Nursing Associate Coalville, England
Job description
Hugglescote Surgery
JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job summary
The post holder is an experienced Nursing Associate, who acts within their professional boundaries, supporting and working alongside a team of healthcare professionals, GPs, and a non-clinical team in general practice. In this role they will be supported by a GP and Manager who will develop, manage, and mentor them. The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role. The post holder will take responsibility for areas of chronic disease management within the practice. The post holder will provide primary support to general practice staff and carry out Chronic Disease Management annual reviews delegated by a supervising clinician or senior colleague. The post holder will provide clinical leadership on medicines optimisation and quality improvement and manage some aspects of the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services. The post holder will ensure that the practice integrates within the community to help utilise skill mix, improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage workload. The role is pivotal to improving the quality of care and operational efficiencies so requires motivation and passion to deliver excellent service within general practice. The post holder will be required to monitor and support the lead nurse with the management of patients with long-term conditions/chronic diseases, using a holistic patient centred approach. You will also be required to take vital signs and observations and identify signs of improvement, report any deteriorations or concerns, e.g. pulse, blood pressure, respirations, oxygen saturations, peak flow, blood glucose levels, ECG, assessing nutrition and hydration and undertake pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs and undertake wound care. The post holder will be required to administer medications as prescribed by the GP/Pharmacy and in accordance with NMC standards, e.g. via nebuliser or injections using sub-cutaneous or intramuscular route under Patient Specific Directions You will be required to follow agreed clinical protocols with referral to senior nurses or GPs as appropriate and assist in the development and delivery of programmes to promote health and well-being and prevent adverse effects on health and well-being. Also participate and contribute towards any local incentive project relevant to the role. You will also be required to document consultations accurately and appropriately, according to NMC & practice guidelines. The post holder will need to have awareness of statutory, local clinical adult and children safeguarding protection procedures, including systems of referral with the ability to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse/neglect, to then act on it. You will be able to recognise and manage anaphylaxis and be able to perform Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation according to current UK guidelines. The post holder will be required to assist in practice audits, CQC compliance evidence and QOF recalls.
Responsibilities
The focus of the post holder’s work will depend on the qualifications, skills and experience of the individual and the needs of the Practice both of which may develop over time. Therefore the breadth of duties are outlined below:
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
The post-holder will:
- Registered Nursing Associate on the NMC register
- Nursing associate foundation degree qualification.
- Have a minimum of 2 years’ experience as a Nurse/Nursing Associate, demonstrated within a practice portfolio.
- Have experience and awareness of the breadth of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in a general medical practice.
- Recognise priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and is able to refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
- Be able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.
NB: it is anticipated that the level of qualification held may vary according to the level of position and the components of the role being carried out, see person specification
Leadership
The post-holder will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the Nursing Associate role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
- Demonstrate and understanding of, and contribute to, the workplace vision.
- Engage with Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) and involves PPGs in development of the role and practices.
- Demonstrate ability to improve quality within limitations of service.
- Review yearly progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others.
- Demonstrate ability to motivate self to achieve goals.
- Promotes diversity and equality in people management techniques and leads by example.
Management
The post-holder will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation.
- Demonstrate an understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify and resolve risk management issues involving medicines according to policy/protocol.
- Follow professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management.
- Demonstrate an ability to extend boundaries of service delivery within the team.
Patient facing long-term/chronic conditions.
See (where appropriate) patients with single or multiple medical problems where chronic disease management is required including annual patient reviews.
Patient facing care home reviews
Undertake clinical reviews with patients and produce recommendations for the senior clinical colleagues, senior nurses or GPs on the patient’s condition, health, and wellbeing.
Management of common/minor/self-limiting ailments
Managing caseload for patients with common/minor/self-limiting ailments while working within a scope of practice and limits of competence. Signposting to community pharmacy and referring to GPs or other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
Signposting
Ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare professional for the appropriate level of care within an appropriate period of time e.g. pathology results, common/minor ailments, acute conditions, long term condition reviews etc.
Clinical equipment safety
Ability to monitor and manage maintenance of stock and equipment to include refrigeration and emergency equipment
Implementation of local and national guidelines and formulary recommendations
Monitor practice prescribing against the local health economy’s RAG list and make recommendations to GPs for medicines that should be prescribed by hospital doctors (red drugs) or subject to shared care (amber drugs). Assist practices in seeing and maintaining a practice formulary that is hosted on the practice’s computer system. Auditing practice’s compliance against NICE technology assessment guidance. Provide newsletters or bulletins on important prescribing messages.
Care Quality Commission
Work with the general practice team to ensure the practice is compliant with CQC standards where medicines are involved.
NMC requirements
Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Generic responsibilities
All staff at Hugglescote Surgery have a duty to conform to the following:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I)
A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates an environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law. Staff are expected to recognise the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, alongside current legislation. Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and to be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect. Staff have the right to be treated fairly in matters of recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)
All personnel are expected to:
- Use personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
- Identify risks involved in work activities and undertake such activities in a way that managed these risks
- Make effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Use appropriate infection control procedures, maintain work areas in a tidy and safe way, free from hazards
- Report potential risks if identified
All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation
Confidentiality
This practice is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect that all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times. It is essential that if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, that all staff protect patient information and provide a confidential service. During the performance of responsibilities outlined in this job description, the post holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other health care 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.
Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI)
As such, all personnel will be expected to:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess personal performance and take accountability for their own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team, by reflecting on personal and team activities and make suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Induction Training
The post-holder will:
- Understand and demonstrate the characteristics of a role model to members in the team and/or service.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the mentorship process.
- Demonstrates an ability to conduct teaching and assessment effectively according to a learning plan with supervision from more experience colleague.
- Demonstrate self-development through continuous professional development activity; working alongside senior colleagues & line managers to identifying areas to develop.
- Participate in the delivery of formal education programmes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice.
- Ensure there is appropriate clinical supervision in place to support development.
- Engage with the review and appraisal systems within the practice.
Collaborative Working Relationships and Communication
The post-holder will:
- Recognise the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care.
- Demonstrate use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCG’s).
- Demonstrate ability to work as a member of a team.
- Be able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary.
- Actively work toward developing and maintaining effective working relationships both within and outside the practice and locality.
- Foster and maintain strong links with all services across locality.
- Explore the potential for collaborative working and takes opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships.
- Demonstrate ability to integrate general practice with community and hospital teams.
- Liaise with CCG colleagues; including nurses, GP’s and clinical colleagues on nursing related matters to ensure consistency of patient care and benefit.
- Liaise with CCG Medicine Management Leads to benefit from peer support.
- Liaise with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients including but not limited to:
- Patients
- GP, nurses and other practice staff
- Other healthcare professionals including CCG pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, optometrists, dentists, health and social care teams and dieticians etc.
- Locality / GP prescribing lead
- Locality managers
- Community nurses and other allied health professionals
- Community and hospital pharmacy teams
- Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation
Service Delivery
The post-holder will:
- Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate and review literature.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify where there is a gap in the evidence base to support practice.
- Demonstrate an ability to generate evidence suitable for presentations at practice and local level.
- Demonstrate an ability to apply research evidence base into working place.
- Demonstrate an understanding of principles of research governance.
Security
The security of the practice is the responsibility of all personnel. Staff must ensure they remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and they must ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Staff are responsible for their assigned keys, aligning with the Key Holder Agreement.
Professional conduct
At Hugglescote Surgery, staff are required to dress appropriately for their role. Please refer to the uniform policy.
Training and Supervision
Hugglescote Surgery prides itself on being a training practice and supporting the development of current and future health professionals. As such, staff will be expected to participate in the guidance, training or supervision of both junior members of staff and primary care placement students, where necessary.
Person Specification – Nursing Associate
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Registered Nursing Associate on the NMC register✓
Nursing Associate foundation degree qualification✓
GCSE Grade A-C in Maths & English or skills level 2 Maths & English or equivalent✓
Qualified in Phlebotomy✓
Qualified in wound management✓
Vaccination and Immunisation training✓
Cervical cytology screening training✓
Experience, knowledge and skills
Essential
Desirable
Experience of working in teams under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team.✓
Insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate.✓
Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.✓
Understanding of the scope of the role of the Nursing Associate in context of the nursing and interdisciplinary team and the organisation, and how the role may contribute to service development.✓
Understands and acts in line with NMC professional standards for practice contained within The Code.✓
Knowledge of when to seek advice and escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice.✓
Understand requirements for NMC professional revalidation.✓
Understanding of the importance of following procedures and treatment plans.✓
Ability to take part in reflective practice and clinical supervision activities.✓
Ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload✓
Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact.✓
Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non-verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team.✓
Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues.✓
Ability to support, supervise, assess and act as a role model to nursing associate students, other learners and health care support workers as required within the clinical setting.✓
Knowledge of community based primary care issues.✓
Knowledge of primary care networks and collaborative ways of working.✓
Skills
Essential
Desirable
Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), including the ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families✓
Strong IT skills✓
Clear, polite telephone manner✓
Competent in the use of Office and Outlook✓
SystmOne user skills✓
Effective time management (planning and organising)✓
Ability to work as a team member and autonomously✓
Good interpersonal skills, including negotiation and conflict management✓
Problem-solving and analytical skills✓
Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure✓
Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes✓
Experience with clinical risk management✓
Personal qualities
Essential
Desirable
Polite and confident✓
Flexible and cooperative✓
Motivated, forward thinker and enthusiastic✓
Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required✓
High levels of integrity and loyalty✓
Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations✓
Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations✓
Able to communicate effectively and understand the needs of the patient✓
Commitment to ongoing professional development✓
Effectively utilises resources✓
Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort✓
Other requirements
Essential
Desirable
Flexibility to work outside core office hours✓
NMC registration✓
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check✓
Immunisation status✓
Occupational Health clearance✓
Full Driving Licence✓
Current safeguarding adult and children level three training (will be an essential requirement of role)✓
Current Information Governance training✓
Current basic life support training ✓
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Salary: £11.00-£13.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- On-site parking
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
