Primary Care Nurse - full-time

About Us

At Dublin Simon Community, we’re dedicated to making home a reality. We empower individuals to access and sustain housing through services like prevention, addiction treatment, emergency response, and targeted interventions, in collaboration with our partners.

If you share our values and want to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for client-focused, friendly, and adaptable individuals to join our team.

We prioritise best practices in HR, including staff training, communication, and involvement in decision-making, to create a supportive and effective work environment.

About The Position

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Working Hours: 37.5 a week, Monday-Friday, 5-day liability.

Salary: 40,000-50,000 DOE

Location: Expected to commute between Emergency Services (Harcourt Street, Maple House, Longfields, Carmen’s Hall) and Long Term Accommodation (Chester House, Oak House and Riversdale). All locations are within Dublin.

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Primary Care Nurse to join our team! This unique role offers the opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of homeless adults, many of whom may be in active addiction or experience complex mental or physical health concerns.

The Primary Care team provide on-site nursing care to people experiencing homelessness to improve their quality of life and refer them to external medical or mental health services. The aim of primary care is to reduce barriers to healthcare for homeless clients through on-site nursing intervention, advocacy and liaising with external services. As an advocate for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, you will be at the forefront of delivering essential healthcare services, supporting patients through their recovery journeys, and helping to reduce barriers to healthcare for homeless clients.

You will be part of a comprehensive nursing team that is dedicated to improving health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. You will work closely with your primary care team and the wider inclusion health community, liaising with external services such as; SafetyNet, MQI & hospital-based inclusion health teams.

Role Responsibilities

• To work with the Primary Care Nurse Manager to plan the health care of residents, address gaps and blocks to client care and respond to needs of service accordingly.
• Conduct basic nursing assessments with clients to establish their health care needs and link them in with relevant hospital/community-based teams.
• Develop individual nursing care plans for clients and work closely and with teams to deliver outcomes and ensure continuity of care.
• Provide on-site nursing care in homeless accommodation: routine observations, attend emergencies, medication education and monitoring chronic health issues.
• Collaboration of care between healthcare providers.
• Support and empower clients in their recovery journey and adopt a harm reduction approach to care.
• Provide comprehensive, effective and efficient coordination of healthcare to service users accessing Emergency Services/Long Term Accommodation.
• Maintain a caseload as agreed with Nurse Manager in line with service needs.
• Work as part of the primary care nursing team, attending weekly case conferences and handing over relevant health/social care information daily.
• Attend bi-weekly MDT with external social inclusion agencies and handover care of clients.
• Attend and contribute to weekly case reviews at each service and address any follow up care that is needed.
• Deliver training to staff/clients as indicated by service need and directed by nurse manager e.g. sexual health awareness etc.
• On-site wound care provided by nursing team for clients; further training provided by Tissue Viability Nurse.
• Delivery of the Needle and Syringe Exchange Programme and safer injecting advice to service users and comply with all clinical governance requirements.
• Respond to overdoses in services – naloxone training provided.
• Complete all administrative tasks such as report writing, data collection, maintenance of accurate nursing and medical records, up to date client case notes.
• Work closely with support staff and key workers to ensure the health care needs (mental health and general health) of clients are met and that the continuity of care is of an optimum standard.
• To liaise with and develop relationships with key stakeholders and establish and expand on the services available to clients including referrals to; Public Health Nurses, Physiotherapists, GP’s, Occupational Therapists, Addiction Treatment Services, Mental Health Teams, Hospices etc.
• Conduct external health service visitations to meet with client and MDT for continuity of care. This can involve arranging MDT meetings, case conferences and discharge planning meetings.
• Advocate for clients with external services, ensuring the clients best interest at the forefront of all conversations.
• Contribute and support the Primary Care Nurse Manager in the development of health promotion initiatives as needed across Dublin Simon services
• Support key workers to manage the healthcare needs of a complex caseload of clients presenting with; mental health, physical health and substance misuse issues.
• To participate in Governance for Quality and Safety initiatives and participating in own professional development.
• Work within and assist development, implementation and review of policies and procedures to ensure quality standards are adhered to in services.
• Work within scope of practice.