Enhanced Practitioner - Diabetes in Whitehaven

We are looking for a motivated and experienced Enhanced Practitioner with a specialism in Diabetes to join our team. Our enhanced practice professionals use clinical decision-making within their scope of practice; participate in decision making amongst the wider MDT; and contribute specific knowledge of their area of practice (Diabetes). The Enhanced level of practice includes freedom to act with autonomous practice within the professional scope of the specialism. The post holder will have highly developed specialist skills and advanced knowledge in diabetic care. They will have significant clinical experience in their area of practice. As an autonomous practitioner, they will undertake independent consultations with patients attending with specific symptoms within the post holder's specialist scope of practice. They will assess, examine, investigate, diagnose, treat and follow up patients within their scope of practice.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a specialist and advanced professional contribution to the clinical management of patients attending within their specialist area (diabetes).
• Use a combination of skills, knowledge, values and self-esteem to manage change and move beyond competency, moving from experienced to expert in area of specialism.
• Practice with autonomy and accountability.
• To assess selected patients taking a full comprehensible history, carrying out comprehensive clinical examinations, making diagnosis and providing treatment where necessary.
• To be responsible for the follow up of the patients under their care.
• Adhere to the NMC/HCPC/professional body Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and ethics for nurses/professional body at all times.
• To undertake assessments for clinical risk within the service and ensure all staff are aware of responsibilities and related policies.
• To participate in the identification, development, implementation and dissemination of local clinical protocols, policies, procedures, guidelines relating to individualised specialist service; which includes their management ensuring clinical governance is maintained.

Professional development

• To provide leadership by acting as a role model for other nurses within the service and provide specialist and up to date relevant diabetes information to other Nurses and Health Professionals.
• Lead and develop local clinical policies and procedure in relation to specific skill set.
• To ensure that clinical and educational practice within their scope of practice adheres to recent research findings, clinical governance and professional guidelines.
• To participate in regular clinical supervision and personal staff review.
• Maintain a portfolio of evidence aligned to competency frameworks to showcase education and ongoing skills, knowledge, competencies and attributes.
• Keep up to date with professional body/Organisational and national Guidelines, policies and protocols.
• Maintain your own professional and personal development, attending mandatory trainings as required.
• To support and encourage the clinical supervision process for all nurses within their services and actively be involved in the process.
• To organise, develop, deliver and facilitate formal and informal teaching sessions to staff, Primary Care and other members of the health care team such as medical students, student nurses/midwives and trainee GPs.

Quality

• To provide expert advice to their patients on clinical issues and follow relevant guidelines.
• Follow best practice for safeguarding.
• To be a flexible, effective member of the team and provide cover for other relevant staff during absence as appropriate.
• To report to the Manager, progress in the assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring of national strategies ensuring targets are met within the Service.
• To identify to the Manager future service requirements.
• To respond to daily problems faced by the service and ensure issues are resolved as swiftly as possible.
• This may include analysing complex situations and making independent decisions and identifying longer-term solutions as required.
• To report to the Manager progress in the assessment, planning, implementation and monitoring of national and local strategies and key performance indicators (KPIs) ensuring targets are met within the Service.
• To manage, contribute and participate in audit of clinical practice and service delivery within the Service. This includes data collection, analysing information, evaluating findings, writing action plans and putting systems into place to ensure these are actioned.

Communication

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.
• Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication.
• Maintain effective communication within the practice environment and with external stakeholders.
• Act as an advocate for patients and colleagues.
• Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance (eg PALS) and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising any difficulties and referring where appropriate.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised.
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people's rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation. Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues. Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and right.

Personal/Professional Development

The postholder will participate in all training programmes implemented by the Practice, including annual performance reviews and competency assessments, and will take responsibility for their own ongoing development, learning and performance. They will maintain a comprehensive professional portfolio demonstrating autonomous clinical practice, clinical supervision, CPD and reflective learning, ensuring that clinical competencies required for safe autonomous practice in diabetic care are continually met. The postholder will contribute to clinical governance activities such as audits, incident reviews and quality improvement initiatives, while engaging in regular clinical supervision and reflective discussions to support safe, accountable practice. They will also support the development of colleagues by sharing specialist diabetes knowledge, offering mentorship and demonstrating skills and activities to others undertaking similar work.

Person Specification

Essential

• Relevant professional degree.
• Registered with the NMC or HCPC.
• Non-medical prescriber.
• Specialist knowledge in Diabetes care at Enhanced Practitioner level.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Knowledge in EMIS clinical system.
• Knowledge of the Accurx system.
• Effective time management skills.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Ability to work as an autonomous Practitioner within scope.
• Able to work on own initiative.
• Must be personable, polite and approachable.
• Must be a team player.
• Must be adaptable to change.
• Commitment to ongoing training and education to develop clinical skills.
• Have the ability to prioritise workload.
• Able to work under pressure and remain calm.
• Full clean driving licence.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care setting would be beneficial.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.