Job responsibilities
To
provide part of a professional Nutrition and Dietetic care service within a
Specialist area. This includes advice to in-patients, out-patients, all
healthcare staff and participation in the training of student dietitians Shows
initiative in assisting and supporting the senior specialist dietitians and the
Clinical Dietetic Manager in the day to day management of the department.
3. JOB DIMENSIONS
The
post holder will:
Manage own case load to a level
agreed with supervisor / line manager.
Be involved in the provision of
education and training to healthcare staff, patients, care providers and
students
Be a key member of the
multidisciplinary care team to provide integrated dietetic care
Shows initiative in assisting and
supporting the senior specialist dietitians and the chief dietitian in the day
to day management of the department.
Deliver training to healthcare staff,
dietitians and students.
Be an active member of the out of hours
service
KNOWLEDGE,
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
BSc (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics
or equivalent
HCPC Registration as a dietitian
Experience of working within a
Dietetic role within a healthcare setting
Willing to undergo any training as
required to enable performance in the job.
Awareness of current issues in
specialised areas of dietetics
Able to work within a team,
demonstrate initiative, confidence and excellent time management and
organisational skills
Good written, oral and interpersonal
communication skills
Good presentation skills in
delivering training to large multidisciplinary groups of staff or members of
the public (this may involve groups of more than 50 people).
8. CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
Demonstrate good office practice in
accordance with departmental policies and procedures
Be a pro-active team member of the
dietetics department at LTHT by participating in departmental development
projects, attending and participating in departmental meetings and clinical
updates
Demonstrate the ability to
communicate highly complex specialised and sensitive information with empathy
and understanding
Demonstrate the ability to
communicate highly complex specialised and sensitive information with empathy
and understanding
Demonstrate the ability to provide
highly complex nutrition counselling to patients requiring cognitive
behavioural therapy skills and use of advanced reassurance motivational and
negotiation skills to overcome barriers to change
Demonstrate the ability to analyse
clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate nutrition care plans in
specialised areas
Demonstrate analytical skills in
prioritising the best course of dietetic treatment in patients with highly
complex clinical conditions, where nutritional goals may conflict with other
on-going physical, emotional psychological and medical problems
Ability to use stadiometers,
anthropometric skin-fold callipers with precision and accuracy in the
nutritional assessment of patients
9. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Ability to perform specialised
nutritional assessment, interpret and plan relevant dietetic care programmes
for patients with highly complex nutritional needs and multiple medical
conditions
Advanced knowledge of biochemistry,
physiology and pharmacology
Understanding of the calculations
required in dietetic assessment
Ability to correctly interpret
complex nutritional impairments, biochemical parameters and fluid balance. This
will involve nutritional diagnosis including interpretation of biochemistry,
anthropometrics, clinical condition, Social factors and diet histories in
patients with specialised and complex nutritional needs.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge in
interpretation of complex clinical information to develop, monitor and complete
nutritional care plans in a specialised dietetic areas. This may include the
prescription of dietary treatment, prescribable nutritional products and
enteral nutrition.
Responsible for safe discharge
planning including the discharges of patients receiving home enteral nutrition
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate
practice using evidence based practice and critical appraisal
Ability to advise and suggest
nutrition related medications
Knowledge of clinical governance,
quality of care and evidence based practice in specialist areas
Awareness of national guidance and
driving factors in specialist based
9. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
Clinical
and Professional
Be an autonomous practitioner,
clinically, legally and professionally responsible for own caseload.
Responsible as a clinical
practitioner in a specialist dietetic field, for delivering high quality
specialist dietetic care. This will involve being guided by departmental
standards, professional guidelines, broad occupational policies and procedures.
Collect, analyse and record relevant
patient information from clinical and patients sources to develop effective
nutritional plans.
Responsible for providing highly
specialised dietary advice within an in-patient and out-patient setting. To
patients in a distinct specialist area e.g. advice to renal dialysis patients
on calcium and phosphate management oncology patients on enteral feeding
Communicate the nutrition and dietary
treatment of patient to healthcare staff, other professionals and patients
carers. This may involve co coordinating nutritional care with other trusts and
centres outside the Trust.
Undertake comprehensive assessment of
patients with diverse and complex nutritional issues where investigative and
analytical skills are required to formulate accurate treatment plans
Responsible for developing and
maintaining an agreed level of expertise by updating own specialised clinical
knowledge and skills through attendance at post-graduate courses, clinical
updates and in-service training.
Participate in the appraisal process
as an appraise and develop a strategy for personal and continuous professional
development, encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national
legislation
Participate in audit within
specialist areas, involving evaluation of research and audit projects to
measure clinical effectiveness and promote evidence based practice
Undertake any other duties
appropriate to the grade as requested / agreed with the line manager
Education
and training
Devise and implement specialised
nutritional care plans for inpatients and outpatients according to current
national guidelines and standards, including NSFs. This will involve advising
patients, relatives or carers, individually or in a group setting.
Contribute to developing and
maintaining agreed levels of expertise of dietetic team members
Provide effective oral and written
specialised dietetic advice and information to patients and their carers to
enable achievement of dietary aims.
Develop resources used in the
education and training of patients, health professionals and the public
Deliver formal and informal talks on
nutrition and dietetics to health care staff as required
Plan and deliver student training as
assigned after an appropriate induction period / supervisory training course
Train ward staff to use dietetic
resources appropriately
Participate in providing specialised
advice, teaching and training to other members of the multidisciplinary team
regarding the nutritional managements of a specialised group of patients
Be an active member of the in-service
training programme through delivery of training sessions and tutorials at staff
meetings and by attending external courses and demonstrating reflective
practice
Managerial
Disseminate clinical information to
other members of the multidisciplinary team by attendance and participation in
ward rounds and case conference as required.
Responsible for ordering and
cancelling additional snacks and nutritional supplements from catering and
pharmacy according to patients clinical condition and requirements.
Involved in the planning, setting and
monitoring of departmental objectives and standards as assigned. This will
include contributing to the adaptation of national standards for use in the
local setting
Participate in surveys, research and
audit as required. Help to recommend any changes to practice after discussion
with supervisory / chief dietitian
Participate in the collection of data
for management information purposes as requested
Ability to work independently within
appropriate professional and specialist guidelines
Maintain stock control of diet
sheets, patient information and educational material for ward, discharge and
outpatient use.
Organisational
Plans and organises complex caseload.
This may involve prioritising and reviewing tasks several times throughout the
day to accommodate competing clinical demands
Co-ordinates discharge planning of
patients with complex nutritional needs, liaising with community dietitians
nursing staff, GPs and other health care professionals within the locality and
region to ensure safe discharge e,g, patients on home enteral nutrition
Provide appropriate diet sheets /
patient education material for ward discharge and outpatient use.
Participate in departmental and
multidisciplinary meetings where required to ensure integrated dietetic care
Liaise with the Catering Department
to ensure the correct provision of meals for patients on therapeutic diets
Responsible for participating in the
development of a dietetic resource manual as required
Provide cover for annual leave
sickness back holidays etc as required. This may mean the post holder is the
only member of the dietetic team in site.
Contribute to the development and
application of service procedures and guidelines for specialist area which
impact on other disciplines with the wider multidisciplinary specialist team
e.g. gastrostomy care, home enteral feeding policy
