Advanced Nurse Practitioner

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner will work as an autonomous advanced clinical practitioner within the practice, both independently and as part of the wider clinical team. The post-holder will be an experienced, caring and clinically skilled nurse who is able to demonstrate advanced assessment, diagnostic and decision-making skills. They will work within their professional boundaries and scope of practice, using critical thinking and clinical judgement to provide safe, effective and patient-centred care. The role will involve assessing, diagnosing, treating and reviewing patients who present with minor illness, urgent care needs and ongoing medical or nursing requirements. The post-holder will be expected to deliver high-quality care, support patients to manage their health, and refer to other members of the primary or secondary care team where appropriate. Key duties and responsibilitiesThe post-holder will: • Undertake advanced clinical nursing practice using specialist knowledge, clinical expertise and sound judgement to provide safe and appropriate care. • Assess, triage, diagnose and treat patients presenting to the practice, including undertaking face-to-face consultations and specialist assessments. • Identify patient needs from both a physical and psychological perspective and develop appropriate care plans. • Explain clinical findings, diagnoses, treatment options and ongoing care plans clearly to patients during consultations. • Refer patients to GPs, wider primary care colleagues, community services or secondary care where this is clinically appropriate. • Request relevant diagnostic investigations, such as blood tests, x-rays, scans or other tests, and interpret results in line with agreed practice protocols and professional competence. • As an independent prescriber, prescribe and review medication where appropriate, ensuring treatment is evidence-based and in line with current guidance, national standards, local protocols and the post-holders scope of practice. • Recognise and work within the limits of professional competence, seeking advice, support or further training where required. • Ensure that patient dignity, confidentiality and respect are maintained at all times. General dutiesThe post-holder will: • Provide high-quality, compassionate care and treatment, supporting patients to improve health, promote self-care and maintain independence where possible. • Use a personalised and holistic approach when assessing and supporting patients. • Contribute to practice and national targets, including QOF, prescribing initiatives, benchmarking and other relevant quality improvement work. • See additional or urgent patients when required, subject to clinical need and practice capacity. • Maintain clear, accurate and contemporaneous clinical records using the practice clinical system and appropriate templates. • Ensure that all consultations, assessments, treatment plans and outcomes are recorded appropriately in the patient record. • Take specimens, including blood, urine and cytology samples where appropriate, in accordance with practice protocols, ensuring they are correctly recorded, labelled and prepared for collection. • Take responsibility for their own learning, professional development and performance, ensuring that training and development activity supports continued registration and safe practice. • Participate in the education, support and training of students, new staff and other colleagues where appropriate. • Act professionally at all times and work in accordance with relevant ethical, legal and professional standards. • Support and promote safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, identifying concerns, recording relevant information and following the appropriate safeguarding pathway when required. • Maintain a clean, safe, tidy and professional working environment, ensuring compliance with GDPR, confidentiality and information governance requirements. • Assist with training and induction for new members of staff where appropriate. • Help with the collection of statistics, audits, searches and other information when required. • Participate and cooperate with research, audit or service improvement projects where appropriate. • Work across other practice or locality sites on an ad hoc basis if required by service need. • Attend and contribute to practice meetings, clinical meetings and other relevant meetings as requested. • Carry out any other reasonable duties requested by the Partners, Practice Manager or management team, in line with the nature and grade of the role. This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. It may be reviewed and updated periodically in consultation with the post-holder to reflect the changing needs of the practice, patients and wider health service. ConfidentialityIn carrying out this role, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients, carers, staff, healthcare professionals and the practice as an organisation. All such information must be treated as strictly confidential. The post-holder must: • Access patient records only where there is a legitimate clinical or administrative reason to do so. • Maintain confidentiality at all times and act in accordance with data protection legislation, Caldicott principles and practice policies. • Understand and comply with the practices information governance requirements. • Maintain awareness of the Freedom of Information Act and the practices responsibilities under it. Health and safetyThe post-holder is responsible for managing their own health and safety, and for supporting the health and safety of others, in line with the practices Health and Safety Policy and Infection Prevention and Control Policy. The post-holder must: • Identify and report any health and safety or infection control hazards as soon as they become aware of them. • Keep clinical and general work areas clean, tidy and safe. • Follow appropriate infection prevention and control procedures to reduce the risk of contamination or harm. • Complete health and safety and infection control training as required. • Work in accordance with national infection control standards, professional guidance, regulatory requirements and good practice. • Use appropriate personal protective equipment and advise others on its correct use where relevant. • Follow safe sharps procedures, including correct use, storage and disposal, where this applies to the role. • Ensure specimens are collected, labelled, handled, stored and transported safely and correctly, in line with practice procedures. Equality and diversityThe post-holder must support and promote the practices commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The post-holder must: • Ensure that no patient, carer, visitor or colleague receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of protected characteristics or personal circumstances. • Treat patients, carers, colleagues and visitors with dignity, respect and fairness. • Respect the privacy, needs, beliefs and preferences of patients and their carers. • Work in accordance with practice policies and procedures designed to promote equality of employment and fair access to services. • Help ensure that care is delivered in a way that is responsive to the individual needs of patients and their families. Personal and professional developmentThe post-holder will: • Participate in training programmes arranged by the practice as part of their employment. • Take part in annual appraisal and performance review. • Maintain an up-to-date record of their personal and professional development. • Take responsibility for maintaining professional competence, registration requirements and ongoing learning. • Share knowledge and demonstrate skills to colleagues or others undertaking similar work, where appropriate. CommunicationThe post-holder must: • Communicate effectively with patients, carers and colleagues. • Work collaboratively with members of the practice team and wider healthcare services. • Recognise when patients or carers may need information provided in an alternative format or through an alternative method of communication. • Respond appropriately to communication needs, ensuring information is shared clearly, respectfully and safely. Job description Job responsibilities The Advanced Nurse Practitioner will work as an autonomous advanced clinical practitioner within the practice, both independently and as part of the wider clinical team. The post-holder will be an experienced, caring and clinically skilled nurse who is able to demonstrate advanced assessment, diagnostic and decision-making skills. They will work within their professional boundaries and scope of practice, using critical thinking and clinical judgement to provide safe, effective and patient-centred care. The role will involve assessing, diagnosing, treating and reviewing patients who present with minor illness, urgent care needs and ongoing medical or nursing requirements. The post-holder will be expected to deliver high-quality care, support patients to manage their health, and refer to other members of the primary or secondary care team where appropriate. Key duties and responsibilitiesThe post-holder will: • Undertake advanced clinical nursing practice using specialist knowledge, clinical expertise and sound judgement to provide safe and appropriate care. • Assess, triage, diagnose and treat patients presenting to the practice, including undertaking face-to-face consultations and specialist assessments. • Identify patient needs from both a physical and psychological perspective and develop appropriate care plans. • Explain clinical findings, diagnoses, treatment options and ongoing care plans clearly to patients during consultations. • Refer patients to GPs, wider primary care colleagues, community services or secondary care where this is clinically appropriate. • Request relevant diagnostic investigations, such as blood tests, x-rays, scans or other tests, and interpret results in line with agreed practice protocols and professional competence. • As an independent prescriber, prescribe and review medication where appropriate, ensuring treatment is evidence-based and in line with current guidance, national standards, local protocols and the post-holders scope of practice. • Recognise and work within the limits of professional competence, seeking advice, support or further training where required. • Ensure that patient dignity, confidentiality and respect are maintained at all times. General dutiesThe post-holder will: • Provide high-quality, compassionate care and treatment, supporting patients to improve health, promote self-care and maintain independence where possible. • Use a personalised and holistic approach when assessing and supporting patients. • Contribute to practice and national targets, including QOF, prescribing initiatives, benchmarking and other relevant quality improvement work. • See additional or urgent patients when required, subject to clinical need and practice capacity. • Maintain clear, accurate and contemporaneous clinical records using the practice clinical system and appropriate templates. • Ensure that all consultations, assessments, treatment plans and outcomes are recorded appropriately in the patient record. • Take specimens, including blood, urine and cytology samples where appropriate, in accordance with practice protocols, ensuring they are correctly recorded, labelled and prepared for collection. • Take responsibility for their own learning, professional development and performance, ensuring that training and development activity supports continued registration and safe practice. • Participate in the education, support and training of students, new staff and other colleagues where appropriate. • Act professionally at all times and work in accordance with relevant ethical, legal and professional standards. • Support and promote safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, identifying concerns, recording relevant information and following the appropriate safeguarding pathway when required. • Maintain a clean, safe, tidy and professional working environment, ensuring compliance with GDPR, confidentiality and information governance requirements. • Assist with training and induction for new members of staff where appropriate. • Help with the collection of statistics, audits, searches and other information when required. • Participate and cooperate with research, audit or service improvement projects where appropriate. • Work across other practice or locality sites on an ad hoc basis if required by service need. • Attend and contribute to practice meetings, clinical meetings and other relevant meetings as requested. • Carry out any other reasonable duties requested by the Partners, Practice Manager or management team, in line with the nature and grade of the role. This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. It may be reviewed and updated periodically in consultation with the post-holder to reflect the changing needs of the practice, patients and wider health service. ConfidentialityIn carrying out this role, the post-holder will have access to confidential information relating to patients, carers, staff, healthcare professionals and the practice as an organisation. All such information must be treated as strictly confidential. The post-holder must: • Access patient records only where there is a legitimate clinical or administrative reason to do so. • Maintain confidentiality at all times and act in accordance with data protection legislation, Caldicott principles and practice policies. • Understand and comply with the practices information governance requirements. • Maintain awareness of the Freedom of Information Act and the practices responsibilities under it. Health and safetyThe post-holder is responsible for managing their own health and safety, and for supporting the health and safety of others, in line with the practices Health and Safety Policy and Infection Prevention and Control Policy. The post-holder must: • Identify and report any health and safety or infection control hazards as soon as they become aware of them. • Keep clinical and general work areas clean, tidy and safe. • Follow appropriate infection prevention and control procedures to reduce the risk of contamination or harm. • Complete health and safety and infection control training as required. • Work in accordance with national infection control standards, professional guidance, regulatory requirements and good practice. • Use appropriate personal protective equipment and advise others on its correct use where relevant. • Follow safe sharps procedures, including correct use, storage and disposal, where this applies to the role. • Ensure specimens are collected, labelled, handled, stored and transported safely and correctly, in line with practice procedures. Equality and diversityThe post-holder must support and promote the practices commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The post-holder must: • Ensure that no patient, carer, visitor or colleague receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of protected characteristics or personal circumstances. • Treat patients, carers, colleagues and visitors with dignity, respect and fairness. • Respect the privacy, needs, beliefs and preferences of patients and their carers. • Work in accordance with practice policies and procedures designed to promote equality of employment and fair access to services. • Help ensure that care is delivered in a way that is responsive to the individual needs of patients and their families. Personal and professional developmentThe post-holder will: • Participate in training programmes arranged by the practice as part of their employment. • Take part in annual appraisal and performance review. • Maintain an up-to-date record of their personal and professional development. • Take responsibility for maintaining professional competence, registration requirements and ongoing learning. • Share knowledge and demonstrate skills to colleagues or others undertaking similar work, where appropriate. CommunicationThe post-holder must: • Communicate effectively with patients, carers and colleagues. • Work collaboratively with members of the practice team and wider healthcare services. • Recognise when patients or carers may need information provided in an alternative format or through an alternative method of communication. • Respond appropriately to communication needs, ensuring information is shared clearly, respectfully and safely.