Practical advice for new diabetes specialist nurses

The number of nurses specialising in the care of people with diabetes is increasing rapidly. On Merseyside in 1984 only four hospitals employed diabetes specialist nurses. However, six years later there are at least 16 specialist nurses working in the ten health districts and each district employs at least one specialist nurse. The British Diabetic Association (BDA) recommends that each district health authority should have, as an absolute minimum, one nurse whose full time work is with diabetic patients and their families. We are likely to see many more appointments made nationally in the next decade. Several useful articles have been written on the role of the diabetes specialist nurse^1–5 but these contain limited practical guidelines for the newly appointed person. I have recorded my observations and experiences over my first two years as a diabetes specialist nurse and suggest guidelines for nurses joining this speciality.