General Practice Nurse (GPN) in Stockport

Applications are welcomed from experienced Practice Nurses who share our professional values and behaviours and have the energy, skills and enthusiasm to contribute to making Middlewood a great place to work. You will be a key part of our highly skilled multi-disciplinary workforce, helping to manage chronic disease, participating in health screening and recall, managing wounds, immunising and vaccinating, and contributing to the health and wellbeing of our practice population. All staff are required to work flexibly at our base sites if needed, but by negotiation. Site-based preference will be accommodated where possible.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake a range of nursing assessments and provide appropriate evidence-based clinical care/treatment within professional scope of practice and according to practice policy and protocols.
• Assist the multidisciplinary team with patient care as and when required.
• Responsible for infection prevention and control as part of daily workload.
• Provide health promotion advice and assist patients with navigation of care systems.
• Assist and support the review of clinical policy and procedures.
• Assist patients with management of chronic disease.
• Supervise and support Health Care Assistants, phlebotomists, students and junior staff as required.
• Strive to improve standards of care, identifying practice population needs.
• Knowledge of the GMS contract, The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and Local Enhanced Services (LES)/Directed Enhanced Services (DES) is desirable.
• Assist with the achievement of QOF targets by utilisation of appropriate coding to record outcomes.

About us

We are a group of caring, passionate, innovative and forward-thinking GPs who have built a sustainable GP Partnership and Primary Care Network (PCN) as the foundation of an integrated care community providing care to 34,500 patients. We believe we provide high-quality general practice services (both core and enhanced) and are looking to ensure we provide a sustainable, resilient and efficient model of general practice for the 21st century. We are an aligned PCN/Practice which means we are well placed to maximise on both current and future PCN development opportunities, aligning with national policy.

Job responsibilities

• Work with other health care professionals to diagnose, monitor, manage and treat long-term conditions.
• Assist the delivery of the strategies detailed by QOF.
• Support the implementation of evidence-based guidelines in conjunction with the practice team.
• Recognise the opportunities for working in partnership with all members of the primary health care team and the wider care community.
• Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote them to live well and apply principles of self-care.
• Assess, plan, develop, implement and evaluate treatment programmes.
• Support the practice in achieving quality indicators and targets for general practice.
• Support infection control measures within the practice educating and supporting colleagues in adoption of sound infection control measures.
• Participate in annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development, and maintaining documentation in line with professional requirements.
• Assist in clinical audit and the setting and monitoring of standards of care.
• Contribute to the provision of equitable, high quality services for patients in the locality.
• Maintain an interest in national research initiatives and disseminate appropriate information to health professionals as appropriate.
• Responsible for limiting your actions to those which you feel competent to undertake.

Clinical:

• Chronic Disease Management, via virtual and face to face consultation.
• Opportunistic screening when clinically required.
• Venepuncture and electrocardiography.
• Wound care management, dressing techniques, leg ulcer management, dopplers and compression bandaging as required.
• Administration of prescribed regular medications via injection as required.
• Ear examination / microsuction as applicable, with appropriate training.
• Participate in cervical screening and women’s health promotion, including contraceptive advice and pill checks as appropriate.
• Administration of adult and paediatric immunisations and vaccinations under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction, ensuring safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs.
• Deliver travel health care, including vaccinations and advice for patients.
• Recognise the signs of child abuse, family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse, addictive behaviours, and suicidal tendencies and be aware of local referral procedures.
• Undertake first aid and management of emergencies, e.g., burns, haemorrhage, hypo/hyperglycaemic emergencies/asthma exacerbations, cardiac chest pain.
• Demonstrate competency in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques.

Education and Training:

• Maintain a level of expertise in all pertinent areas of health care and seek to develop new and improved skills.
• Advise members of the public on the concepts of health promotion, education, prevention and protection.
• Seek out new knowledge of nursing and health by reading, enquiring and partaking in continuous education programme.
• Take responsibility for personal development and education including in-service mandatory training as specified by Middlewood.
• Participate in training and supervision of other members of the nursing team and learners in placements at Middlewood.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary education and training; attending relevant courses and study days to keep abreast of current knowledge and developments.
• Abide by the legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice and record and maintain periodic professional registration and revalidation with the NMC.

Quality:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk. Incident reporting where required to escalate harm or near misses, so we can learn from mistakes and put mitigation in place.
• Escalate any issues to the Clinical Service Manager or Risk and Governance Lead.
• 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.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Person Specification

• Currently Registered with the NMC.
• Appropriate Qualifications/Diplomas/Certificates for any declared special interests.
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development.

Experience

• Evidence of autonomous work and as part of a team.
• Confident with IT.
• Previous experience of working in general practice (min 2 years).
• Experience of using EMIS web and online systems, e.g. AskMyGP, E-Consult, Accu-Rx.
• Experience of working at senior practice nurse level.

Knowledge and Skills

• Confident and competent to assist and support patients with management of chronic disease/long term conditions.
• Confident to manage acute and chronic wounds and apply appropriate wound care principles, seeking senior guidance as appropriate.
• Evidence of up-to-date evidence base practice for clinical nursing in general practice.
• Evidence of ability to evaluate the effectiveness of own clinical practice.
• Awareness of Safeguarding protocols for both Children and Adults.
• Knowledge of risk management: being able to report and escalate incidents or near misses.
• Experience of working within Child immunisation programme.
• Experience of travel health.
• Experience of health promotion and wellness services.

Qualities and Attributes

• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and initiative.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a Multi-professional workforce.
• Articulate in both spoken and written word.
• Able to work under pressure and in a changeable environment.
• Ability to undertake domiciliary home visits to undertake vaccinations when required (may be lone working).
• Car user and driver, flexibility and willingness to travel between Middlewood practice sites.

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.