Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Specialist Medicine
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
275-2507DSN
Employer
Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Diabetes Centre, Residence 9
Town
Gillingham
Salary
£46,148 - £52,809 per annum/pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/07/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Medway NHS Foundation Trust logo

Diabetes Specialist Nurse (Adult-in patient)

Band 7

Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People?

Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision of Better, Best, Brilliant is achieved

Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust, we are able to give our employees flexibility on where, when and the hours they work.

Our culture and values are what drives Medway NHS Foundation Trust and is the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when you are completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.

Job overview

Diabetes Specialist Nurse (Adult In-Patient)

Division: Medicine and Emergency

Care Group: Specialist Medicine  

Band: 7

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 Per Annum/Pro Rata

Interview Date: week commencing 21st of July 2025

We are recruiting for a Diabetes Specialist Nurse (Adult In-Patient) who shares our ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People and has the drive to take us forward, by ensuring that the Trust continues to be the first choice for patients and our staff.

Main duties of the job

Deliver expert assessment and care for inpatients with complex diabetes, including insulin pumps, CGM, and hybrid closed-loop systems. Formulate individualized care plans, adjust medications, and support early discharge. Prioritize referrals and advise on complex scenarios like surgery, steroids, and enteral feeding. Educate patients and families with empathy and sensitivity. Act as a clinical leader, supporting service development aligned with trust and national priorities. Contribute to audits, service reviews (e.g., NaDIA), and develop clinical guidelines and SOPs. Deliver structured and informal education, mentor staff, lead insulin safety and POCT training, and promote reflective practice. Engage in research, translate evidence into practice, and present findings at professional forums. Collaborate with MDTs and external teams to ensure continuity of care. Communicate complex information effectively and lead discharge planning. Maintain accurate records, comply with trust policies, support incident reviews, and contribute to governance and staff development activities.

Working for our organisation

Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver our mission of the Best of Care by the Best of People providing excellent care, every time?

Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision is achieved for our patients.

As a key partner in the healthcare of our local population, we are keen to deliver this as an outcome of our Trust-wide strategy – Patient First. Using an Operational Excellence approach to align our priorities and operational management structures, we are just over a year and half into our Patient First deployment. We are looking for creative, skilled people to join our Transformation Team and further support us on this journey.

Our culture and values define us here at Medway NHS Foundation Trust and are the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.

Our BEST values underpin Patient First and are at the core of the care we give to our patients, the support we offer to our staff and our overall leadership approach:

B – Bold

E – Every person counts

S – Sharing and open

T - Together

Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurse (DISN) is a highly skilled and autonomous practitioner responsible for the expert management of inpatients with diabetes. This role requires advanced clinical knowledge and decision-making skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care for individuals with complex needs related to diabetes in the hospital setting. Acting as a central figure in the inpatient diabetes care pathway, the DISN ensures that patients receive evidence-based, safe, and effective treatment throughout their hospital stay.

Working in close collaboration with consultants, medical staff, diabetes specialist teams, and wider multidisciplinary and primary care teams, the DISN plays a pivotal role in promoting a seamless and holistic approach to diabetes management. The nurse leads on developing and embedding inpatient diabetes care pathways to ensure consistency of care and safe transitions between acute and community settings. A key element of the role is the empowerment of patients through tailored education to promote self-management, particularly in preparation for discharge.

Education and staff development are fundamental to the DISN’s responsibilities. The post holder proactively establishes and delivers ongoing diabetes training for ward-based teams across disciplines and seniority levels. By doing so, the DISN enhances the overall competence and confidence of hospital staff in managing diabetes, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

In addition to clinical and educational duties, the DISN contributes to the ongoing development of the service through participation in clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives, and representation of the Trust in external acute diabetes forums. The role demands a dynamic, compassionate, and forward-thinking approach, with the flexibility to manage an independent workload while remaining responsive to the needs of the clinical environment.

Overall, the DISN serves as a clinical leader and resource within the hospital, championing best practices in diabetes care and ensuring that patients receive high-quality, person-centered support throughout their inpatient journey.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NMC Adult Registered Nurse
  • Diabetes qualification (graduate or post graduate level) supplemented by specialist training, experience and short courses
  • Recognised prescribing qualification or willingness to undertake
  • Relevant post registration qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Advanced clinical, managerial and leadership skills in diabetes
  • Advanced knowledge of management of type 2&1 diabetes; carbohydrate counting; insulin dose adjustment
  • Proven listening / counselling skills with the ability to manage complex situations and appropriately deliver sensitive and difficult outcomes
  • Extensive experience of working autonomously at an advanced level within the specialist area delivering effective patient focused care

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Recent Diabetes care experience at band 6/7 or above
  • Proven experience of intensive type 2&1 diabetes management
  • Ability to work independently and as part of the diabetes team

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to care for patients with complex Diabetes Mellitus management
  • Intensive type 2&1 diabetes management
Desirable criteria
  • Conversant with carbohydrate counting (desirable)
  • Ability to care for patients on DKA, HSSA, VRII and regular insulin management
  • Experience of Diabetes Management

Experience and qualification

Essential criteria
  • Experience and qualification
Desirable criteria
  • Nurse Prescriber

Employer certification / accreditation badges

No smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - SilverDisability confident employerNHS Rainbow badgeStep into health

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Kim Umali
Job title
Matron
Email address
[email protected]
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies