Lead Practice Nurse

Job responsibilities

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Professionally accountable to the GP Partners

Accountable to the Business Partner for all other matters

RESPONSIBILITY:

The lead practice nurse is responsible for the day-to-day management of the nursing service within the practice. They are required to lead and manage the nursing team, as well as playing an important clinical role by performing treatment room functions and procedures. The practice nursing service needs to be clinically safe, of a high quality, and provided to the highest standards of effectiveness and efficiency.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The implementation and coordination of nurse led clinics, liaising with GPs, nursing colleagues and the Business Partner as appropriate. Working with the admin team to ensure that call and recall systems are in place as necessary.

Involvement in assessing the future needs of the practice by identifying health needs within the practice population.

Ensuring that policies and protocols are regularly reviewed and are up to date with latest clinical guidelines in order to deliver an optimum standard of care to patients.

The use of audit and research to implement changes in practice

Liaison with other Primary Healthcare Team (PHCT) members to ensure that appropriate care is provided for the practice population

Providing nursing input to any decision making processes affecting the care of patients (in order to give the perspective of an experienced practice nurse)

Organisation of seasonal vaccination clinics, ensuring appropriate staffing and resources are in place.

To demonstrate the rationale behind the various methods chosen to meet care needs of patients, to evaluate these methods and change as appropriate.

To provide leadership to the nursing team, act as their first point of contact for operational issues, and communicate with other team members on their behalf.

Responsibility for nursing rota, ensuring that arrangements are in place for annual leave cover.

Ensuring that nurse registration/ revalidation is valid and all necessary checks and cover are/is in place e.g. DBS checks.

The teaching of practice nurses and HCAs in the practice team, extending skills to other learners e.g. students attached to the health visiting and/or district nursing teams and medical students.

The ongoing assessment of training and development needs within the nursing team for the purposes of personal development / revalidation, and in keeping with the needs of the practice (practice professional development plan).

To access educational requirements and pathways for advice relating to academic pathways for all nurses.

To ensure that clinical meetings are held in the surgery on a regular basis and to attend GP meetings where appropriate.

Liaison with the Business Partner on both clinical and non-clinical issues.

Identifying the resources required to meet organisational objectives with the team and discussing with the partnership.

Involvement in the recruitment and selection process for members of the nursing team.

Professional responsibility to keep up to date with current practice.

Ensure good communication exists between nurses and all other members of PHCT.

Ensuring delegation with and to other members of the team is appropriate and challenging when necessary.

Regularly monitoring skill mix within the team.

Assessing and monitoring nursing team clinical competencies in line with current guidance.

Ensuring risk assessments and DSE assessments are in place for all nursing team members.

Overall responsibility for health and safety in clinical areas to include:-

Ensuring that all equipment utilised in the treatment rooms is properly maintained and a record kept of the service intervals.

Liaising with the Operations Manager with regard to faulty or broken equipment

Ensuring the adequacy, availability and emptying of the sharps and dressings bins in line with current legislation.

Responsibility for the implementation of the Infection Control Policy, cleaning standards and waste management and that each member of staff has access to this.

Overall responsibility for the implementation of the Needlestick Injury Policy

Ensuring safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs is appropriately delegated, where appropriate oversees the monitoring, stock control and documentation of controlled drug usage according to legal requirements.

Ensuring that adequate training and raised awareness is given to all the staff, including the cleaners with regard to the: -

o Handling of specimens

o Use of protective clothing

o Dealing with body fluid spillage

o Hepatitis B immunisation where appropriate and boosters when needed

o Gloves and alcohol foam wash are available to all staff

o Location of emergency care equipment / resus trolley

o PPE

Managing and assessing risk within the areas of their responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients.

Ensuring that the nursing team works to up to date policies and protocols including PGDs and PSDs.

Fully comprehensive treatment room duties:

Overall responsibility for chronic disease management

Hypertension and CHD clinics

Cervical cytology

Childhood Immunisations

Travel immunisations

To undertake recording of ECGs.

To ensure that adequate treatment room supplies are maintained and that resuscitation equipment is safely maintained.

To undertake health promotion activities and counselling of patients as required, if appropriate training has been undertaken.

Phlebotomy

Collection of other pathological specimens

Dressings

Suture removal

Administration of anti-psychotic medication

Injections

Organisation of any national vaccination programmes.

Flu clinics

Doppler assessment and an understanding of compression bandaging

Minor operations; to include explanation to patient of the procedure and the preparation of room and equipment.

Knowledge of instrument cleaning and sterilising

Ensuring that consulting rooms and treatment rooms are tidy and fully stocked.

Control of infection within the practice following the practice protocol

Any other procedure for which the nurse is trained and competent and may be required for the operation of an efficient treatment room.

To work within practice policies and protocols

To maintain high quality patient records

(These tasks can be added to if a new competence is acquired)