Job summary
- Main area
- diabetes
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (including weekends)
- Job ref
- 418-NUR8963-MR
- Employer
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bedford Hospital
- Town
- Bedford
- Salary
- £39,959 - £48,117 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Diabetes Inpatient Nurse
NHS AfC: Band 6
Job overview
An exciting and rare opportunity has arisen for an experienced Nurse to join the established Diabetes Multidisciplinary Team at Bedford Hospital.
The ideal candidate will have recent experience at band 6 in acute medicine or evidence of management, and some exposure to diabetes care in the in-patient setting.
They will be based at the North Bedfordshire Diabetes Centre and their remit will concentrate on the management and care of people with diabetes in hospital, working closely with both the Out-Patient Diabetes Specialist nurses and the Integrated Community team. The post holder will be working as part of the multidisciplinary team, participating in appropriate evidenced based programmes of education and care for people with diabetes whilst in hospital. They will increase diabetes awareness by disseminating knowledge and skills to other healthcare professionals and people with diabetes and their family/carers.
The inpatient Diabetes Nurse will provide professional and specialist clinical knowledge to all healthcare professionals involved with the management of inpatient with diabetes.
The post holder will contribute to the development of a high quality local service for people with diabetes.
Main duties of the job
1. To assess, plan and implement ongoing evaluated pathways of care and education programmes for people with diabetes and their families and carers, including both newly diagnosed and those with long standing diabetes.
2. Along with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, plan and implement a timely and safe discharge from hospital. Where appropriate liaise with the community diabetes specialist nurse to provide ongoing support for the patient once discharged.
3. Give advice and information to the person with diabetes and their carers so that they may understand their condition and control it more effectively.
4. To discuss treatment issues, plan care and advise others on the management of people with diabetes. To include careful assessment and development of an individualised treatment plan under the guidance of the Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurse.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Care and Patient Management
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Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care pathways and education programmes for people with diabetes, including newly diagnosed patients and those with long-standing diabetes, as well as their families and carers.
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Work with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure timely and safe discharge from hospital, liaising with Community Diabetes Specialist Nurses where appropriate.
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Provide advice and information to patients and carers to enhance their understanding of diabetes and support effective self-management.
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Discuss treatment plans, advise colleagues on diabetes management, and contribute to individualized care plans under the guidance of the Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurse.
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Advise patients, carers, and healthcare professionals on insulin and oral hypoglycaemic medication adjustments in accordance with Trust guidelines and under supervision.
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Promote healthy lifestyles through advice on:
- Weight management
- Physical activity
- Smoking cessation
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Teach patients and carers practical diabetes management skills, including:
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Insulin injection techniques
- Day-to-day diabetes management
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Act as a key member of the multidisciplinary and Think Glucose teams, attending regular review meetings and implementing agreed changes to practice.
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Report significant clinical incidents and complete incident reporting in line with Trust procedures.
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Demonstrate flexibility to meet service needs, including participation in seven-day working initiatives where required.
Education and Training
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Assist in developing and delivering training sessions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals on inpatient diabetes management.
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Participate in diabetes education programmes for pre-registration and post-registration students.
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Collaborate with other specialist nurses to share best practices and benchmark service standards.
Professional and Service Development
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Support the implementation of policies, protocols, and guidelines relating to diabetes care within the hospital.
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Participate in audits and quality improvement initiatives to evaluate service effectiveness and identify patient safety concerns.
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Maintain accurate and up-to-date records within the diabetes database.
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Ensure comprehensive and timely documentation in patients' medical records.
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Attend and contribute to both clinical and non-clinical departmental meetings.
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Keep informed of current research in diabetes care and contribute to research and audit projects as required.
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Maintain membership of relevant professional organisations and specialist bodies.
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Engage in continuous professional development through conferences, meetings, and professional literature related to nursing and diabetes care.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- RGN
Desirable criteria
- Teaching and Assessing qualification
- Qualification in Diabetes
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills- written and verbal
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in current post
- Ability to teach in groups or on a 1:1 basis
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of NHS policy relating to Diabetes care.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Post registration experience in acute ward setting.
- Experience and Band 6 or management
Desirable criteria
- Experience of diabetes care in an inpatient setting
- Familiar with audit and evidenced based practice
- Ability to work autonomously
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sophie Birch
- Job title
- Lead Diabetes Specialist Nurse
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07951135532
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