Band 7 Diabetes Specialist Practitioner

at  Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Band 7 Diabetes Specialist Practitioner role (Nurse or Dietitian) has been developed to support wider access to recruitment, providing development opportunities for a wider range of health care professionals seeking to develop their experience in diabetes within a multidisciplinary workforce.
To provide autonomous diabetes care for patients with Diabetes using advanced clinical skills and knowledge of the speciality
To lead and autonomously manage a caseload of patients with Diabetes, who have multiple and complex needs including complex Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, ante-natal, renal, transition and initiation of CGM/pump therapy within the inpatient and outpatient Diabetes service.
To take responsibility for own evidence-based practice and implement and add to the body of knowledge that supports nursing practice within Diabetes.
To lead and innovate diabetes related specialist practice, both within the Trust and through local networks.
To develop diabetes guidelines, protocols and policies for the Trust
To develop all staff within the multidisciplinary team, providing support, advice, formal and informal education.
To actively contribute to and participate in the delivery of Trust-wide multi disciplinary mandatory training and teaching.
To provide specialist advice to inpatient diabetes service by receiving direct referrals from members of other multi-disciplinary teams
To work flexibly in response to service needs, to provide cover to all trust sites if required.
To provide World Class Care in line with Royal Free Values and behaviours.
Royal Free World Class Values

The post holder will offer World Class Care to service users, staff, colleagues, clients and patients alike so that everyone at the Royal Free can feel:

• Welcome all of the time · Confident because we are clearly communicating
• Respected and cared for · Reassured that they are always in safe hands

It is the duty of every member of staff to take personal responsibility for the prevention and control of infection, as laid down in the Trust’s polices and procedures which reflect the statutory requirements of the Hygiene Code.

• To work in close collaboration with the Infection Control Team.
• To ensure that monitoring of clinical practice is undertaken at the agreed frequency.
• To ensure that the ward environments are cleaned and maintained to the highest standards; ensuring that shortfalls are rectified, or escalate as necessary.
• To ensure that all relevant monitoring data and issues are provided to the Directorate’s Governance structures.
• To ensure that all staff are released to attend infection control-related educational sessions and staff with specialist roles, e.g. link practitioners, are released to undertake their duties

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.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Infection Control
Infection control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are required to adhere to the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedures and the Health Act (2006) Code of Practice for the prevention and control healthcare associated infections and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the risk of Healthcare Associated infections.

It is the duty of every member of staff to take personal responsibility for the prevention and control of infection, as laid down in the Trust’s polices and procedures which reflect the statutory requirements of the Hygiene Code.

• To work in close collaboration with the Infection Control Team.
• To ensure that monitoring of clinical practice is undertaken at the agreed frequency.
• To ensure that the ward environments are cleaned and maintained to the highest standards; ensuring that shortfalls are rectified, or escalate as necessary.
• To ensure that all relevant monitoring data and issues are provided to the Directorate’s Governance structures.
• To ensure that all staff are released to attend infection control-related educational sessions and staff with specialist roles, e.g. link practitioners, are released to undertake their duties.

Health and Safety at Work