Practice Nurse in Bristol

Hartwood Healthcare is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Practice Nurse to join our friendly and supportive clinical team on a fixed-term basis. We are a busy GP practice based at Hartcliffe Health Centre in South Bristol, caring for a diverse population of over 8,500 patients. The successful candidate will work alongside our existing Practice Nurses, Treatment Room team, GPs and wider multidisciplinary team to provide high-quality, patient-centred nursing care.

We are looking for someone who is confident working autonomously, but who also enjoys being part of a wider team. You will ideally have experience of working in general practice and be comfortable providing a broad range of Practice Nursing services. This is a varied role within a busy practice and would suit someone who is adaptable, approachable and committed to providing excellent patient care. The post is fixed term and will provide additional nursing capacity within the practice.

Main duties of the job

• Providing routine Practice Nurse clinics and appointments.
• Supporting the assessment and management of patients with acute and long-term conditions, within your scope of practice.
• Wound care, including dressing changes and removal of sutures and staples where appropriate.
• Venepuncture and ECGs.
• Immunisations and vaccinations.
• Cervical screening, where appropriately trained.
• Health promotion and preventative healthcare.
• Supporting patients with self-management and healthy lifestyle choices.
• Reviewing and acting on investigations and results within your scope of practice.
• Recognising when patients require further clinical assessment and referring or escalating appropriately.
• Maintaining accurate and contemporaneous clinical records.
• Working collaboratively with GPs, nurses, Healthcare Assistants, pharmacists and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Contributing to clinical governance, audit and quality improvement activity where appropriate.
• Working in accordance with the NMC Code, practice policies and relevant national guidance.

About us

Hartwood Healthcare is a friendly and supportive GP practice based at Hartcliffe Health Centre in South Bristol, caring for a diverse population of over 8,500 patients. Our chief commitment has always been to providing a high-quality service for our patients. We have a dedicated team and work collaboratively across the practice and wider multidisciplinary team.

Our clinical team includes GP Partners, salaried GPs, Practice Nurses, Treatment Room nursing staff, Healthcare Assistants, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technician, a Paramedic, Social Prescriber and other members of our wider Primary Care Network team. We are a busy practice where no two days are quite the same. We value teamwork, good communication and a supportive approach to patient care, while also recognising the importance of supporting our staff and helping them to develop their skills.

We are looking for someone who will enjoy working as part of our team, is adaptable and organised, and is committed to providing safe, effective and patient-centred care.

Job responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities:

• Providing high-quality nursing care to the practice population.
• Undertaking Practice Nurse clinics.
• Long-term condition reviews and management within competence.
• Wound care, including removal of sutures/staples.
• Venepuncture.
• ECGs.
• Immunisations and vaccinations.
• Cervical screening, if qualified.
• Health promotion and preventative care.
• Requesting and interpreting investigations within scope of practice.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records.
• Recognising when patients require GP or other clinical input.
• Working within the NMC Code and own scope of practice.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Clinical audit.
• Quality improvement.
• Significant events and learning.
• Supporting practice initiatives.
• Training and development.
• Supporting infection prevention and control.
• Safeguarding.
• Other duties appropriate to the role.

Generic Responsibilities:

• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Confidentiality
• Health & Safety
• Infection Control
• Information Governance
• Safeguarding
• Professional development
• Clinical governance
• Practice policies and procedures

Person Specification

Clinical Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Experience of Practice Nurse skills including wound care, ECG, venepuncture, immunisations, new patient medicals and women's health (cervical cytology, contraception etc.)
• Request pathology tests and process the results, advising patients accordingly.
• Understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice.
• Ability to promote best practice regarding nursing matters.
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs.
• Good clinical system IT knowledge and an ability to record accurate clinical notes.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people by telephone, email and face to face.
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children.
• Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP surgeries, QOF and enhanced service.
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient.

Desirable

• Broad knowledge of clinical governance.
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area.
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena and knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Knowledge of national standards that inform general practice (NSF NICE guidelines).

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Effective time management (planning and organising).
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and professional policies/local policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy.
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Clear, polite telephone manner.

Desirable

• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Knowledge of IT systems including the ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet.

Other requirements/wider responsibilities

Essential

• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Occupational Health clearance.
• Meet the requirements and produce evidence for professional revalidation.
• Evidence of CPD commensurate with the role.
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.

Desirable

• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality.

Experience

Essential

• Broad knowledge of general practice and experience of working as a Practice or Community Nurse.
• Experience with chronic disease management.
• Experience of working autonomously.
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures.
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients.

Desirable

• Experience of quality initiatives, i.e., benchmarking.
• An appreciation of the NHS landscape including the relationship between individual organisations, PCNs and the commissioners.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse.

Desirable

• Mentor or teaching qualification.
• Family Planning qualification.

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.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.