Advanced Clinical/Nurse Practitioner

We are looking to recruit an Advanced Clinical/Nurse Practitioner for up to 30 hours per week.

Aelfgar Surgery is situated in Rugeley, a small industrial and market town in South Staffordshire, enveloped by the Cannock Chase an area of outstanding natural beauty. We primarily cover a suburban area, with a small population in more semi-rural locations. We have 7000 patients.

The post-holder will manage a caseload and deal with a wide range of health needs in a primary care setting, ensuring the highest standards of care for all registered and temporary patients.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is an experienced advanced practitioner, who acting within their professional boundaries, will provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate safe, clinical decision-making and expert care, including assessment and diagnostic skills for patients within the general practice. The post holder will demonstrate clinical thinking in the clinical decision making process. They will work collaboratively with the Practice team to meet the needs of patients.

Responsible for attending to patients who wish to be seen by a health care professional; diagnosing and treating patients presenting with minor illness; seeing and advising people in respect of their continuing medical and nursing needs. There is a requirement to see extra or emergency patients. The clinical practitioner will need to prioritise and triage the needs of patients accordingly, making any necessary referrals for investigations in the appropriate manner and within competence acting upon the results of those investigations.

To work without supervision and use initiative in execution of duties.

About us

We are a team of hard working, enthusiastic and caring clinicians who work closely together to provide excellent health care to our patient population. Our practice is a supportive environment for each other, as well as the GP trainees, foundation year 2 doctors and medical students attached to the practice.

We are in search of the right candidate who shares our passion for providing excellent healthcare to our patients and will work closely with all our practice team to help deliver this.

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities :

Clinical Practice :

Provide general and specific health screening to the practice patients (within the agreed protocols with referral to general practitioners as necessary) for but not limited to :

Assess and triage patients, including same day triage, and as appropriate provide definitive treatment (including prescribing medications following policy, patient group directives, NICE (national) and local guidelines and local care pathways) or make necessary referrals to other members of the primary care team

Manage undifferentiated undiagnosed condition and identify red flags and underlying serious pathology and take appropriate action

Use complex decision making to inform the diagnosis, investigation, complete management of episodes of care within a broad scope of practice

Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non-drug based treatment methods into a management plan

Prescribe and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence based practice and national and practice protocols and within the scope of practice

Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments

Provide information and advice on prescribed and over the counter medication on medication regimens, side effects and interaction

Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care

Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles and apply principles of self-care

Assess, identify and refer patients presenting with mental health needs

Implement and participate in vaccination and immunisation programmes

Meet the needs of patients presenting for opportunistic/continuing wound care

Undertake home visits as deemed appropriate.

Ensure clinical practice is safe and effective and remains within boundaries of competence, and to acknowledge limitations.

Person Specification Experience

• Management of minor illness, minor ailments and injuries
• Evidence of CPD in autonomous practice
• Ability to evaluate safety and effectiveness of own practice
• Chronic disease management
• Experience in telephone triage and visiting patients in own home/residential setting
• Previous primary care experience
• Interpreting and implementing local and national policy agendas for health
• Supervisory and management experience
• Experience of clinical audit, evaluation research and implementation of evidence-based practice

Knowledge & Skills

• A sound understanding of the national and local health agenda
• Understanding of evidence-based practice
• Understanding of equal opportunity and diversity issues
• Ability to assess and manage patient risk effectively and safely
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Time management and ability to prioritise workload
• Willingness to undertake training at a higher level if necessary
• Willingness to participate in clinical supervision and performance review
• Aware of the legal and ethical issues of the role
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team as a key player
• Skills in clinical examination and diagnostic techniques
• Information technology skills
• Experience of use of a medical software package
• Proven record of effective use of networking and influencing skills
• Ability to think strategically
• Awareness of clinical governance issues in primary care
• Ability to be self-directed and self-motivated

Qualifications

• Professional registration with NMC or HCPC
• MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice (or equivalent)
• Independent Prescribing or study of pharmacology & therapeutics at post-graduate level
• Teaching/Mentoring experience and/or 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.