This job description is a template. It should be used as a guide and edited according to the specific needs of the practice and the duties required of the post. The role described is equivalent to Band 5/6.

 

Job title:                                  Practice mental health nurse

Contract type:                        [full time, part time, job share]

Hours:                                     [number of hours]

Band:                                      NHS Agenda for Change Band 5/6

Salary:                                     [salary, or reference to range within pay grade]

Reporting to:                          The lead practice nurse for clinical matters. In non-clinical matters, will report to the practice manager

Line management of:           [include reports]

 

Job scope and summary

To be part of the general practice team providing specialist mental health advice, assessment, formulation and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to patients including telephone advice and triage.

Working collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures and first class healthcare.

 

 

Key responsibilities

1. Provide specialist mental health advice and undertake assessments including telephone advice and triage for patients over the age of 18.

2. Recommend systematic formulation and evidence-based therapeutic interventions.

3. Maintain clinical and professional responsibility for a defined workload.

4. Refer users where necessary, including providing written summaries of assessments, formulation and treatment outcomes.

5. Ensure all situations of risk are mitigated, and where necessary refer to general practice colleagues or those in community and secondary care.

6. Recognise when a patient is in crisis and act accordingly.

7. Develop care plans for patients and be the lead practitioner for their care in general practice.

8. Lead on quality and outcome (QOF) areas of expertise, ensuring all patients are reviewed and managed in accordance with the guidance gaining the practice the maximum points possible.

9.     Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.

10.  Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication.

11.  Maintain effective communication within the practice environment and with external stakeholders .

12.  Where necessary support the practice nursing team in other areas where clinical competence is held.

13.  Lead the practice mental health promotion activity

14.  Be knowledgeable about social prescribing and work closely with the local social prescribing link worker.

15.  Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

16.  Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.

17.  Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care.

18.  Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation.

19.  Use the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required.

20.  In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of healthcare responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate.

21. Perform other clinical duties as required, within the scope of the practice mental health nurse competencies and training.

22.  Provide learning opportunities for the whole multi-disciplinary team (MDT).

23.  Use specialist knowledge to refer to other clinicians as appropriate.

24.  Manage interactions in complex situations, including with individuals who have particular psychosocial and mental health needs and with colleagues across the primary care team, sectors and settings.

25.  Demonstrate understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation.

26.  Perform other non-clinical duties as required, within the scope of competencies and training.

Personal and professional development

1. Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in their care. Work within professional and clinical codes of contact.

2. Undertake evaluation of their work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice, audit and outcome measures.

3. Act as a mentor and positive role model to students and more junior members of staff, sharing information and good practice.

4. Prioritise own workload and collaborate effectively with others to prioritise team and practice workload.

5. Undertake training as required to ensure competencies for delivering all responsibilities, including attending and contributing to in-house training. 

6. Maintaining personal development and CPD plans and records of learning, clinical supervision, appraisals of more junior staff, feedback on performance.

7. Keep up to date with current evidence-based approaches to patient care and service delivery, in line with NICE and the National Service Framework.

8. Undertake regular mandatory training, such as relating to emergency life support, manual lifting and handling, safeguarding vulnerable patients, child protection etc.

Other important aspects of the role

Maintaining confidentiality

The practice mental health nurse will, as an integral part of and in the course of carrying out their role, have access to confidential and sometimes sensitive information relating to patients, carers and family members, as well as similar information about colleagues. The practice mental health nurse might also have access to confidential commercial information about the practice and its business.

All such information in whatever format and howsoever made available must be treated with strictest confidence. All such information held both within and outside of the practice will be shared only as necessary, and in accordance with practice’s confidentiality/data sharing policies, and in line with data protection legislation and the Freedom of Information Act.

Equality and diversity

The practice mental health nurse will comply with the practice’s own equality and diversity policy, and legislation relating to equality and diversity, including (but not limited to):

• Recognising the rights of patients, carers, family members and colleagues, and respecting their needs, beliefs, privacy and dignity.
• Not discriminating against patients, carers, family members or colleagues on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 (or its amendments or later legislation).
• Supporting people who need help to understand and exercise their rights.
• Acting as a role model in relation to promoting equality, diversity and non-discriminatory practices.
• Identifying discriminatory practices and patterns of discrimination, taking appropriate action to tackle it and instead promote equality.
• Complying with, promoting and evaluating chaperoning policies where applicable.
• Recognising and promoting the right of patients to choose their care provider, and to participate in or refuse care.

Key relationships and contacts

Internal	External
GPs Partners Lead practice nurse Practice nurse Healthcare assistants Clinical staff in training Practice manager Reception and administration staff Other employed professions	Patients Patients’ carers and family members CCG mental health nurses Community and hospital mental health teams Locality managers Other healthcare professionals, including dietitians, social care teams, dentists, optometrists, secondary care specialists