Experience Practice Nurse

Position Title: Practice Nurse

Responsibilities:

Clinical

• Perform clinical duties within required level of clinical competency, according to best available evidence. Duties include: triage, immunisations and other injections, wound management, chronic disease management, ECGs, and collection of pathology samples.
• Assist doctors with clinical procedures and maintain clinical documentation.
• Explain procedures to patients, providing them with support and reassurance.

Patient Services

• Assist with triage, data management, diagnostic services, networking with other providers, planning and management of patient care and patient advocacy.
• Telephoning patients with test results as directed by medical staff.

Improvement of Patient Health Outcomes

• Conduct preventative/screening procedures.
• Assist with patient education and community health promotion activities.
• Coordinate patient recall and outreach programs, GP management plans, and team care arrangements.

Equipment and Supplies

• Ensure sterilisation and maintenance of clinical equipment.
• Maintain stocks of clinical supplies, including correct storage (such as refrigeration), removal and disposal of out-of-date stock and ordering supplies.
• Provide input in purchasing relevant clinical equipment and supplies.

Compliance

• Maintain awareness of current and new legislation to ensure the practice is complying with all statutory and regulatory obligations including infection control, sterilisation, hazardous materials and safe handling/disposal of medical waste, records management, WHS, and accreditation. Ensure relevant personnel are kept informed and changes are made to systems and procedures as required.

Infection Prevention and Control Coordination

• Maintain the practice’s systems and processes for hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, spills management, and practice team immunisations in accordance with practice policy and procedure.
• Educate all members of the practice team on an annual basis regarding their responsibilities in infection prevention and control, or whenever changes in legislation, or practice procedures occurs.
• Manage the practice’s sterilisation process, ensuring sterility and integrity in the process.
• Ensure the practice’s waste management complies with local, state and federal regulations.

Professional

• Act within the practice and nursing codes of ethics and at an appropriate level of clinical competence at all times.
• Maintain awareness of current evidence and research on clinical practices and inform/educate other practice staff.
• Change systems and procedures to ensure compliance with best available evidence as applicable.

Workplace Health and Safety

• Consistentlybe aware of, and comply with, workplace health and safety requirements.

General

• Delegation of tasks to other medical and non-medical staff. Provide direct and indirect supervision to other nurse(s). Assist with other practice duties as required.

Expected Behaviours and Personal Attributes:

• Demonstrate a knowledge of, and compliance with, all relevant legislation and common law obligations affecting nursing.
• Discharge of duty of care in the course of practice including meeting practice standards, and accountability for nursing actions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of policies and procedural guidelines that have legal implications, for example, ensure documentation conforms to legal requirements.
• Practice only within the limits of your educational preparation and competence.
• Identify and respond to unsafe practice, for example, implement interventions to prevent unsafe practice and/or contravention of law.
• Demonstrated patient-focused approach in service provision with genuine empathy and interest in their needs.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills across all ages and social groups.
• Always be well-presented, friendly, courteous and obliging. Represent the practice in a confident and positive manner at all times.
• Undertake all duties in a diligent manner, with honesty and integrity.
• Maintain absolute confidentiality regarding patient and practice information.
• Have a vigilant attitude to accuracy, being prepared to double check as necessary.
• Ability to work cooperatively and independently and the ability to prioritise and organise.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development.

Education, Qualifications and Experience:

• Appropriate tertiary qualification and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
• Current professional indemnity insurance.
• Current driver’s licence.