24 | Nursing in Practice | Spring 2023
MY DAY
Working as a registered
nursing associate
Sarah Hofmann tells Nursing in Practice about running clinics , managing infection control and mentoring new staff
UNP
07.00
I live about 40 minutes away , so I leave at 7am to drive to the GP surgery in Chichester for an 8am start . I usually have half an hour to go through emails and tasks , attend to blood pressure results sent in by patients , check fridges and restock my room .
08.30
I have a clinic for the whole morning . The morning clinics are quite varied : I do long-term condition reviews , wound care , lots of injections and immunisations , and sometimes emergency ECGs .
My appointments are usually 10 minutes , so I ’ ll see 20 to 25 patients by 12.30 . Mornings are very busy ; we have a quick turnover of appointments with blood tests .
I have always worked in general practice and I love the variety . I see patients from eight weeks old to 100 years old , and deal with many different situations .
I ’ ve seen some patients with bad chronic leg ulcers every week for the past six or seven years , so I know them well and build a good relationship , seeing them at all stages of their life . I see women when they are pregnant and then when they bring their baby in for childhood immunisations .
My clinics can be booked up to four weeks in advance . Reception staff book the majority but for those I see regularly I will do it because I know what they need . The whole team is available to support me with the workload .
I ’ m the practice lead on infection control . I do compliance audits and meet management to discuss changes . It ’ s part of my role to come up with solutions and I normally have time blocked out of clinic for this . My practice is quite progressive with training and I appreciate the chance to take on new skills . I had been a healthcare assistant for several years and when the opportunity came to do nursing associate training and get my registration , we decided it would help me progress .
The nursing associate is a new support role in England to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver hands-on , person-centred care .
12.30
I take a half-hour lunch break and I often like to get outside for a walk as Chichester is very pretty .
13.00
Afternoon clinics can vary . I could have a leg ulcer clinic or I could be with nurses in a childhood immunisation clinic . I also carry out ear syringe clinics , which we do as a locally commissioned service , and I ’ m just starting spirometry for asthma . I might do a general treatment room clinic if I ’ m mentoring a new staff member . I enjoy training and helping healthcare assistants .
My practice is pretty good at allowing adequate treatment time . For chronic leg ulcers we have 20 to 30 minutes per leg . Spirometry is half an hour and baby immunisations are 10 minutes but with two nurses . I find I don ’ t struggle too much with running behind .
I do really enjoy sit down to talk with patients . Elderly patients tell me about their life while I ’ m bandaging their legs , or I chat to children who come in . I enjoy getting to know my patients .
I have a part-time job for our PCN as an education lead . I work two-and-a-half days in the surgery , allowing me to spend time on this role , which is flexible .
Sometimes I will be involved with a home visit , for example for a routine diabetes assessment , and we ’ ll get into social issues and problems the patient is facing . I ’ m able to offer more holistic support and refer on if need be .
17.30
I have half an hour to clean up and pack away , and grab any paperwork that ’ s come in throughout the day . Sometimes there is extra work or I get together with the nurses to have a debrief and discussion about the day . We are a supportive team so we share what ’ s happened .
The current challenges in general practice mean that people are often stressed and it ’ s very busy all of the time . Sometimes I do feel that I ’ m putting more pressure on my colleagues by asking for extra help to support my practice . But we all try to be there for each other .
19.00
I get home at about 7pm , and my husband and I have a habit of getting changed and going out for a nice long walk . We live by the sea , so we stroll along the seafront and chat over things that have happened during our day .
Ms Hofmann spoke to reporter Emily Roberts
Profile Sarah Hofmann
Location Cathedral Medical Group Practice , Chichester
Roles Part-time registered nursing associate in general practice ; part-time education lead at Chichester Alliance of Medical Practices ( ChAMP ) Primary Care Network .
Areas of responsibility Running clinics at the practice , including those for long-term condition reviews , wound care , emergency ECGs , injections and immunisations . Practice lead for infection control and mentor for new staff .