Duties and Responsibilities The post holder will use their knowledge of best and evidence based practice and the GMS contract (including the Quality Outcomes Framework) to strive to deliver, promote and improve standards of care. They will be involved in identifying practice population needs and in being proactive in making suggestions for service improvement. The post holder is expected to undertake any training and development necessary to keep their knowledge and practice up to date and current.The post holder will work directly within the Practice Nursing team. The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken include all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Practice Nurse Managers, Business Managers and the GP Partners. Main responsibilities (Please note the below points are based on an individual level of training/qualification) Undertake cervical cytology screening in conjunction with screening guidelines, promoting breast awareness opportunistically Offer chronic disease management in line with local and national policy Undertake opportunistic screening when clinically required Perform venepuncture and electrocardiography Carry out ear examination and irrigation Administer adult and paediatric injections/immunisations/vaccines under an individualised prescription or Patient Group Direction Provide advice on lifestyle issues; encouraging, assisting and supporting patients in changing their unhealthy behaviours and referring on appropriately Being aware and recognising the signs of child abuse, family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse, addictive behaviour's, and suicidal tendencies; proactively utilising local referral procedures where necessary Manage work load effectively and answer any direct tasks, emails or communications in a timely manner When required be available to carry out home visits (staff must ensure relevant car insurance level is in place to support this) Apply infection control measures when collecting and handling of laboratory specimens, disposing of waste materials, dealing with blood and body fluids spillages and report and treat sharps injuries; promoting best practice within the Practice Assist and support the medical/nursing colleagues in the management of clinical emergencies as required Undertake annual training and demonstrates competency in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques Provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective, individualised patient care Offer a holistic service to patients and their families, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support, with an emphasis on prevention and self-care Promote health and well-being through the use of health promotion, health education, screening and therapeutic communication skills Flexibility of Working Hours You will be expected when appropriate, as part of your role, to cover sickness and annual leave, which is integral to the effective running of the Practice. Also you will be expected to be available if required to assist in extended surgeries to cater for the practice need. Confidentiality In the course of 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 all circumstances In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers; practice staff and other healthcare workers and also to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. Information from these sources 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 Safeguarding All staff must have an understanding of the importance of safeguarding adults, children and young people to ensure that are able to live a comfortable life in safety, free from abuse and neglect. As a practice we should always promote our patients wellbeing in their safeguarding arrangements 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, the practice Health & Safety Manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include: Utilising security systems appropriate to the workplace according to Practice guidelines Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks Undertaking and 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 Active reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role Equality and Diversity The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their differing beliefs, circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights. The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include: Personal/Professional Development Participation in an regular performance reviews Taking responsibility for identifying own development and learning needs and for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development Undertaking training to upskill should the practice have a need for the post holder to do so Utilising acquired skills and activities to assist 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 teams performance Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources Communication The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members Communicate effectively with patients and carers Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly The post-holder will: Contribution to the Implementation of Services: Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work Participate in audit where appropriate SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS and other REQUIREMENTS Active NMC registration Computer skills Literacy skills Good face to face and telephone communication skills Ability to work under pressure and prioritise workload Friendly and approachable Team worker Flexibility to cover extra hours as required due to holidays, sickness etc. Ability to deal calmly with diffiult situations