Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust

Speciality Dietitian (Oncology)

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Job summary

Are you interested in Oncology, nutritional support and MDT working? If so, this is a fantastic opportunity to gain a wide range of dietetic experience within a purpose-built cancer and surgical centre at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford.

This specialist post will support the department to deliver high quality care to inpatients with a range of oncology diagnoses being treated at the Churchill Hospital. This involves working on the Oncology ward and Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) ward, as well as delivering dietetic interventions before and after surgery for lower GI and gynaecology oncology outpatients via a telephone / virtual clinic.

This role provides an opportunity to work as part of a fantastic team of Oncology, Haematology and Surgical Speciality Dietitians. The team is currently ~10 Dietitians, however there are plans for further growth and development within the service.

We encourage every Band 6 to protect 20% of their time within the role to development, both individually and as a service.

As a valued member of ourteam,you will receive:

Flexible working, including opportunities for home working
Clinical supervisionand support from experienced and specialist dietitians
Dedicated timefor professional and service development
Regular appraisals andpersonalised development plan
Access to a range ofCPD opportunities, the Oxford AHPs Research & Innovation Unit, and Bodleian Library collection.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the development and provision of a specialist evidence based dietetic service to the following areas:

Oncology Ward & Palliative care hospice inpatients
Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Ward inpatients
Lower GI dietetic clinics (one-to-one, telephone, and video consultations).

To perform nutritional assessment and consider clinical diagnoses of patients who may have complex and/or chronic presentation, to determine dietetic treatment indicated, to monitor and evaluate treatment, and to maintain records as an autonomous clinical practitioner.

To attend regular ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.

Along with the Team Lead, to be actively involved in the oncology and Churchill surgery dietetic service development.

To educate, train, supervise and disseminate information to healthcare professionals including clinicians, nurses, AHPs, dietetic colleagues and students about the dietetic management of oncology and lower GI patients.

To engage in self-directed, team, and departmental CPD.

To actively participate in reflective practice.

To be actively involved in student training and supervision of rotational Band 5 Dietitians

To be an integrated member of the Dietetic team providing help, support and cover to the team where appropriate.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) is a world-renowned centre of clinical excellence and one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the UK. We employ approximately 12,500 staff (including over 4,000 nurses and 2,000 doctors and 850 AHP staff). The Trust comprises four main hospital sites: the John Radcliffe Hospital (which includes the Children's Hospital, West Wing, Eye Hospital, Heart Centre and Women's Centre), the Churchill Hospital and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, all located in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury, North Oxfordshire.

The acute adult dietetics team is made up of ~55 Dietitians, Assistants, and administrative support. There are 7 acute clinical teams, each responsible for providing a service to specialist clinical areas while working collaboratively across all OUH sites. We work closely with the children's dietitians, and the Oxford Health community dietitians.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family.

Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk

Date posted

13 July 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year Per Annum / Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

321-MRC-5422128-B6

Job locations

Churchill Hospital

Old Road

Headington, Oxford

OX3 7LE

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

To work as part of a team of oncology Dietitians and as an integral member of multidisciplinary teams to ensure a holistic approach to patient care. This involves attending ward MDT meetings and liaising with Oncologists, Junior Doctors, Nursing teams, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Allied Health Professionals, Pharmacists, Dietetic Assistants, and Housekeepers.

Organise own workload: prioritising and balancing patient-related and professional demands and contributing to the effectiveness of the oncology team.

To determine the appropriateness of referrals made by members of the MDT to ensure effective use of time and resources.

Assess patients diagnosis, medical care and biochemistry and making decisions as to who needs dietetic management.

Obtain and analyse relevant information from different sources including electronic patient records, the patient, family/carers and ward staff, in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the patients condition, prognosis and treatment plans so that a decision on the most appropriate dietetic treatment to support this can be made in the short and long term.

Interpret and monitor biochemical data generally and specifically in relation to patients receiving oncology treatment.

To have a detailed understanding of medical conditions/drugs and nutritional implications.

Assess patients nutritional status by diet and weight history, nutritional intake, losses such as drain outputs, stool or stoma output, vomiting and physical signs of deficiency.

Estimate nutritional requirements using specific assessment tools and calculations. To remain up to date with the literature and ensure that this is an evidence-based process and clinically relevant to oncology patients.

Advise on appropriate artificial feeding routes for patients taking into account their diagnosis, tumour site and treatment side-effects (such as dysphagia, mucositis, graft versus host disease, newly acquired Diabetes Mellitus, pancreatic insufficiency, stoma formation, malabsorption).

Formulate individualised patient care plans taking into consideration factors which may affect requirements or help/hinder provision of nutrition support such as prescribed drugs, biochemical derangements, fluid balance etc. The care plan could include modified-texture diets, low carbohydrate/ high protein diet, low residue diet, oral nutritional supplements, enteral tube feeding regimens or parenteral nutrition.

Evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional goals and modify these goals and care plans as necessary based on ongoing analysis, assessment of information available and changing patient needs.

Address and monitor their changing nutritional needs over the course of their disease and advise other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Be involved in discharge planning of patients e.g. to acute hospitals outside Oxfordshire, community hospitals, district general hospitals, nursing homes, or to their own home, and advising members of staff or family members accordingly.

Modify dietary advice according to biochemistry, lifestyle, treatment undertaken, drugs and associated medical conditions adding to complexity of dietetic management.

Use communication techniques i.e. behavioural change and motivational interviewing to work with the patient to adapt their diet.

Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, carers and other health professionals. Skills of persuasion, motivation, explanation and gaining consent may be used in a wide variety of different, sometimes sensitive, situations. Barriers to communication may include loss of sight, loss of hearing and limited English requiring the use of translators.

Deal with patients with chronic conditions and those with poor outcomes/terminal conditions.

To be sensitive to the religious and ethnic needs of patients' dietary requirements and have an understanding of foods eaten by multicultural populations and how they impact on hospital catering.

To be actively involved with the development of evidence based, trust-wide guidelines - to be a resource to other Dietitians as a specialist oncology practitioner, writing and compiling diet sheets, protocols and advice.

To provide specialist training and supervision of dietetic colleagues and students using skills of reflective practice.

To cover for Dietitian colleagues during planned and unplanned leave

PROFESSIONAL

Be accountable for own actions within the professional, ethical and legal framework for dietetics set out in the Health and Care Profession Councils code of practice for Dietitians and the British Dietetic Association professional standards for Dietitians.

To take responsibility for own continuing professional development (CPD) and providing evidence for this by maintaining a CPD portfolio. CPD involves critical evaluation of scientific papers, attending professional development meetings, working as a reflective practitioner and attending relevant internal/external courses.

Participate in annual appraisal, identifying own developmental and training needs and setting personal developmental objectives.

To participate in departmental audits and initiate audit within own work area in order to monitor and evaluate whether local/national/international standards are being met and make recommendations for change. To be involved with the planning of departmental clinical effectiveness and audit strategies.

Actively contribute to the dietetic student training program, facilitating the development of skills and knowledge, being involved in the assessment process and acting as a mentor to students.

To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to all members of the multidisciplinary team, regarding the nutritional management of oncology or haematology patients. This involves participation in in-house training courses e.g. new Nurses and Doctor orientation program. Also to participate in external training/teaching when requested.

To take lead on corporate departmental projects.

ORGANISATIONAL

To determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with professional demands.

To collect data as required by the department, Trust and outside agencies.

To maintain accurate and up to date documentation of dietetic interventions on electronic records and to appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team.

To be involved with setting agenda items, chairing and taking minutes for departmental and oncology team meetings, on a rotational basis.