Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.    CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

•    To provide a diabetes service by receiving and acting on direct referrals.
•    Autonomously manage a caseload of patients with the support of the Consultant Nurse Diabetes and Diabetes Service Lead.
•    Use advanced clinical assessment skills and judgement to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for patients with diabetes with complex physical and psychological related problems using a recognised evidenced based model of care.
•    Monitor and make treatment interventions in order to manage patients’ symptoms associated with diabetes. If qualified as an independent Nurse/Dietitian Prescriber, prescribe medications as clinically indicated as per Trust and department policies.
•    Order and interpret and act on relevant tests and investigations.
•    Provide appropriate and timely education and advice to patients in order to promote self-management, enhance quality of life and decrease avoidable A&E attendances or admissions.
•    To provide essential advisory and psychological care to patients referred with diabetes.
•    To document all care given using the Trust guidelines.
•    To act as a clinical expert role model in nursing care to other nurses within the team and nationally as required.
•    To develop nursing guidelines/ protocols related to diabetes at a local and network level.

2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR PATIENTS

•    To review patients on a weekly/daily basis with the multi-professional team
•    To be an advocate for service users to highlight service deficiencies, to improve patient centred care.
•    To actively engage with service users and develop methods to measure patient satisfaction.
•    To participate in regular structured education sessions for patients.
•    To communicate clearly, skilfully and sensitively with all patients always

3. RESPONSIBILITY FOR POLICY AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
  
•    In conjunction with the multi-professional team develop annual objectives and strategies for Diabetes and monitor and evaluate progress towards these
•    To identify potential service improvements within Diabetes and lead local improvement projects
•    To actively participate in measurement of outcomes including local audit
•    To develop and update nursing guidelines/protocols in relation to Diabetes
•    Participate in the development of Trust wide mandatory education programmes for Diabetes
•    Work collaboratively with Lead/ Consultant Nurse and multi-professional team to develop and disseminate Trust wide Diabetes guidelines

4. RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES

•    To ensure that resources are used effectively and efficiently.
•    To ensure that any equipment used is maintained and serviced accordingly.

5. RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEADING AND MANAGING

•    To provide advice and leadership on complex issues within care practices and delivery across the Trust and local networks
•    To take a lead role in the further development of off-site Diabetes led services
•    Promote the principles of clinical supervision and act as a supervisor for others
•    To provide advice and support to other members of the multi-disciplinary team in relation to specialist practice in Diabetes
•    To use clinical expertise to provide practical strategies to solve problems identified by other health care professionals
•    To take a lead role in developing advanced practice in Diabetes, whilst being aware of personal and professional limitations.
•    To work with the Diabetes service leads and multi-professional team to engage in the implementation of improvements in diabetes practices within own areas of responsibility and in line with local and national agenda and patient feedback.
•    To work closely alongside senior practitioners within the Trust to advance specialist roles.
•    Line manage and mentor junior staff and students
•    To assist with the cross cover of the DSN/Dietitians across all sites
•    To report all clinical and non-clinical incidents promptly and when requested to co-operate with any investigation undertaken
•    To establish strong working links with other key colleagues within the directorate both within the multi-professional team and external bodies outside the Trust and local Diabetes networks.
•    To initiate and develop collaborative care strategies.

6. RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES

•    To document and maintain accurate records in line with professional standards of record keeping
•    To participate and attend Directorate and Trust forums to ensure uptake of information to disseminate to own team
•    To ensure mandatory training and adherence to the Trust’s Information Governance Policy

7. RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

•    To ensure an evidence-based service, through regular literature review and update of Trust guidelines.
•    To participate in research and quality improvement within the unit
•    To develop teaching resources to develop knowledge base about Diabetes
•    To pursue a programme of continuous education to achieve and maintain expertise for the post and continue professional development using the NMC/CPSM Advanced Practice competencies as a framework
•    To be responsible for ensuring own awareness of current developments in Nursing/Dietetics, the Health Service and relevant specialist clinical practices.
•    To actively seek out opportunities to participate in formal and informal teaching and training of all members of the multi-professional team