Diabetes Specialist Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Professional

• The post holder will work as a member of a team made up of Specialist Diabetes Nurses, dietitians, podiatrist and consultants
• Work with members of the community diabetes service, secondary care colleagues and other agencies on implementing local policies in the management of diabetes
• Will liaise on regular basis with primary care (GPs and practice nurses) to assist in the development of diabetes services within these identified practices.
• Will contribute to the co-ordination of care between primary and secondary care diabetes services to ensure high quality of patient care and the continuity of services across both trusts.
• Work in partnership with the other diabetes specialist nurses and will act as an expert resource to health care professionals, family and carers within community and primary care services.
• Participate in local public health diabetes initiatives.
• Be responsible for maintaining own professional profile at all times.
• Act in accordance with local policies and procedures
• Conform to the regulations laid down by the Data Protection Act and also respect confidentiality of all staff and patient information.
• Ensure the health and safety of staff, patients and visitors, recording and reporting actual or potential problems promptly as outlined in Trust policies.
• Identify actual or potential clinical risks and take appropriate action, using when required the appropriate reporting structures
• Demonstrate sound IT skills and be prepared to undergo training to use electronic patient record system e.g. RIO or EMIS.
• To undertake an annual appraisal to identify organisational and professional objectives and developmental needs.

Clinical

• Maintain effective communication with patients, carers and professionals to ensure seamless service delivery, and to act as a first line contact resource, using developed specialised knowledge underpinned with experience and theoretical knowledge for diabetes related issues.
• Be able to empower people with diabetes to self-care, such as starting people on insulin therapy where English is not a first language. Supporting those dealing with complications associated with diabetes, eg loss of vision, amputation, heart attacks etc.
• To participate in diabetes Clinics, formulating individualised patient treatment care programmes in conjunction with the patient, multidisciplinary team and initiating changes in management of care.
• Assessing patients diabetes needs, identifying physical, psychological, physiological, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs in relation to their condition and proposed treatment.
• Provide a pathway of diabetes specialist nursing care for the patient, referring to secondary care, multidisciplinary teams and voluntary services unsupervised.
• To act as a clinical expert in advising patients who present with diabetes related problems and provide clinical advice and support to community based staff and junior members of the team.
• To request and interpret diagnostic investigations and inform patients and GPs of results.
• To act as the patients advocate when relevant and educate on all the treatment options to enable a patient to make an informed choice, negotiating with the medical team to agree a care pathway.
• To ensure patients, carers and health care professionals are given verbal and written information regarding planned care.
• To identify vulnerable groups and provide support, care and education to enable them to be self-caring in the management of their condition.
• Be responsible and accountable as a named nurse for an identified locality/group of general practices.
• Receive/triage patient referrals received through the central point of referral within the community diabetes service according to agreed protocol.
• Manage a complex caseload, autonomously in a community care setting.
• To work across organisational boundaries and in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team at other sites within the borough
• Facilitate district nursing teams in the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care that meet the needs of the individual patient with diabetes in terms of treatment and referral.
• Under agreed guidelines, protocols and using non-medical prescribing undertake the initiation and stabilisation of insulin and oral hypoglycaemics agents.
• Advise general practitioners, practice nurses and District nurses on oral hypoglycaemic medication and insulin dose changes.
• Participate in case conference in relation to future management or discharge arrangements.
• Maintain adequate patient records and ensure all relevant information is documented using EMIS as per agreed protocol.
• Prescribe in accordance to locally agreed guidelines and advise GPs of any medication changes.
• Maintain adequate prescribing documentation. Network with other Prescribers to maintain and keep up to date to minimise variation in practice.

Educational

• The post holder will deliver patient and professional education programmes in partnership with a multidisciplinary team of health professional.
• Train to be an educator in structured patient education, such as DESMOND, Deliver education and unsure maintain accreditation.
• Develop appropriate materials to facilitate the training and education of patients and health care professional.
• Be involved in the provision of mentorship for practitioners undertaking nurse training and post graduate diabetes courses
• Deliver education, support and training on a one to one basis to support practice nurses and GPs to develop their skills in diabetes management e.g. insulin initiation and management.
• Provide information to primary care clinicians on services and other available resources that can be accessed for diabetic patients.
• To represent the Trust in internal/external forum in relation to specific educational initiatives.

Research, Training and Development

• Identify areas for and participate in, nursing and multi-disciplinary research
• Actively participate in clinical audit programmes, collecting and evaluating data and present audit/research topics/data at directorate meetings.
• To identify own educational requirements in order to maintain specialism and to be responsible for own professional development, and support other staff in this activity. This includes participating in clinical supervision, maintaining Professional Development Plan, meeting with Specialist representatives, attending conferences and reading relevant literature etc.
• Maintain and further develop clinical expertise within diabetes nursing.
• Be prepared to undertake relevant education and training at Masters Level.

Management

• Contribute to maintaining the safe and smooth running of the diabetes specialist nursing service
• To have a understanding of current national NSF standards, Diabetes UK and NICE guidelines relevant to the speciality in order to improve practice and health outcomes where appropriate.
• To plan and implement improvements on continuity of patient care by establishing and maintaining links across the primary /secondary care interface.
• To be responsible for specific clinical equipment with regard to health and safety, infection control, quality control and ordering and security of specialised stock.
• Prioritises the demands of the service, and plans annual objectives.
• To act as a change agent and innovator, planning, instigating and evaluating change. Identifying issues to target which will benefit people with diabetes.
• Attend multidisciplinary case conferences that requires skills for planning and implementing appropriate care for patients and carers with complex need.

Team / Organisational

• Develop links with identified practices and liaise on regular basis with primary care (GP and Practice Nurses) to assist in the development of diabetes within primary care.
• Work closely with other Diabetes Specialist Nurses in implementing diabetes services in the area.
• Be expected to provide on-call duties on a rota system, as required.
• Through multidisciplinary working across secondary care, neighbouring primary care groups, NSF work streams and other associated groups and subgroups actively participate in the planning and implementing of the diabetes NSF in NHS Camden.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse
• Diabetes qualification

Desirable

• On-going post graduate education and development
• Post-graduate qualification
• oTeaching qualification (PGCE or equivalent)
• oNon-medical prescriber (or willing to undertake

Exprience

Essential

• Experience of running diabetes clinics in community or primary care setting
• Experience in delivering either staff or patient education in group setting.

Desirable

• oExperience of working in a trained capacity in more than one care setting e.g. primary care, community, hospital
• oExperience in more than one borough of London, including Camden or geographical area, so aware of differing aspects of focus and priorities.
• oDeveloping, interpreting & implementing of local, Trust and National policies

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• oGood diabetes knowledge with ability to work autonomously in the treatment and management of complex patients, using decision-making skills that reflect a patient focus.
• oExcellent interpersonal skills, including observation, listening and empathy skills.
• oAbility to work effectively with a range of stakeholders including people with diabetes, voluntary groups, social work, acute providers and commissioners.
• oExcellent negotiation and problem-solving skills, analytical and reflection skills
• oExcellent organisational and prioritisation skills
• oIn-depth knowledge of national policies and procedures across Health, its local implementation or application
• oAbility to communicate complex and sensitive information using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics

Essential

• oTeam player
• oFlexible
• oConfidential nature
• oSelf-motivated and able to work independently
• oApproachable
• oCalm and objective
• oAble to establish effective working relationships with different disciplines and across organisational boundaries

Other

Essential

• oIT Literate

Desirable

• oExperience using EMIS

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Pancras Hospital

4, St Pancras Way, St Pancras Hospital

London

NW1 0PE

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)