Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The
Diabetes Specialist Nurse will act as a clinical expert and professional
resource to the multi-professional team, patients, and carers. The post holder
will ensure the ongoing development and delivery of a high quality diabetes
service within the Practice. This will include the management of a caseload of
patients, providing specialist advice within their clinical area for a cohort
of patients with complex diabetes needs including, history taking, clinical
assessments, treatments, and education.
They
will also support our generalist practice nurses in developing their diabetes
competencies and work to audit and evaluated the quality of the diabetes care
in the practice.
Role Purpose
1. An autonomous
practitioner in Diabetes Nursing and deliver evidence-based care, structured
education and information to people with diabetes, their families and other health
colleagues.
2. Assist in development
and implementation of appropriate pathway of care for patients with diabetes.
3. Improve the quality
of diabetic patient care in the locality and minimise inappropriate hospital
referrals and admissions.
4. Support, manage,
monitor, and maintain the efficient and continued development of diabetes care
services within the Practice.
5. Support clinical
practitioners to ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality care within the
Service.
6. Act as educator,
expert clinician, and source of support to provide high quality care, ensuring
patients are appropriately clinically triaged and signposted to appropriate
clinician or service.
Role Responsibilities
Clinical:
Use high-level
decision-making skills.
Undertake
consultation at an advanced level, using expert knowledge and clinical skills
to ensure patients receive high quality care, delivered in a timely manner.
Clinically examine
and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective and
plan clinical care accordingly.
Assess, diagnosis,
plan, implement and evaluate interventions/treatments for patients with complex
needs.
Review medication for
therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patients needs and in accordance with
evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols, and within the
scope of practice.
Make direct referrals
to secondary care within locally agreed pathways.
Maintain accurate and
contemporaneous records using the practice clinic system.
Clinically provide
advice review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient
needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice
protocols, and within scope of practice.
To provide Diabetic
patients with patient centred, evidence-based care and treatment according to
local protocols, guidelines.
To prevent and detect
early complications and other physical, social or psychological problems
To liaise with other
health professionals or voluntary organisations both community and hospital
based
To introduce and
follow the practice of Insulin conversation, including frequent regular
followup.
To provide a safe and
comprehensive service for altering Insulin dosage or type, either with or
without GP reference.
To encourage patients
to self-adjust their own Insulin.
Education and
Research:
Education to
patients, relatives/cover on all aspects of Diabetes management by direct
contact individually or ion groups, within the practice.
To set up and
organise patient education clinics if service allows.
To organise and
participate in education for other health professionals and students.
To encourage
interest, training and teach Insulin conversion to other nursing professionals
to enhance the service offered
To collaboratively
identify areas for nursing practice development and maintain a learning
environment
To recognise and use
spontaneous learning opportunities
To Participate in
research projects applicable to Diabetes care, management service review and
service delivery.
Professional Role:
Maintain an
up-to-date professional registration.
Monitor the
effectiveness of own clinical practice through the quality assurance strategies
such as the use of audit and peer review.
Maintain own
clinical/professional expertise by participating in clinical activities,
personal development planning, clinical governance, and revalidation.
Participate in
continuing professional development opportunities to ensure that up-to-date
evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role is
maintained.
Training requirements
will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice
requirements.
Pro-actively promote
your role within the Practice.
Always promote a
professional approach by dress and attitude to patients and colleagues.
It will be necessary
to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested. (The only
reason for not attending will be annual, study or sick leave).
Communication:
To
be aware of data protection issues.
To
liaise effectively with other health professionals both inside and outside the
organisation, regarding accepting and making clinical referrals.
Communicate
effectively with patients and relatives, considering differences in language,
literacy, and culture.
Confidentiality:
While seeking
treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive
information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in
confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy
and act appropriately.
In the performance of
the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder will have access
to confidential information relating to the Practice as a business
organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as
strictly confidential.
Information relating
to patients, carers, colleagues, other health care workers or the business of
the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the
Practice Policies and Procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection
of personal and sensitive data.
Health & Safety:
The
post-holder will support, promote, and maintain the Practices Health &
Safety Policy and Procedures and the Practices Infection Control Policy and
Procedures.
Equality and
Diversity:
The
post-holder will support, promote, and maintain the Practices Equality &
Diversity Policy.
This
job description is intended to provide an outline of the key tasks and
responsibilities only. There may be other duties required of the post-holder
commensurate with the position. This description will be subject to regular
review and may be amended to take into account development within the Practice.
All members of staff should be prepared to take on additional duties or
relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the
Practice.
