Job Description
Title: PCN ‘Senior Healthcare Assistant’, developing into ‘Trainee Nursing Associate’ on commencement of funded Nursing Associate training programme.
Reports to:
Nominated Practice Lead(s) / Identified PCN manager
Responsible to:
Nursing Associate Team Lead, and Surrey Heath Community Providers Ltd (SHCPL, ‘The Federation’)
Base:
Surrey Heath Community Providers Ltd, Knoll Road, Camberley
The role will require working across the General Practices and care homes within the Federation / Surrey Heath Primary Care Network (PCN) footprint.
Hours per week:
37.5 hours (full time), part time hours considered; minimum 30 hours per week.
Salary:
£21,730 (pro-rata for part time)
Holiday
Entitlement:
27 days per year (based on full time hours) plus Bank Holiday entitlement (pro-rata for part time)
Key Relationships:
Surrey Heath General Practices and Care Homes
Federation Directors & Network Clinical Directors
GPs and other general practice healthcare professionals within
Surrey Heath PCN/Federation
Federation Business Manager
Practice Managers / administrative staff within Surrey Heath
PCN/Federation
Patients / residents / clients
Care Homes’ staff
JOB OVERVIEW
This is a new role designed to bring Nursing Associates into general practice through the Primary Care Network (PCN). You will initially join the PCN as a Senior Healthcare Assistant with the option to move into a Trainee Nursing Associate role at the end of the fixed term contract, if a place becomes available. Upon successful enrolment onto a funded Nursing Associate Training programme, you will be employed as a Trainee Nursing Associate for the duration of your training programme. Upon successful completion of the Nursing Associate training programme, which includes the attainment of a level 5 Foundation Degree equivalent qualification, you will become a Nursing Associate.
Working for the GP practices as part of the PCN clinical team under the supervision of a senior registered professional and strictly in accordance with specific guidelines and protocols and within their scope of practice and competence. The role involves travelling across the PCN geography to support the General Practices and Care Homes to support delivery of the Network Contract service responsibilities and specifications, with a particular focus on annual health checks for people with learning disabilities and severe mental illness (SMI) as well as other service priorities.
To provide and maintain a high standard of nursing care for patients as well as providing nursing assistance to the Doctors, Nurses and other members of the multi-professional PCN healthcare team.
The post-holder will be responsible for supporting the PCN, undertaking agreed clinical assessment tasks and delivering agreed clinical duties in order to support the provision of effective holistic care to patients. As examples, tasks and duties will include performing venepuncture to obtain blood samples from patients, taking clinical observations (such as blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate), undertaking assessment of simple wounds and providing wound care (such as dressing changes), undertaking observation and performing monitoring to support the management of long term conditions (such as diabetes checks, annual health checks for people with learning disability or mental health conditions), and undertaking phlebotomy, as agreed.
Surrey Heath Community Providers offer a 365 day, 52 week service delivery and as part of that we offer a 7 days a week from 0800 hrs – 2000hrs service. So you may be required to work evenings, weekends, and Bank Holidays as part of your normal working hours, as per the needs of the business.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
- Function as an effective member of the PCN clinical team, working with multidisciplinary colleagues to provide effective, holistic care to people.
- Perform a holistic assessment of patients for who you are providing care or clinical intervention.
- Undertake assessment, monitoring and evaluation tasks to enable effective management of patients with long-term conditions, supported by senior members of the clinical team.
- Provide face-to-face care to people living in a care home setting, within the practice setting, or within their own home, as required.
- Provide a holistic approach to wound management and implement wound care in line with current evidence based guidelines. Including undertaking removal of sutures and clips and dressing/re-dressing of wounds.
- Undertake agreed assessment of new patient, including baseline observations, ECGs, urinalysis, falls and nutrition assessments and other agreed assessments.
- Provide chaperoning and assistance to patients, where appropriate, who are being examined by another clinician.
- Perform phlebotomy according to local guidelines and as requested by members of the multi-disciplinary team, in support of structured medication reviews, care home rounds, and individual reviews.
- Undertake warfarin monitoring using INR Star.
- Assist appropriately trained registered professionals in the provision of minor surgery if required.
- Assume a ‘Making Every Contact Count’ approach and provide holistic assessment of lifestyle and diet, providing advice on diet, smoking, alcohol intake and exercise.
- Assist in and perform routine nursing tasks related to patient care.
- Requesting appropriate pathology tests, for example urine culture and wound swabs.
- Follow agreed clinical protocols with referral to appropriate multi-disciplinary colleagues as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive and contemporaneous clinical records, in line with NMC guidelines, and communicate clinical findings, outcomes of assessment or evaluation of care with the appropriate member of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Maintain awareness of statutory and local clinical protection procedures, including systems of referral and relevant clinical pathways.
- Recognise signs and symptoms of child/adult abuse and report any safeguarding issues.
- Participate in seasonal flu, pandemic or other health promotion or vaccination programmes. Be able to recognise and respond to anaphylaxis according to current UK guidelines.
- Be competent to respond to emergency situations as appropriate.
- Ensure infection control guidelines and best practice are maintained at all times.
- Communicate any clinical concerns of adverse outcomes to the appropriate person in a timely manner.
- Attend and participate in any relevant PCN or practice meetings when required.
- Undertake home visits as required.
- Any other delegated duties appropriate to the post.
- Have an understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
- Use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense.
- Maintain a commitment to a high professional standard of nursing care and keep up to date with all aspects of nursing care relevant to the post.
- Maintain a commitment to ensure all Health and Safety requirements and Infection control measures are met and to report any problems.
- A commitment to the effective use of practice and NHS resources.
- An awareness of own limitations and experience.
- Maintain registration as a Nursing Associate and work in accordance with professional Code of Conduct.
- Maintain a written professional development plan and professional portfolio which meets the requirements of the role and registration with the NMC.
- Attend annual appraisal and provide regular updates on progress against identified goals and development areas.
- To attend clinical meetings and present any significant events.
- All our Registered healthcare professionals are also expected to support the ‘evergreen’ local COVID vaccination programme with the preparation and administration of vaccines, including clinical eligibility assessment, consent, administration and aftercare advice, in line with the relevant prescribing mechanism (e.g. National Protocol).
Clinical & Professional Responsibilities Underpinning the Role:
- Once qualified, work autonomously under supervision within scope, competence, and appropriate clinical and professional guidelines.
- Identify and manage own development needs to enable working as an effective part of the multi-disciplinary team.
- Under supervision, plan, organise and administer own workload.
- Be an integral part of the nominated team(s) by attendance to relevant team meetings. Provide support to new members of the team, as required, inputting to their induction and development, including contributing to the appraisal process and acting as a mentor as appropriate.
- Participate in training, supervision and development of students and other learners in the setting.
- Actively seek to deliver and support continuous quality improvement. Support the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice within the service and work area.
- Record personally generated information and maintain a database of information relating to the work done in the practice(s).
- Personally generated information includes information and records relating to audit and clinical work undertaken by the post holder, reference notes relating to clinical/technical information, etc.
- The database includes maintaining up-to-date, detailed records of all work done in the practices for which the post holder is accountable (done by the post holder or others).
- Once qualified and registered, maintain appropriate professional registration for the post, comply with appropriate professional codes, and work with their scope of professional practice.
- As appropriate to the post, to maintain and develop professional competence and expertise, keep up to date with relevant professional evidence and opinion, and local and national service, legislation and policy developments, agree objectives and a personal development plan and participate in the appraisal process.
- To undertake any other duties commensurate with the post holder’s grade as agreed with the post holder’s line manager.
- All employees should understand that it is their personal responsibility to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements (eg, health and safety, equal treatment and diversity, confidentiality and clinical governance).
1. Codes of Conduct
Once qualified, Nursing Associates must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
2. Equal Opportunities
SHCPL, the PCN and practices are committed to an equal opportunities policy that affirms that all staff should be afforded equality of treatment and opportunity in employment irrespective of sexuality, marital status, race, religion/belief, ethnic origin, age or disability. All staff are required to observe this policy in their behaviour to fellow employees.
3. Equality and Diversity
Thepost-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, including:
- Acting in a way that recognises 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.
4. 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 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.
5. Data Protection
All employees must adhere to the Practice Policy on the Protection and use of Personal Information, which provides guidance on the use and disclosure of information. The Practice also has a range of policies for the use of computer equipment and computer-generated information. These policies detail the employee’s legal obligations and include references to current legislation. Copies of the policy on the protection and use of personal information, and other information technology, can be found in the Practice policies and procedures manual.
6. Risk Management
You will be responsible for adopting the risk management culture and ensuring that you identify and assess all risks to your systems, processes and environment and report such risks for inclusion within the Practice risk register. You will also attend mandatory and statutory training, report all incidents/accidents, including near misses, and report unsafe occurrences as laid down within the relevant local Policy.
7. Personal/Professional Development
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training including:
- Participation in ongoing individual Appraisals and Development Reviews, 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.
- This role is considered to be a developmental position and the jobholder will be encouraged to develop personal and business skills.
8. Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and PCN, 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.
- Proactively seek and identify opportunities for quality / service improvement and lead such activities.
- 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 patients’ needs.
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
9. Communication:
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will:
- Communicate effectively and respectfully with colleagues, patients and carers.
- Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
- External communication will be with patients NHS bodies, and other GP practices and service providers.
10. Health & Safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the relevant local Health & Safety Policy.
11. Special Working Conditions
The post-holder is required to travel independently between their base, care homes and practice sites (where applicable), and to attend meetings etc. hosted by other agencies. The post-holder may have contact with body fluids i.e. wound exudates; urine etc.
12. Other Duties
There may be a requirement to undertake other duties as may reasonably be required to support the Practice or PCN. These may be based at other the Practice managed locations.
13. Carry out any other duties as reasonably required by the Team Lead, PCN/Federation Clinical Director or Practice Manager.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, and it is expected that you will participate in a wide range of activities.
Person Specification
Essentialor
Desirable
Qualifications
- GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in Maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English - Essential
- Health and/or Social Care Level 3 Qualification - Desirable
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Experience of working as a Health Care Assistant (HCA)/Social Care Assistant - Essential
- Preferably experience of working within a community or GP practice setting - Desirable
- Able to give lifestyle advice and promote self-care - Essential
- Holistic approach to care - Essential
- Knowledge of National immunisation and screening programmes - Desirable
- Understands the importance of evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness - Essential
- Understands principles of Clinical Governance - Desirable
- Interest in specialising in Diabetes, Learning Disabilities and Mental Health - Essential
- Clinical experience of working with patients diagnosed with a Mental Health problem, a Learning Disability or Diabetes - Desirable
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills - Essential
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills - Essential
- Ability to handle difficult & contentious situations with discretion and confidence - Essential
- Working within policies/ procedures - Essential
Personal Attributes
- Ability to prioritise & work effectively to deadlines - Essential
- Able to work under pressure - Essential
- Willingness / availability to support the Practice in its provision of primary care medical services during Surgery opening hours - Essential
- Self-motivation and ability to work on own initiative - Essential
- Ability to demonstrate political sensitivity and discretion - Essential
- An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality - Essential
- Basic working knowledge of Microsoft office with intermediate keyboard skills to write reports, documents and present data - Essential
- Understanding of EMIS GP system - Essential
- Reliable, enthusiastic, self- motivated, hardworking, honest, pleasant and approachable - Essential
- Commitment to life-long learning/ continuing professional development - Essential
- Enthusiasm to support the development of new services to benefit patient care - Essential
- Flexibility in working arrangements - Essential
- Access to own transport and a valid driving licence - Desirable
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Part-time hours: 37.5 per week
Salary: £21,730.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability
Work Location: In person
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