Specialist Dietitian Oncology and Haematology

Job responsibilities

To be professionally responsible and accountable for the management of own clinical caseload and to organise this effectively with regards to clinical priority and effective use of time.

To work as a team with other oncology dietitians to provide dietetic care to oncology and haematology inpatients and outpatients referred by Oncology Services.

To manage a specialist caseload of patients referred to the Enhanced Supportive Care service within the Trust and contributes to the multidisciplinary team.

To provide regular out-patient dietetic service to patients undergoing treatment including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and attending general consultant led oncology / haematology clinics

To provide support on request to patients attending the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre, including palliative care and supporting the weekly dietetic clinic.

To attend ward rounds and clinical team meetings as appropriate to ensure that expertise contributes to multi-professional decisions on care.

To work autonomously to provide highly complex advice to patients, carers and healthcare professionals. This will involve nutritional assessment (based on interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition and dietary history) and development of nutritional care plans which are both realistic, practical and evidence based (based on assessment of medical, social, economic, cultural and psychological factors).

To monitor and review the outcomes of nutritional care plans and adjust to facilitate achievement of the desired goals in the light of changing medical treatment and personal circumstances.

To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise condition management, recovery potential, further disease prevention and during terminal care

To formulate feeding regimes and prescribe a wide range of artificial feeds based on medical condition, fluid management, biochemical and anthropometric monitoring.

To demonstrate a good working knowledge of types of enteral feeding tubes and the required care for tube patency.

For further details please see attached JD&PS.

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Extensive demonstrable experience in clinical dietetics within large clinical setting post registration
• Proven evidence of a particular knowledge/demonstrable experience in oncology and haematology dietetics and nutrition support
• Proven knowledge of national and international guidelines relevant to oncology dietetics
• Training, supervisory and teaching demonstrable experience
• Demonstrable experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrable experience in audit, standard setting and guideline development

Desirable

• Computer skills in database use and statistical packages
• Demonstrable experience of enteral feeding
• Demonstrable experience with oncology/ palliative care patients
• Demonstrable experience with Stem Cell transplant patients

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc. in Human Nutrition and Dietetics or equivalent
• Professional registration (HPC)
• Completion of Clinical Supervisory Skills course
• Proven evidence of recent CPD

Desirable

• Relevant validated BDA Clinical Update course e.g PENG or oncology/ haematology post registration education
• Registered for Diploma in advanced dietetic practice
• A teaching qualification or demonstrable experience of teaching groups

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

• Effective communication skills with an ability to communicate with all levels of healthcare personnel (ward staff, kitchen staff, dietitians, senior and junior medical staff, senior managers) as well as patients and their carers
• Able to work within a team
• Expertise in the practical skills of nutritional support
• Effective teaching and presentation skills
• Computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets and presentations
• Good organisational and time management/ prioritisation skills
• Ability to supervise students and junior department staff
• Capable of producing good quality written information for staff and patients

Desirable

• Ability to lift feeding equipment / deliver feeding supplies to patients on wards
• Ability to work within a busy environment
• Commitment to clinical governance
• Ability to interpret research findings and apply to practice

Disposition, attitude, motivation

Essential

• Effective team worker
• Proactive, with an ability to set up new initiative
• Self motivated
• Empathetic and approachable

Desirable

• An enquiring mind with an enthusiasm for research and innovation

Circumstances

Essential

• Flexible regarding duties
• May be required to work over a 7 day period in the future

Other factors

Essential

• Maintains professional appearance

Desirable

• British Dietetic Association (BDA) membership

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).