Diabetes Specialist Nurse

Job responsibilities

Planning and Organisational Duties

Assesses, develops and implements specialised programmes of care providing specialist advice on all aspects of diabetes management to patients and relatives.

Advises medical and nursing staff on appropriate treatment regimes for patients on a daily basis and is responsible for the continued management of cases in nurse run clinics and home visits.

Establish and maintain effective communication with various individuals and groups on potentially stressful topics in a range of situations.

Collect, collate and organise data on the health and well being and related needs of people with diabetes and the associated complications drawing the appropriate conclusions and making them available to relevant people.

Contributes to the development of specialist evidence based protocols for use within their own area of diabetes care.

Raise communities and populations awareness of health and well-being and the actions that can be taken to address issues.

Prioritise and monitor workload within own specialist area, recognising change in priorities and implementing corrective actions where necessary.

Contributes to the planning and delivery of specialist education for health professionals working within the community across the borough of Wigan.

To assist with the review of services

Communications and Key Working Relationships

Accept direct referrals from other health care professionals and through the utilisation of relevant diagnostic investigations makes a diagnosis and generates treatment options.

Analyse and rigorously review all aspects of the patients programme of care interpreting information and using knowledge and judgement to provide specialist advice to recommend new course of action where necessary.

Skilled in the assessment of the special needs of the elderly and their limitations which have to be considered when producing individualised treatment regimes (eg cognitive function, manual dexterity)

Explain clearly to patients/carers the benefits and risks of different interventions, the alternative approaches available and the role of individual members of the team.

Communicates empathetically comprehensive and detailed sensitive information to patients and carers regarding both the diagnosis and the development of long-term life-threatening complications.

Utilise highly developed physical skills where accuracy is important, eg teaching home blood glucose monitoring.

Support patients/carers encouraging them to promote their own health and well-being and to express their interests and concerns.

Identify potential communication difficulties, relevant contextual factors and the risk of not communicating information at an appropriate time. (eg providing individualised patient education at level and appropriate timing for them, taking into account barriers to communication such as language, physical disability and environment.)

To maintain effective professional relationships with Acute Diabetes services and other relevant Health & Social Care services within Wigan & Leigh.

To inform and negotiate with the Multidisciplinary Team and outside agencies the need for care interventions. Communicating sensitive and often complex information.

Responsible for ensuring systems and processes are in place for the allocation of link roles/champions to ensure wider learning fed back to the whole team.

Accept designated responsibilities from senior leaders.

Responsibility for Finance

Ensure efficient and effective use of material resources/supplies within the team

Monitor, control and store resources/supplies according to the requirements and specifications of the clinical environment

Identify any problems with resource use/availability and make recommendations for corrective action which are consistent with team objectives and organisational policies

Ensure patients valuables and belongings are documented and managed according to trust policy.

Responsibility for Teaching

Identify the wider benefits, and influence and prioritise the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice in self and others to meet the demands of the job

Establish with others goals and methods for developing knowledge, ideas and work practice within diabetes care across the borough of Wigan (eg teaching sessions, education forums)

Take an active part in sharing achievements and developing knowledge, ideas and work practice (organising and contributing to departmental, trust, local and national education forums)

Promote awareness for national policies and other initiatives related to diabetes, eg NSF, NICE Guidelines and local Guidelines. To provide managerial supervision and leadership to team members.

Ensure student learners are supported on clinical placement, are appropriately supervised and have an effective learning experience.

Support junior staff with route planners and reviews.

Qualifications

Essential

• RGN
• Degree in Nursing or equivalent portfolio of evidence
• Appropriate post basic specialist certificated courses
• Teaching experience and or certificate/qualification

Desirable

• Recognised qualification in the management of Diabetes

Experience

Essential

• Experience working with patients with diabetes
• Ability to evaluate safety and effectiveness of own clinic practice
• Evidence working successfully as autonomous practitioner and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of developing programmes of care
• Evidence of professional/clinical knowledge in Diabetes
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Experience in audit/research
• Completion of Trend Insulin training
• Working in community setting providing patient care
• Experience working in Primary/Secondary care
• Evidence of contribution to service development and improvement.

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously.
• To be self-motivated and adaptable.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise caseload.
• Evidence of participation in teaching and teaching skills.
• Evidence of involvement in the development of programmes of care.
• Basic IT skills including use of Word, Excel, Teams.
• Effective time management skills.
• Problem solving skills.

Desirable

• Negotiating skills
• Proficient in the use of electronic patient record systems such as Systmone.

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of clinical knowledge of managing the Diabetes condition throughout the patient journey.
• Clinical knowledge including diagnosing, treatment planning and follow up in own nurse led clinics.
• Understanding of medication and administration of medication relating to Diabetes, including insulin therapy.
• Evidence of knowledge around latest local and national guidelines for Diabetes Management.
• Evidence of recent CPD.

Desirable

• Knowledge of local Diabetes teams and supportive services within Wigan & Leigh.
• Knowledge of services appropriate to signpost patients to within Wigan & Leigh.

Additional

Essential

• Flexible and adaptable approach in order to meet service need.
• Able to travel across Trust independently.
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the WWL Trust values and behaviours.

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).