NursingNetUK

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills
Internal
Head of service 
Clinical lead
Clinical nurse managers
Advanced Community Practitioners
Team leaders 
Community nursing staff 
Other services/professionals
MedOCC 

External
Patients and their family/carers
GP’s and practice teams 
Social services 
Voluntary agencies including care navigators
Housing services 
Other primary healthcare organisations 
Acute hospital trusts
Community pharmacists 
Care home providers and staff
Continuing care

Ensure effective communication within the community nursing team, the patient and other 
professional main stream services and to act as the patient advocate.
Communicate complex patient information, verbally and in writing to various professionals.
Provide advice, motivation and education to patient’s family and carers in respect of their 
medical/health condition, where there may be barriers to understanding, being empathetic and 
providing reassurance.

2. Knowledge, training and experience
Registered 1st Level Nurse 
ENB 998/preparation of mentors
District nurse qualification or educated to degree level in the community pathway desirable
Evidence of further learning
Nurse prescribing qualification or the willingness to undertake qualification
Extensive intravenous therapy experience in the administration of IV medications through a 
variety of devices
Competent in Cannulation and Venepuncture
Proven experience in acute care desirable
Anaphylaxis experience and competence
Evidence of appropriate core community nursing clinical competence and ongoing professional 
development. Additional knowledge to include venous anatomy and physiology.
Up to date knowledge of local and national nursing, health, social care drivers and policies.
Understanding of the community setting and functioning of community services.
Act as a resource for the community nursing service.
Teach Community Nurses best practice for IV therapy and essential steps audits.
Responsible for annual updates and signing staff competencies 

3. Analytical and judgement skills
Assess patients/community health needs, develop, implement and evaluate health care 
programmes to ensure effective high quality, evidence based health care, health promotion and 
protection. This will be done in agreement with the patient. This will take account of patients 
with complex and intensive needs e.g. care of the dying, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, case 
conferences and transfer of care planning.

4. Planning and organisational skills
Actively manage a defined community caseload within Medway Community Healthcare 
according to set criteria, standards and organisational policies.
Prioritise and allocate workload
Assist with the organisation of the IV training programme including annual updates and staff 
competencies

5. Physical skills
Undertake a range of clinical skills including intravenous therapy, vascular access devices, 
cannulation, syringe drivers, phlebotomy, wound/ leg ulcer management and catheter care.
Basic keyboard skills are required

6. Responsibility for patient / client care
Assess patients/community sometimes complex health needs. To develop, implement and 
evaluate health care programmes to ensure provision of effective high quality, evidence based 
health care including health promotion 
To liaise with other services to provide a seamless patient experience and quality outcome
To assess patients for specialist equipment and provide the appropriate teaching to patients, 
relatives, carers and colleagues to ensure correct and safe use.
Actively promote equality and value diversity

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
Maintain a professional manner and act as a role model, adhering to the NMC code of 
professional conduct and organisational policies and protocols. Comment on policies and 
procedures.
Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities including risk assessments, 
complaint investigation.
Participate in data collection, activity reporting and outcome measuring for community nursing.
Identify and progress practice development to improve patient care standards and outcomes.
Actively progress integrated/interprofessional patient care.
Contribute to the achievement of organisation and community nursing service objectives.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources
Authorised signatory for Teams expenses, study leave and timesheets.
Responsible for the safe use of expensive equipment e.g. syringe drivers, infusion pumps, 
specialist venous equipment
Promote compliance to the organisations procedures for supply of consumables including IV 
supplies and dressings

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
Manage a defined caseload in accordance with agreed criteria.
Assist with managing the Community Nursing Team, i.e. Community Staff Nurses, associate 
practitioners and Healthcare Assistants. To include recruitment, staff appraisal, supervision of 
practice, training and education, induction and rotas.
Management responsibility for ensuring continuing quality of patient care by evidence based 
practice. 
Provide teaching and education to students, colleagues, patients, relatives and carers. Provide 
clinical cover for other team leaders in their absence. 
Participate in own appraisal and clinical supervision as supervisee and/or supervisor.
Support new members of the community nursing team and students.

10. Responsibilities for information resources
Ensure records are kept up to date and safeguard patient confidentiality by being aware of 
professional, legal and ethical responsibilities.
Record and submit accurate, timely data and information to inform caseload management and 
service development.

11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)
Actively participate in clinical audit and clinical governance activities to maintain quality of 
service and support service developments including risk assessments and complaints 
investigation.

12. Freedom to act
Work as an autonomous practitioner within the community nursing team, with overall 
management responsibility of a defined caseload.
Assist with the management of the community nursing team 

13. Physical effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
14. Mental effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
15. Emotional effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)
16. Working conditions (refer to effort factor questionnaire)