Highly Specialist Cardio-Respiratory Dietitian

Job description

Job responsibilities

Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)

o To provide a highly specialist dietetic clinical service to designated private patient adult wards and outpatients referred to the service, in accordance with Trust Policy and Standards.

o To provide a highly specialist dietetic clinical service to adults on critical care with acute respiratory failure and post-cardiothoracic surgery

o Work autonomously to provide specialist expert advice and treatment plans to adult patients, their carers and clinicians. This will involve nutritional diagnosis (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition and dietary intake information) the development of treatment plans (frequently including complexities surrounding calculation of nutritional requirements, development of patient centred goals and considering medical, physical, social and psychological needs.) The prescription of dietary treatments and ACBS products for conditions where there maybe limited clinical guidelines. This work often involves complex cases where many factors such as the use of non-invasive ventilation, presence of a secondary diagnosis (diabetes, liver disease, osteoporosis and other gastrointestinal disorders), ECMO and critical care stay which requires expert knowledge and experience.

o To expand and establish the Private and NHS dietetics outpatients service by the development of an innovative online outpatient follow up nutrition service for overseas inpatients that are repatriated with a gastric feeding tube or in need of further nutritional support

Policy development

o To be involved with the development and implementation of Dietetic and Trust policy and protocols related to adult respiratory and critical care services.

o To be familiar with and implement where appropriate Trust, Directorate Policy and Standards and involved in their regular review writing policy where appropriate at department and Trust level.

Service development

o To undertake specific research and audit projects as related to clinical specialism

o To participate in other research and audit projects as appropriate

o To work in conjunction with the Therapy Lead, Clinical Specialist and Nutrition Lead to help to develop dietetic services

o To participate in Trust-wide multidisciplinary policy groups acting on behalf of the Rehabilitation and Therapies Directorate.

o To participate in national dietetic interest groups developing standards and guidance in the dietetic care of adult respiratory patients

o To work with the Therapy Lead, Clinical Specialist and Nutrition Lead to develop the service to outpatients.

People management

o To receive regular appraisals and have an individual developmental plan, to help achieve personal and team objectives.

o To carry out the annual appraisal and clinical supervision of Band 6 team members, and ensure that they have an annual Personal Development Plan and a record of CPD activity.

o To be involved with recruitment and in issues of work performance within the team.

o To supervise and teach student dietitians, both those undertaking their clinical placement and those involved in projects as part of their Honours degree, working with student training lead to devise training programmes.

o To abide by the Trusts core behaviours for staff and all other Trust policies including standing financial instructions, research governance, clinical governance, patient and public involvement, codes and practices, and health and safety policies

Communication

o To work as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure the best service for patients.

o To give informal and formal talks to staff, patients and students when requested within hospital, locally and nationally when requested.

o To lecture internally and externally and participate at national or international meetings both verbally and through the presentation of posters and abstracts. The post-holder should ensure feedback to department and service team meetings.

o Regularly communicate with patients who may be terminally ill, have chronic disease (heart failure) or have barriers to understanding (eg CVA, poor cognition, long stay ITU patients)

o To gain consent about a range of dietetic treatment options and to agree and inform of expected outcomes

o Communicate with outside agencies e.g. GPs about patient care where appropriate.

Resource management

o Responsible for the safe use of dietetic or nutrition related equipment by patients under their care (e.g. feeding pumps).

o Responsible for safe storage and appropriate usage of any consumables used in specified research studies.

o Work in conjunction with the Lead Dietitians and Director of Rehabilitation and Therapies in developing a strategic direction for the department in line with Trust strategic aims and objectives through Directorate business planning.

Information management

o To be familiar with and able to operate all necessary computer programmes eg Microsoft office, dietary analysis packages and dietetic specific software.

o To record own dietetic activity, accessing patient information though IT systems.

o Responsible for maintaining accurate treatment notes for each patient as per Health and Care Profession Council standards.

Professional

o To be responsible for maintaining records demonstrating engagement in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), according to any guidelines laid down by the British Dietetic Association.

o To demonstrate annually current State Registration by the Health and Care Professions Council and abide by their Standards of Proficiency and their Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.

o To keep up to date by attending relevant study days, conferences, BDA Branch meetings and Special Interest Group meetings and reading relevant books and journals

o To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of their work.

Person Specification

education and qualifications

Essential

• A strong commitment to personal and professional development with evidence
• Relevant validated clinical courses accredited as equivalent to masters level

Desirable

• Member of the British Dietetic Association

experience and knowledge

Essential

• Significant postgraduate experience
• Knowledge & experience of working with patients with cardiothoracic conditions
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of dietetics in the critical care setting
• Experience of carrying out both own and collaborative audit projects
• Experience of training dietetic students including counselling, mentoring and assessing to a final standard

Desirable

• Research experience
• Experience of teaching and lecturing at national, international and HEI level

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Ability to work within a team, under pressure and as an autonomous practitioner

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Brompton Hospital

Sydney Street

London

SW3 6NP

Employer's website

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx (Opens in a new tab)