Job responsibilities
JOB
PURPOSE
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:
3.1 Manage own case load to a level agreed
with supervisor/line manager.
3.2 Be involved in the provision of education
and training to healthcare staff,
patients, care providers and students.
3.3 Be a key member of the
multidisciplinary care team to provide integrated dietetic care.
3.4 Shows initiative in assisting and
supporting the senior specialist
dietitians and the chief dietitian in the day to day management of the
department.
3.5
Deliver training to healthcare staff, dietitians and students.
3.6 Be an active member of the out of hours
service.
KNOWLEDGE,
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
5.1 BSc (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics
or equivalent.
5.2 HCPC Registration as a dietitian
5.3 Experience of working within a
Dietetic role within a healthcare setting
5.4 Willing to undergo any training as
required to enable performance in the job.
5.5 Awareness of current issues in
specialised areas of dietetics.
5.6 Able to work within a team,
demonstrate initiative, confidence and excellent time management and
organisational skills.
5.7 Good written, oral and interpersonal
communication skills.
5.8 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
8.1 Demonstrate good office practice in
accordance with departmental policies and procedures.
8.2 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.
8.3 Demonstrate the ability to communicate
highly complex, specialised and sensitive information with empathy and
understanding.
8.4 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.
8.5 Demonstrate the ability to analyse
clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate nutrition care plans
in specialised areas.
8.6 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.
8.7 Ability to use stadiometers,
anthropometric skin-fold callipers with precision and accuracy in the
nutritional assessment of patients.
9. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
9.1 Ability to perform specialised
nutritional assessments, interpret and plan relevant dietetic care programmes
for patients with highly complex nutritional needs and multiple medical
conditions.
9.2 Advanced knowledge of biochemistry,
physiology and pharmacology.
9.3 Understanding of the calculations
required in dietetic assessment.
9.4 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.
9.5 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.
9.6 Responsible for safe discharge
planning including the discharges of patients receiving home enteral
nutrition.
9.7 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate
practice using evidence based practice and critical appraisal.
9.8 Ability to advise and suggest
nutrition related medications.
9.9 Knowledge of clinical governance,
quality of care and evidence based practice in specialist areas.
9.10 Awareness of national guidance and
driving factors in specialist areas.
9. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
9.1 Clinical and professional
9.1.1 Be an autonomous practitioner,
clinically, legally and professionally responsible for own caseload.
9.1.2 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.
9.1.3 Collect, analyse and record relevant
patient information from clinical and patients sources to develop effective
nutritional plans.
9.1.4 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.
9.1.5
Communicate the nutrition and
dietary treatment of patient to healthcare staff, other professionals and
patient carers. This may involve co-ordinating nutritional care with other
trusts and centres outside the Trust.
9.1.6 Undertake comprehensive assessments of
patients with diverse and complex nutritional issues where investigative and
analytical skills are required to formulate accurate treatment plans.
9.1.7 Responsible for providing relevant
dietary advice within an in-patient and out-patient setting in verbal and
written forms in a format which is understood by patients and carers.
9.1.8 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.
9.1.9 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.
9.1.10 Participate in audit within specialist
areas, involving evaluation of research and audit projects to measure
clinical effectiveness and promote evidence based practice.
9.1.11 Undertake any other duties appropriate to
the grade as requested/ agreed with the line manager.
9.2 Education and training
9.2.1 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.
9.2.2 Contribute to developing and maintaining
agreed levels of expertise of dietetic team members.
9.2.3 Provide effective oral and written
specialised dietetic advice and information to patients and their carers to
enable achievement of dietary aims.
9.2.4 Develop resources used in the education
and training of patients, health professionals and the public.
9.2.5 Deliver formal and informal talks on
nutrition and dietetics to health care staff as required.
9.2.6 Plan and deliver student training as
assigned after an appropriate induction period / supervisory training course.
9.2.7 Train ward staff to use dietetic
resources appropriately
9.2.8 Participate in providing specialised
advice, teaching and training to other members of the multidisciplinary team
regarding the nutritional managements of a specialist group of patients.
9.2.9 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.
9.3 Managerial
9.3.1 Disseminate clinical information to other
members of the multidisciplinary team by attendance and participation in ward
rounds and case conference as required.
9.3.2 Responsible for ordering and cancelling
additional snacks and nutritional supplements from catering and pharmacy
according to patients clinical condition and requirements.
9.3.3 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.
9.3.4 Participate in surveys, research and
audit as required. Help to recommend any changes to practice after discussion
with supervisory / chief dietitian.
9.3.5 Participate in the collection of data for
management information purposes as requested.
9.3.6 Ability to work independently within
appropriate professional and specialist guidelines.
9.3.7 Maintain stock control of diet sheets,
patient information and educational material for ward, discharge and
outpatient use.
9.4 Organisational
9.4.1 Plans and organises complex caseload.
This may involve prioritising and reviewing tasks several times throughout
the day to accommodate competing clinical demands.
9.4.2 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.
9.4.3 Provide appropriate diet sheets / patient
education material for ward discharge and outpatient use.
9.4.4 Participate in departmental and
multidisciplinary meetings where required to ensure integrated dietetic care.
9.4.5 Liaise with the Catering Department to
ensure the correct provision of meals for patients on therapeutic diets.
