Nurse Practitioner in Christchurch

Highcliffe Medical Centre is a forward-thinking training and research practice, supporting 15,000 patients. Our practice is situated in the beautiful coastal village of Highcliffe-on-Sea within walking distance to award-winning beaches and the beautiful grounds of Highcliffe Castle. Dorset is a great place to work for those seeking a wonderful work/life balance.

Main duties of the job

• You will work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide on-the-day clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for acute presentations.
• Support patients with minor illness, urgent needs, and exacerbations of long-term conditions.
• Play a key role in maintaining high standards of care and patient satisfaction.
• Communicate clearly and empathetically to support patient understanding and deliver patient-centred care.
• Accurately maintain electronic and written records in accordance with practice policies and professional standards.

About us

You will be supported by an experienced multidisciplinary team including GPs, NPs, Practice Nurses, HCAs, and dedicated administrative staff. We pride ourselves on delivering the very best care to our patients, conducting high quality clinical research to help us improve NHS care by finding which treatments work best and a commitment to mentoring and developing our team to enhance our service.

Job responsibilities

Clinical Nursing Practice

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver safe and high-quality care.
• Perform clinical nursing practice using expert clinical skills, critical judgements & knowledge to deliver appropriate and safe care.
• Ensure clinical practice is safe and effective and remain within boundaries of competence, and acknowledge limitations.
• Triage and treat patients, performing specialist assessment of their needs and make referrals as necessary to other members of the primary and secondary health care teams as appropriate.
• Co-ordinate the planning and delivery of care ensuring patients and carers/relatives are involved.
• Diagnose and manage acute and chronic conditions, including drug and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management plan (within scope of competency and prescribing qualifications).
• Request diagnostic investigations within agreed protocols e.g. x-ray, blood tests, scans, etc.
• Assess, diagnose and treat patients in practice premises or their own home who require medical attention and/or refer to appropriate agency.
• Refer patients to other members of the multi-disciplinary practice teams, secondary care organisations and other organisations as necessary.

Care Management

• Communicates confidential and sensitive information to patients, relatives and carers in relation to their condition.
• Provide highly specialised care advice beyond the scope of normal Nursing practice e.g. care treatment plans, making referrals as appropriate (including fast track referrals).
• Contribute to local and national practice targets clinical remit e.g. QOF, prescribing incentive scheme, National benchmarking.
• Monitor and meet care outcomes against standards and recommend or initiate changes as necessary.
• Work with anticipated care planning.

Health Improvement

• Management of health screening programmes and ensures other team members are aware of health priorities and screening objectives and programmes.
• Innovation in practice to meet ongoing demands on the practices delivery of care.
• Improve health outcomes for patients by introducing new developments, and can demonstrate them as reports and presentations where appropriate.
• Support practitioners in reporting the practice population to promote health improvement and disease prevention.
• Make referrals to appropriate agencies (statutory and voluntary) where necessary.

Administration and professional responsibilities

• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.
• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team.
• Ensure accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes.
• Ensure clinical systems kept up to date, recording and/or amending accurate details.
• Ensure appropriate items of service claims are made accurately, reporting any problems to the practice administrator.
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice.
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required.
• Restock and maintain clinical areas and consulting rooms.

Training and personal development

• Maintain up to date skills and knowledge, maintaining awareness of professional issues at an advanced level.
• Training needs will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice.
• Contribute to the identification and assessment of learning needs of staff and other professionals and assist in planning effective programmes of education.
• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the introduction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate.
• Act as a mentor for junior staff, assessing competence against set standards.
• Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work and ensure own educational commitment is at least sufficient to maintain revalidation requirements.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience in primary care or similar setting.
• Strong clinical decision-making and communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously.

Qualifications

• NMC Registration.
• 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.