manage a caseload of patients, acting as a central point of contact to ensure appropriate support is made available to them and their carers; supporting them to understand and manage their condition and ensuring their changing needs are addressed.

Training - Personal and Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented as part of this employment, such training to include: participation in an annual individual performance review. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work. A commitment to maintain a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post. Identify personal development and training needs in conjunction with Clinical Lead. To participate in continuing education and maintain a contemporary level of professional knowledge and skills. Contribute to the assessment of service needs. Contribute a nursing perspective to the practice development plan. To attend staff meetings. Completion of regular mandatory and otherwise specified learning.

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members. Demonstrate sensitive communication styles to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment. Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating, including those receiving bad news and respond accordingly. Act as an advocate when representing patients and colleagues. Participate in practice team meetings, delivering the nursing agenda and run nursing department meetings. Produce evidence towards the contribution of the nursing team to the practice priorities as and when required.

Governance

Undertake DBS check at regular intervals. Able to recognise and manage anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines. Able to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines. Ability to obtain and document informed consent (either verbal or written). Ensure infection control guidelines are maintained and contribute to infection control audits and policies. Ensure awareness of statutory and local protection procedures, including systems of referral. Support the Practice clinical governance agenda. Identify changes to clinical practice that are required to implement evidence-based guidelines. Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures. Work within policies regarding family violence, vulnerable children and adults, and all aspects of Safeguarding, substance abuse and addictive behaviour, and refer as appropriate. Aware of identification and reporting procedures related to professional standards. An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality. To work only in accordance with the UKCC Code of Conduct and within the scope of professional practice. To have a written professional development plan and to maintain an up-to-date portfolio which meets the requirements of registration with the UKCC. Cooperate with annual appraisal meetings.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to patients 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. The Employee must adhere to all practice policies, which includes; Information Governance, Data Protection, Confidentiality, Caldecott and Safeguarding Policies.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of 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 impressing the importance of hand hygiene across the practice. Awareness of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and adherence 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 to the nominated infection control lead. Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient processes. 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 as appropriate. 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 management. 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. Undertaking periodic infection control training. Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of workspace 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 patients.

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. Identify patterns of discrimination and take action to overcome this and promote diversity and equality of opportunity. Support people who need assistance in exercising rights. Monitor and evaluate adherence to local chaperoning policies. Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care. Assist patients from marginalised groups to access quality care.

Safeguarding of Children & Vulnerable Adults

To adhere to the principles of effective safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NMC registered
• Experience and qualifications related to their specialist area i.e. leg ulcer management, tissue viability.

Qualities/Attributes

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload.
• Evidence and ability to grasp new concepts and work on a self-directed basis.
• Able to work under pressure in a changing environment.
• Empathy for the health care/public service environment.
• Enthusiastic, adaptable, innovative, forward looking.
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team.
• Strategic thinking with vision, reliable and resourceful.
• Get on well with people at all levels.

Personal Skills & Attributes

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Must be personable, polite and approachable.
• Must be a team player.
• Able to work under pressure and remain calm.
• Adaptable to change.
• Aware of own limitations.
• Good organisational and interpersonal skills are essential.

Skills

• Communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families.
• Change management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle.
• Negotiation and conflict management skills.
• IT Skills.
• Ability to collect, analyse and interpret data and to use that information to promote good patient care.
• Clinical Skills: dressing assessment and application, immunisation and vaccination.
• Experience of using EMIS Web, ICE.

Professional Knowledge

• Ability to manage patients who have complex dressings.
• Working independently and autonomously within their own scope of practice.
• Excellent communication (orally and written) and listening skills.
• Ability to work alone or as part of a team.
• Ability to keep accurate records.
• Ability to plan own day-to-day work schedule.
• Ability to effectively manage challenging behaviour and or conflict.
• Experience of working in a primary care setting or Community setting.
• Knowledge of EMIS.

Knowledge & Experience

• RGN/RN.
• Minimum 2 years post-registration experience.
• Training in wound management and dressing assessment and application.
• Clinical supervision experience.
• Knowledge of needs of patients with long term conditions.
• Knowledge of chronic disease management.
• Aware of accountability of own role and other roles in a nurse led service.
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care.
• Knowledge of patient group directives and associated policies.
• Evidence of appropriate continuing professional development.
• Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness.
• Ability to identify determinants on health in the local area.
• Chronic disease diplomas in Diabetes or vascular management.
• Aware of local national health policy.
• Knowledge of audit participation and CQC Compliance.

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.