Greater Middlesbrough Primary Care Network (PCN)
Nursing Associates work with healthcare workers and registered nurses to deliver quality and personalised nursing services to patients and the public. They will work under indirect supervision of their mentor in practice and with people of all ages across a variety of health and social care settings. The role was introduced in December 2015 by the government to boost the capacity of the nursing workforce and improve healthcare. It frees up registered nurses to focus on complex clinical duties and take lead in making decisions about patient care.
This is a relatively new role within the nursing team and serves as a steppingstone to becoming a registered nurse.
Main Duties of the Job
Your duties are likely to include:
* Undertaking clinical tasks including venepuncture, ECGs, and dressings.
* Assisting with vaccinations (appropriate to role, flu, covid, B12).
* Recognising issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults.
* Dealing with samples, processing, and collecting of urine, sputum, nail clippings, stool samples, etc.
* Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratory.
* Measuring and recording following physiological measurements in routine presentations:
o Blood pressure
o Pulse rate and rhythm
o Temperature
o Height and weight body mass index
o Venepuncture
o ECG
* Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during, and after patient care interventions.
* Assisting regulated professionals while patients undergo minor surgery.
* Where appropriate, providing support and encouragement to self-manage their conditions.
* Assessing patients' readiness to change and providing motivational support as appropriate in cases of smoking, obesity, and healthy living for older people.
* Gaining the underpinning knowledge and practice skills to administer basic life support if necessary.
* CVD Primary Prevention including 24-hour BP management and Weight Management.
About Us
The Greater Middlesbrough PCN supports over 63,000 patients from 8 practices across the area. It consists of multidisciplinary teams that currently include Clinical Care Coordinators, Care Coordinators, Clinical Pharmacists, Mental Health Practitioners, First Contact Physio, and Social Prescribing Link Workers. We are an active network and closely work with our local voluntary organisations and other partners to develop new models of care to benefit our patients.
The Nursing Associate role will include working across all the PCN, providing additional flexibility by adding to the growing expansion of the primary care workforce.
Job Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
Nursing Associates work across all four fields of nursing: adult, children's, mental health, and learning disability. Your skills and responsibilities will vary depending on the care setting you work in. You'll need to demonstrate the values and behaviours of the NHS constitution.
Your duties are likely to include:
* Undertaking clinical tasks including venepuncture, ECGs, and dressings.
* Health promotion and screening.
* Assisting with vaccinations (appropriate to role, flu, covid, B12).
* Supporting individuals and their families and carers when faced with unwelcome news and life-changing diagnoses.
* Performing and recording clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations, and pulse.
* Discussing and sharing information with registered nurses on a patient's condition, behaviour, activity, and responses.
* Ensuring the privacy, dignity, and safety of individuals is always maintained.
* Recognising issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults.
* Dealing with samples, processing, and collecting of urine, sputum, nail clippings, stool samples, etc.
Health, Safety and Security
Identify the risks involved in work activities and undertake them in a way that manages the risks. Use and encourage others to adopt appropriate infection control procedures and maintain work areas in each clinical room so that they are clean, safe, and free from hazards.
* Hand washing
* Universal hygiene procedures
* Collection and handling of laboratory specimens
* Segregation and disposal of waste materials
* Decontamination of instruments and clinical equipment
* Reporting and treatment of sharps injuries
* Dealing with blood and body fluid spillages
* Assisting patients and colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures.
Understand and apply the principles of the cold chain. Ensure safe storage, rotation, and disposal of vaccines and drugs within your area of responsibility. Know the general principles of first aid and resuscitation to be able to undertake initial actions as appropriate. Be aware of statutory child health procedures and statutory local guidance and referral criteria.
Equality and Diversity
Ensure own actions support equality, diversity, and rights. Act in ways that recognise the importance of people's rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with procedures. Respect the privacy, dignity, needs, and beliefs of patients and carers. Understand basic legal and communication issues regarding child abuse, family violence, vulnerable adults, substance abuse, and addictive behaviour.
Clinical Skills Health and Well-Being
Undertake, record, and follow guidelines for the tasks for which you have received appropriate training:
* Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratory.
* Measuring and recording following physiological measurements in routine presentations:
* Blood pressure
* Pulse rate and rhythm
* Temperature
* Height and weight body mass index
* Venepuncture
* ECG
* Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during, and after patient care interventions.
* Assisting regulated professionals while patients undergo minor surgery.
* Where appropriate, providing support and encouragement to self-manage their conditions.
* Having a basic understanding of long-term conditions including diagnostic interventions, treatments, and the principles of care and self-management.
* Planning, developing, and implementing health promotion activities as appropriate e.g. smoking, exercise, and diet.
* Assessing patients' readiness to change and providing motivational support as appropriate in cases of smoking, obesity, and healthy living for older people.
* Administering the influenza and pneumococcal vaccine under indirect supervision of a regulated professional.
* Gaining the underpinning knowledge and practice skills to administer basic life support if necessary.
* CVD Primary Prevention including Healthy Heart Checks, Annual Reviews, and NAEDI screening.
* 24-hour BP management and Weight Management.
* Assisting in raising awareness of health and well-being, and how it can be promoted.
* Giving accurate and appropriate information to patients and groups within own competence.
Nurse Associate Training
You'll undertake academic learning one day a week and work-based learning the rest of the week. You'll be employed in a healthcare setting such as an acute, community, or mental health hospital, primary/secondary care, or hospice but also gain experience in other settings. This will mean travelling to placements and working a mix of shifts. Your university will set your modules alongside your placement hours necessary to the completion of your course.
It is very important to plan and manage the competing demands of your job role, study, and placements. You'll develop an understanding of all elements of nursing and caring for individuals with conditions such as dementia, mental ill health, and learning disabilities/difficulties.
You will be supported both at university and in practice. You will be allocated a mentor who will help with your development and training within your job role.
Qualified nursing associates can also go on to training as a registered nurse by putting their training towards a shortened nursing degree or registered nurse degree apprenticeship (RNDA).
Person Specification
Qualifications
* To begin your training as a Nurse Associate, you'll need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in maths and English. Some employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification.
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.
Greater Middlesbrough Primary Care Network (PCN)
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