Lead Practice Nurse in Exeter

Isca Medical Practice is seeking an enthusiastic, innovative, and experienced Practice Nurse to join our friendly and supportive team.

Hours: Approximately 27 hours per week

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

If you are motivated, patient-focused, and enjoy working as part of a collaborative team, we would love to hear from you. Informal visits are warmly welcomed.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver evidence-based nursing care to patients with acute and chronic conditions.
• Lead and manage nurse-led clinics for diabetes, asthma, COPD, CHD and other chronic conditions.
• Perform reviews in line with protocols and best practice.
• Provide immunisations, vaccinations, cervical cytology, wound care, travel health advice, and lifestyle support.
• Ensure accurate clinical documentation in line with NMC standards.
• Supervise and mentor students.
• Participate in protocol development, audits, and service evaluation.
• Engage in professional development, mandatory training, and uphold the NMC Code.
• Lead in Infection Prevention Control.

About us

Our clinical team consists of two GP Partners, three salaried GPs, two Practice Nurses and one HCA, as well as the extended team of Pharmacists, Social Prescribers and First Contact Practitioners. They are supported by a committed team of care navigators, administrative support and managerial team. We are also a training practice with GP Registrars and Students on placement with us. As a smaller team we have to work collaboratively to ensure we are achieving the high standards that we attain to and are providing care to our patients to be proud of.

Job responsibilities

• Act as the Infection Prevention Control (IPC) lead and to work to the IPC Policy providing audits, training, support and evidence of compliance.
• Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need.
• Lead long-term condition management within the organisation, supporting quality improvement and assurance initiatives.
• Support public health and screening programmes, including immunisations, vaccinations, and cervical screening.
• Embed population health management approaches within general practice, targeting health inequalities and improving access.
• As required, provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF.
• Support, mentor, and supervise new-to-practice nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organisation.
• Be an integral part of the general practice team as well as supporting the wider practice nurse network and multi-disciplinary team.
• Prescribe medication for patients in accordance with PGDs and own scope of practice.
• Teach and advise patients and their families on how to manage their condition.
• Participate in clinical audits and research projects and implement changes as required, including supporting with the development, and updating of practice protocols/guidelines and procedures locally.
• Work within national and local protocols where these exist.
• Recognise the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred.
• Demonstrate initiative and be creative in finding solutions to problems.
• Provide supervision to student nurse associates and nurse associates.
• Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements.
• Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children.
• Participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events.
• Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes.
• Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance.
• Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months.
• Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., flu clinics).
• Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.
• Contribute to practice targets (QOF, etc.), complying with relevant guidance.
• Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation ensuring that SNOMED CT codes are used effectively.
• Maintain chronic disease registers and implement an effective call/recall system.
• Chaperone patients where necessary.
• Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies.
• Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.).
• Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate.

There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.

Person Specification

• Registered Nurse (nursing and midwifery Council).
• Holds more than one academic level 6 diploma or postgraduate certification in long-term conditions care and/or public health initiatives.
• Has evidence of working at an enhanced level of practice as described in the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework.
• Mentor or teaching qualification.
• Completed or working towards formal infection prevention and control training.
• Family planning qualification.
• Has demonstrable experience in leading long-term conditions management and quality improvement.

Experience

• Broad knowledge of general practice.
• Experience of chronic disease management.
• Experience of working autonomously.
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures.
• Experience of Practice Nurse skills including wound care, ECG, venepuncture and new patient medicals.
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly.
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based practice.
• Ability to promote best practice regarding nursing matters.
• Good clinical system IT knowledge (using SystemOne) and has an ability to record accurate clinical notes.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, negotiation and organisation skills with the ability to constructively challenge the view and practices of managers and clinicians.
• 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.
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients.
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationship between individual organisations, PCNs and the commissioners.
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance.
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area.
• Aware of issues within the wider health arena and knowledge of health promotion strategies.
• Knowledge of national standards that inform general practice (NSF NICE guidelines).
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required.

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.