The main duties and responsibilities are as follows.

1. Meeting patients’ nursing care needs as identified, or where care has been transferred to the nurse by a GP or other senior clinician. This will usually be in the surgery, but occasional home visits may also be required for Chronic Disease Management etc.
2. Initiating and maintaining health screening and promotion clinics for identified areas of the practice population, recognising where modification of systems or referral is necessary.
3. Managing the nursing care of patients with chronic disease, employing personal recall systems suitable to the practice needs. This includes using the practice computer systems for input of information for recall and screening purposes. Accurate and efficient input of data for contract purposes is also required.
4. Deliver nurse led care including:

• Cervical cytology sampling
• Baby and childhood immunisations
• Travel vaccinations
• Seasonal vaccinations
• Contraceptive pill checks
• Leg Ulcer and dressings management including doppler use.
• Teen Health Checks
• Contributing to the management of long-term conditions, such as Asthma, Hypertension, Diabetes, COPD
• Amending or adding to services as needs are identified.

5. Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including the initiation of effective emergency care
6. Maintaining efficient liaison with all areas of the practice team, primary care network and other agencies to assure continuity of care where necessary.
7. Provide training and supervision for junior staff within the nursing team.
8. Adhere to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Professional Standards of Conduct and Behaviour (The Code).
9. Contribute to robust management of nursing care provision, acting as champion for a specific area of responsibility, e.g., Infection Control, Medication ordering and storage, Safety checks and record keeping etc.
10. Able to provide routine treatment room clinical skills, including:

• Administration of immunisations and medications under PGD
• Intramuscular/subcutaneous injections
• Chronic and acute wound management
• Skin suture and clip removal
• Venepuncture
• Urine testing
• Processing of samples and swabs
• ECGs
• Automated and manual blood pressure
• Vital signs measurements
• Providing health education advice around diet/smoking/lifestyle factors
• Assist in the maintenance of stock levels as required

Confidentiality:

• While seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters.   They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare 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.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity: The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development: The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality: The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• 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 patient’s needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources.

Communication: The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers via the use of interpreters, Language Empire, Google translate as appropriate.
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

This role of the general practice nurse is varied and always subject to change to meet government directives. It is important that our nursing team members are flexible in their approach and able to change and adapt to the needs of the practice. This job description is therefore a guide and as such is not exhaustive.