Band 5 Dietitian

Job description

Job responsibilities

COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND RELATIONSHIPS

To facilitate and encourage lifestyle changes using a variety of communication skills, including motivational interviewing techniques.

To maintain accurate, comprehensive and timely documentation in line with legal, Trust and departmental requirements. To communicate assessments and plans to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters as required, in a timely manner.

To effectively raise concerns with regards to safeguarding and/or the safety of patients or staff members through the appropriate channels.

To liaise with the nutrition multi-disciplinary team (MDT) regarding patients being considered for long term tube feeding, or for complex decisions regarding nutrition.

To attend and participate in regular team meetings including Dietetic, Therapies, Trust and clinical team meetings as required. To attend and participate in other meetings on behalf of the Dietetic team as required.

To be responsible for safe discharge planning and follow up for patients requiring ongoing Dietetic support in the community. This will include patients requiring artificial nutritional support, who require training, supply and delivery of specialist products and feeding equipment. To liaise with community Dietitians and other relevant professionals effectively to handover and obtain relevant information.

To advise and liaise with catering staff concerning catering for patients with special dietary needs.

To communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals, including medical staff, nursing staff, and the Nutrition Practitioner/Nurse.

SUPERVISORY/MANAGERIAL DUTIES

To supervise students and work experience students, and to contribute to the relevant student assessment processes.

To participate in the recruitment and induction of new staff as required.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

To work within HCPC and BDA standards, relevant national and local policies, standard operating procedures, processes and guidelines.

To assist with the development and implementation of policies relevant to job role, including providing feedback on new and existing policies when requested.

To develop, implement, evaluate and improve own practice using research and evidence-based practice.

To be responsible for maintaining own competencies, and to participate in regular CPD activities. To maintain a portfolio which reflects personal and clinical development in line with HCPC standards.

To participate in regular clinical supervision sessions and appraisals, and to take responsibility to work towards the objectives set.

To work with other members of the nutrition and dietetic department to develop and update evidence-based resources such as diet sheets.

To participate in a wide range of audits within the Trust.

To be involved with quality improvement projects, to help ensure that a high-quality service is provided for patients.

SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT

To collect and input data accurately and completely within relevant systems, adhering to information governance and other relevant policies and procedures.

To record own activity, as per Trust and department procedures.

To collect service user feedback, as per Trust and department procedures.

To report clinical incidents in a timely manner, using the relevant system and process.

To take and record accurate anthropometric measurements when appropriate.

To have a basic understanding of how to use feeding pumps within the Trust

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Physical effort

Light physical effort – primarily sitting (including typing, data entry), standing, walking. Sometimes collecting anthropometric measurements from patients and light manual handling, providing fully trained for each task.

Mental effort

Frequent requirement for concentration e.g. analysing diet histories, calculating enteral/parenteral nutrition plans, nutritional assessment

MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

Unpredictability. To continually re-prioritise to ensure resources are best utilised. This includes reprioritising caseloads within the team, including during periods of staff shortages.

Managing malnutrition in unwell patients and being involved in difficult, emotive, ethical decisions about nutrition. This includes decisions about whether the withdrawal of artificial nutrition is appropriate.

Maintaining strong communication with patients, relatives and carers, even under stressful circumstances.

Managing conflicting opinions on patient care and treatment with other members of MDTs.

Balancing clinical caseload with other responsibilities such administration tasks, managerial work, project work and CPD activities

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Human Nutrition & Dietetics or equivalent Postgraduate Qualification
• Registered as a Dietitian with the HCPC

Desirable

• Member of the BDA +/- a specialist BDA group

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a Dietetic Student/Dietitian with inpatients and outpatients
• Experience with the dietetic management of patients requiring enteral tube feeding

Desirable

• Experience being involved with ethical decision-making regarding nutrition, for example with decisions regarding initiating/stopping enteral tube feeding.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

Address

The Princess Alexandra Hospital

Harlow

Essex

CM20 1QX

Employer's website

https://www.pah.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)