Practice Nurse Specialising in Diabetes

Job responsibilities

The main responsibility of this role is to provide comprehensive care management to our diabetic patients, providing them with clinical care, guidance and support with their diabetes. You will work to policies and protocols and strive to improve standards of care to the practices patient population. You may also on occasions be required to undertake other practice nurse treatment room duties within your experience and skills. Experience of working in primary care is desirable.

The post holder must work as part of a team, have the ability to organise and prioritise their own workload on a day to day basis, and observe strict rules about confidentiality at all times. They must also know the limits of their own capabilities and seek direction from a GP, or Practice Manager.

Working strictly in accordance with specific practice or national guidelines, the Practice Nurse will assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of prescribed programmes of patient care.

The post holder must maintain registration with NMC, maintaining its Code of Conduct to protect the public through professional standards. Fulfil their learning requirements

Job Responsibilities

Diabetes Care Management

• To ensure that the Practice's diabetes care is delivered in a timely, professional manner whilst maintaining equity of access to a coordinated and seamless service.
• To identify patient's diabetes care needs using a holistic approach and to assess and offer highly specialist advice in all aspects of complex diabetes management to all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Chronic disease management - assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual treatment plans for patients, including insulin initiation.
• Review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols.
• To demonstrate a positive supportive approach to patients at diagnosis and/or patients with the development of diabetes related complications.
• Work with patients in order to support adherence to prescribed treatments
• Establish and maintain highly effective communication skills with patients, carers/relatives, and professionals across health and social services. This may involve the giving of sensitive and complex information.
• On occasion the post holder may be required to visit patients in their own home e.g. to conduct Diabetic chronic disease reviews.
• Perform advanced clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs. Collect, collate, evaluate and report information, maintaining accurate patient records.
• Involve patients and carers/relatives in the planning and delivery of care and development of services.
• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team and outside agencies to ensure patient needs are met, especially in relation to ongoing care needs
• Act as a resource for specialist advice and expert clinical knowledge across the Practice, giving advice to colleagues on the clinical management of patients.
• Provide expert specialist advice and education to patients and carers/relatives to enable the safe and independent management of their diabetes.
• Undertake clinical supervision and education of nursing colleagues on an individual or group basis.
• Assist with providing a triage service, including telephone advice and assessing patients in the surgery, and liaising with nurses, doctors and outside agencies as appropriate
• Maintain clinical areas and equipment, sterilisation of instruments and stock control and drugs and sundry items
• Keep accurate, contemporaneous records, both written and electronic

Other duties dependent on knowledge and skills

• Manage other chronic diseases e.g. Hypertension, Asthma, Thyroid disease, etc.
• Developing an integrated approach to chronic diseases within the Primary Health Care Team and being actively involved in their clinical management.
• Carry out immunisation clinics and associated admin
• Carry out travel immunisation clinics and associated admin.
• Undertake preventative and treatment clinics for the general nursing care of patients including dressings, removal of sutures, ECGs, blood pressures
• Undertake wound management (e.g. leg ulcers)
• Provide a comprehensive vaccination service
• Provide nursing care in minor injuries
• Provide a cervical smear service, family planning information and advice
• Provide catheter care, changing urethral and suprapubic catheters
• Establish diagnoses to set protocols (e.g. BP, blood tests, ECG recordings etc)
• Participate in clinical call and recall systems and record results
• Undertake clinical audits and assist with administration of recalls
• Assist in teaching and assessing Health Care Assistants and other members of staff
• Perform other clinical tasks as trained and agreed to meet the needs of the practice
• Be involved in identifying practice clinical needs
• Perform any other tasks within the skills of the post holder.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered nurse
• Advanced Diabetes qualification

Desirable

• Post graduate diploma or degree (Primary Care)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of working as a practice nurse or community nurse
• Experience of chronic disease management, especially Diabetes
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Other Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong IT skills
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• EMIS/Systmone/Vision user skills
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure

Desirable

• Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
• Experience with clinical risk management

Personal Qualities / Other

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and co-operative
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Effectively utilises resources
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Occupational health clearance
• NMC registration

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Specializing in Diabetes
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• Chaperone procedure
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Womens health (cervical cytology, contraception, etc.)
• Understanding the importance of evidence based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to GPs
• Understanding of infection prevention and control measures
• Knowledge of health promotion strategies
• Understand the requirement for PGDs and associated policy

Desirable

• COPD
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• Spirometry
• CHD
• New patient medicals
• Travel medicine
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).