Job responsibilities
The Advanced Nurse Practitioner(ANP) has been assessed as competent in practice using their expert clinical knowledge and skills. They have the freedom and authority to act and make autonomous decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.
The ANP provides an opportunity for patients to avoid the need to be referred to a GP, thereby enabling them to receive timely care and negate unnecessary delay in receiving treatment.
ANPs in primary care can develop close, long-term relationships with their patients and work in partnership with them to achieve optimum health. They are autonomous in making decisions based on assessment, diagnosis and interpretation of test results. They can independently prescribe appropriate medication, evaluate or refer to other specialists if necessary.
The following are the core responsibilities of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:
a. Develop, implement and embed health promotion and wellbeing programmes
b. Manage patients presenting with a range of acute and chronic medical conditions, providing subject matter expert advice
c. Implement and evaluate individual specialised treatment plans for chronic disease patients
d. Identify, manage and support patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects to the patients health
e. Provide advanced, specialist nursing care to patients as required in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF
f. Provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler, etc.)
g. Provide specialist clinics such as ear syringing, contraception, etc.
h. Undertake the collection of pathological specimens
i. Provide travel medicine services
j. Request pathology services as necessary
k. Process and interpret pathology and other test results as required
l. Provide chronic disease clinics, delivering patient care as necessary, referring patients to secondary/specialist care as required
m. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation
n. Ensure SNOMED CT codes are used effectively
o. Maintain chronic disease registers
p. Develop, implement and embed well woman clinics
q. Develop, implement and embed well man clinics
r. Develop, implement and embed travel clinics
s. Develop, implement and embed an effective call/recall system
t. Be responsible for the implementation of an effective immunisation programme
u. Chaperone patients where necessary
v. Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately
w. Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies
x. Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs
y. Implement vaccination programmes for adults and children
z. Be an extended and supplementary prescriber, adhering to extant guidance
aa. Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over the counter medicines (within own scope of practice), reviewing annually as required
bb. Contribute to practice targets (QOF, etc.), complying with local and regional guidance
cc. Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.)
dd. Delegate clinical responsibilities appropriately (ensuring safe practice and that the task is within the scope of practice of the individual)
ee. Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters in accordance with local and national policies
ff. Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately
gg. Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate
In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Advanced Nurse Practitioner may be requested to:
a. Act as the audit lead, effectively utilising the audit cycle
b. Act as the IPC lead for the practice, ensuring compliance, undertaking audit as necessary
c. Monitor and ensure the safe storage, rotation and disposal of medicaments
d. Undertake overall management of the nursing team, providing guidance when necessary, acting as a mentor to students and newly qualified staff
e. Maintain an effective nursing staff rota ensuring all clinics are staffed appropriately
f. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
g. Support and participate in shared learning within the organisation
h. Develop an area of specialist interest, taking the lead within the organisation
i. Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate
j. Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach i.e., root cause analysis (RCA)
k. Drive the development of nursing services within the organisation, liaising with external agencies and professional organisations as required
Develop practice administrative and clinical protocols in line with the needs of the patient and current legislation