We seek a dedicated and experienced Diabetic Specialist Practice Nurse to join our GP practice team in Weston-Super-Mare. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in diabetes care, providing high-quality support to patients living with diabetes, promoting self-management, and working collaboratively with our multidisciplinary healthcare team. This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the health and well-being of individuals in the local community.
Main duties of the job
Patient Care & Support:
* Provide expert advice and support to patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
* Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care plans for diabetic patients.
* Educate and empower patients on diabetes management, including medication, lifestyle changes, and self-monitoring.
* Support patients in managing their blood sugar levels, and monitor for complications.
* Provide ongoing care and follow-up for patients.
Clinical Leadership:
* Lead and coordinate diabetes clinics within the practice.
* Promote and drive the uptake of diabetes reviews in line with national guidelines.
* Work closely with GPs, practice nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure integrated and holistic care for diabetic patients.
* Offer professional guidance and support to junior nursing staff and colleagues.
Education & Training:
* Deliver education and training sessions for patients and practice staff on diabetes care.
* Stay up-to-date with current trends in diabetes care, ensuring evidence-based practices are applied.
* Support the development and delivery of practice policies and protocols for diabetes management.
Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement:
* Contribute to audits, reviews, and other quality improvement activities related to diabetes care within the practice.
* Maintain accurate patient records, ensuring that data is up-to-date and in compliance with confidentiality and data protection laws.
* Participate in local and national diabetes initiatives and protocols.
About us
We are lucky to have two of the newestbuildings in the area to work in, thus making our working environment a verymodern one. Our second building was opened in January 2024. We are proud to be a large practice with over 24,000 patients and growing.
We are aware that being a largerorganisation can present teamwork challenges and are therefore focused on staffwell-being to ensure we operate as one team. We take time out for coffee breaksevery day and hold frequent clinical meetings, to encourage our cliniciansto collaborate and support each other. We have a social committee, with fundsallocated and we have a well-being committee, also with dedicated funds to makeimprovements to our working environment.
Our core values are centred aroundContinuity as we believe that to be the cornerstone of Primary Care. We supportContinuity everyday with our values: Respect, Teamwork and Confidentiality.
Job responsibilities
Main Job responsibilities:
* Take responsibility for keeping nursing skills and knowledge up to date and in line with current guidelines
* Working independently alongside the Lead Practice Nurse and Healthcare Assistant team, making decisions and recommendations as appropriate.
* Oversee Healthcare Assistants when required
* Undertake relevant training courses in order to advance skills.
* Keep up to date on changes to national guidelines
* Take a proactive approach towards planning activities related to own workload in order to complete tasks in a timely manner.
* Contribute to the achievement of the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
* Chronic Disease Management run clinics, keep up to date with guidelines.
* Nurse Prescribing - Where the post holder is an independent prescriber : to prescribe safe, effective and appropriate medication as defined by current legislative framework
Routine Treatment Room Activities:
* Cytology
* Wound care/Dopplers/Four layer bandaging
* Removal of Sutures
* Urinalysis
* Travel immunisations
* ECGs
* Venepuncture
* Ear syringing
* Routine immunizations/Childhood immunisations
* Chaperoning and assisting patients where appropriate who are being examined by another clinician
* Requesting pathology tests, for example urine culture, swabs
* Contraception
* Therapeutic Monitoring
* Maintain general tidiness and cleanliness of nurses and treatment room
* Ordering of Health Promotion Literature
* Ordering of vaccinations to maintain stock levels
* Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
* 24 hour BP monitor
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Essential Qualifications & Skills:
* - Registered Nurse (RN) with valid NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) registration.
* - Specialist diabetes qualification, such as a Diabetes Diploma or equivalent.
* - Proven experience in managing patients with diabetes in a primary care setting.
* - Strong clinical skills, including the ability to assess, plan, and deliver care for diabetic patients.
* - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with patients and colleagues.
* - Knowledge of current national guidelines and best practices for diabetes management.
* Ability to work autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
* Desirable Qualifications & Skills:
* - Experience working in a GP practice or primary care setting.
* - Experience in delivering structured education for diabetic patients.
* - Experience with data management systems such as EMIS Web.
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.
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