Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical practice

• Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence-based practice and research.
• Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload with support from the multidisciplinary team and Diabetic Foot Practitioner.
• Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.
• Support the MDT by facilitating the booking of investigations and interpretation of results.
• Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.
• Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.
• Provide advice to the MDT on the most appropriate IV antibiotic therapy protocols for diabetic foot infections
• Carry out measurements of transcutaneous oxygen tension pre and post angioplasty and post bypass surgery
• Co-ordinate and participate in diabetic foot ward rounds and present patients and their test results
• In conjunction with the Diabetic Foot Specialist Nurse organise weekly early intervention vascular diabetic foot outpatient clinics and present patients and their vascular test results (Fridays)
• Run early discharge clinics for complex patients in order to reduce length of stay for inpatients.
• Support with joint podiatry-orthotic clinics to support patients to receive footwear in timely manner
• Review and triage acute inpatient referrals from wards including A&E and SDEC.
• To liaise with the Ward Clerks to facilitate the correct stock levels of specialist dressings.
• Identify areas of poor practice and respond appropriately ensuring the delivery of safe and effective practice
• Work closely with PCTs, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist and podiatry services to ensure continuity of care post discharge.

Education and Training

• Develop and participate in local ward based and trust wide education programmes for the MDT on general diabetic foot care and management
• Educate and advise patients and their significant others on all aspects of diabetic foot care.
• Contribute and participate in teaching on postgraduate courses.
• Contribute to annual study days for the tissue viability link nurses, diabetes link nurses, physiotherapists, medical students, etc

Leadership

• Maintain a comprehensive database on all diabetic foot in patient activities
• Support the Diabetic Foot Practitioner to carry out an evaluation of database content and statistical analysis of activities for presentation at MDT meetings and grand rounds
• Support the Diabetic Foot Practitioner to prepare annual reports of diabetic foot activities and standards of care for evaluation by medical care group management.
• Participate in pertinent research projects regarding diabetic foot in-patients.

Research and Service Development 

• To promote and facilitate evidence-based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of allied health professional to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate in and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.
• To promote diabetes research and evidenced based practice relevant to the speciality
• To lead on audit/benchmarking within own specialist area.
• To utilise and maintain information systems to aid audit and to provide regular activity analysis report.