Trainee Practice Nurse

Job Title: Trainee Practice Nurse
Responsible to: Clinical Lead Nurse Educator
Place of Work: Islington GP Federation based at various locations across Islington
Hours: Full Time 30-37.50 hours // 4-5 Days per week
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Duration: 6-Months Fixed-term Contract, with an option to extend for a further 6-months

About Islington GP Federation
Islington GP Federation (IGPF) is a growing organisation representing 31 practices; we have established ourselves as a leader in new ways of working, including running Islington's extended access primary care services (I: HUB) as well as supporting the Islington Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Our current range of services includes the Extended Access Service, I: HUB, Community Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Integrated Community Gynaecology, practice-based pharmacists and a range of practice support mechanisms. IGPF works very closely with a range of partners including the regional commissioning group, NHS England, Healthy London Partnership, Public Health, local hospitals such as UCLH, the Whittington Health and the London Borough of Islington. IGPF is the host organisation for the Primary Care Network (PCN) workforce and the Islington Training Hub, and has been working for over two years to create training and development programmes that meet the needs of staff working in primary and community care settings.

The Role
This role is for someone looking to work with a dynamic organisation and is prepared to adapt and develop with the team. We are looking for someone enthusiastic and flexible ideally with a background in primary care, though this is not essential; this role could be appropriate for someone at the beginning of their career. The aim of this project is to extend and enhance the current opportunities for education and training in Primary care and beyond, while creating extra capacity and retaining current nursing staff.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a nurse to not only train as a General Practice Nurse (GPN) but be part of an innovative project. The post holder will provide backfill for local GPNs across Islington to enable them to be released for educational purposes. The post holder will be pivotal to the enhancement of training and development in Islington.

Job Summary:
The Trainee Practice Nurse will:

1. Work as part of the healthcare team in the General Practices across Islington
2. Provide backfill for the qualified Practice Nurses in the General Practices within Islington and provide high quality nursing care to the practice populations
3. Deliver patient care in line with the core values of the Islington Training Hub
4. Undertake the Practice Nurse GPN training Course
5. Work towards the required competency levels in the required clinical areas shown in Appendix A

Job Responsibilities:

1. To develop the necessary skills and competencies required to be a Practice Nurse
2. Work within their level of competency at all times
3. Be able to develop and maintain a working collaboration with patients and other healthcare professionals
4. Develop skills to manage the changing needs of the patients and the practice
5. Through competency frameworks introduce the new skills learnt in training and take responsibility to ensure appropriate sign offs of these competencies
6. To administer prescribed medications and immunisations where appropriate when prescribed or by Patient Group Direction
7. When opportunity arises promote health through education and screening
8. Contribute to the practices achieving its Quality Outcomes Framework Targets (QOF)
9. Assist in and perform routine tasks related to patient care under supervision and with direction from clinical lead or senior nursing staff and GPs.
10. Undertake the additional duties shown in Appendix A.

Professional Responsibilities:

1. Maintain own professional registration
2. Attend all training arranged
3. To keep up to date with allocated timetable as will be working in various sites across Islington
4. Monitor the effectiveness of own clinical practice through discussion with clinical leads and peer review
5. Keep up to date through continuing professional development to maintain current skills and competences
6. Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records in accordance with practice and NMC guidelines
7. Attend and participate in practice meetings and mandatory training where required
8. Promote evidence-based practice

Appendix A - GPN Training Programme will cover:

1. Immunisations & travel advice
2. Child immunisations
3. Family planning
4. Cytology
5. Chronic disease management
6. Ear care

Other Tasks to Include:

1. Maintaining & cleaning of equipment used by nurses & GPs
2. Stocking clinical rooms and rotating stock as required
3. Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of clinical rooms
4. Ordering of stock, vaccines & promotional materials
5. Checking stock levels and expiry dates of drugs cupboard and resuscitation trolley
6. Record vaccine fridge temperatures twice daily
7. Assist other members of the practice team as appropriate
8. To maintain infection control and update procedures and advice
9. Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

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 this 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, 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.

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 policies, to include:

1. Using security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
2. Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
3. Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
4. Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
5. Reporting any potential risks identified

Equality & Diversity:
The post holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues to include:

1. Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
2. Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
3. Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights

Personal/Professional Development:
The post holder will participate in all training programmes implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

1. Participation in an annual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
2. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
3. Participate in audit where appropriate

Quality:
The post holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice and will:

1. Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
2. Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
3. Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and make suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
4. Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
5. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:
The post holder will recognise the importance of effective communication, both within the practice team and with patients and carers. And will recognise where patients have a need for alternative means of communication and respond accordingly.

This job description reflects the current duties incorporated in this post. Duties may be varied from time to time following a change in the service provided by the practice, or dependent upon current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels. This job description is subject to annual review.