Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a hard working, motivated individual to join our Haematology team as a Nutritional Assistant.
Our Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant unit is a 25 bedded ward within the Oxford Cancer and Haematology Centre, which is part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Our unit cares for patients who are undergoing treatment for haematological malignancies and we share their care with our Day Treatment Unit and District General Hospital colleagues within the region.
As a Nutritional Assistant on the ward you'll contribute to the assessment and care of patients undergoing inpatient treatment, working closely with the nursing team and ward dietitian to ensure nutritional needs are assessed and met.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to team work and show an interest in nutritional assessment and the importance of good nutrition to patient recovery. You will need to demonstrate excellent communication skills and an ability to work flexibly and independently. No previous healthcare experience is necessary as training will be given, but you may have worked in a people facing role in other settings bringing transferable skills.
Hours: Full time 37.5hrs/wk
If you require further information, please contact Ward Sister Francesca Baldassa - Tel. 01865 225873 .
Or email: francesca.baldassa@ouh.nhs.uk
Main duties of the job
Overall Aims of Role:
- To support dieticians and nurses in delivery of the dietetic service by reviewing, monitoring and advising patients and undertaking related administration of nutritional supplements
- To act as an intermediary between the dietetic and catering departments, enhancing communication to achieve the optimal provision of nutrition for patients in hospital
- To undertake and oversee the ordering, delivery and payment of nutritional products
- To contribute to the maintenance of a tidy, clean and efficient environment
- To provide a high standard of customer care in order to make patients feel welcome and safe
- Maintain accurate, legible and legally substantive records of care and assessment provided to patients
- Co-ordinate the clinical support workers to maintain the patient environment around the clock/communicate relevant supplement and nutritional needs and liaise appropriately with senior nurse and dietician
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustis one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more herewww.ouh.nhs.uk
The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
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 thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand 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. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the role and responsibilities.
CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
After training, to review and monitor ongoing patients under the supervision of the dietician and ward sister. This may involve:
- Gathering relevant clinical information from medical and nursing notes, care plans, drug charts, patients and carers
- Liaise with nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team, for example, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) and Occupational Therapists about the patients nutritional plan
- Assess patients tolerance to tube feeding
- Calculate patients intake from food record charts, which may involve using a dietary analysis computer package
- Regularly liaise with the supervising dietician about all aspects of patients nutritional care
- Monitor patient in order to achieve optimum nutritional intake
- Record all interventions and actions on dietetic record cards
- Oversee the completion of daily menus for all patients on therapeutic diets. This may involve face-to-face discussion with patients and/or their carers.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION RESPONSIBILITIES:
If required, assist a dietician or deliver training to staff and/or patients.
- Participate in the induction of new ward and Dietetic staff; demonstrating the role of the Nutritional Assistant as well as informing them about the provision of therapeutic meals, nutritional supplement products and raising nutritional awareness in their ward area.
- Support ward sister and dietician in project work including review audits and patient satisfaction questionnaires.
- Assist the dietician with the writing and updating of diet sheets by gathering information and drafting text.
- Create visual displays in public areas to reflect national nutrition and health promotion campaigns, for example, the 5-a-day campaign and Cancer Awareness week, to improve health education.
- To undertake regular training sessions with a colleague, learning by experience and improving working practice on an on-going basis.
- Liaise with dieticians, patients, the catering department and ward staff to ensure the provision of therapeutic diets, appropriate snacks, supplements and enteral feeds runs smoothly.
- Work with the dietician to alter menus as necessary, update the special diet manuals and nutrition policy. Disseminate this information throughout the ward.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the role and responsibilities.
CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
After training, to review and monitor ongoing patients under the supervision of the dietician and ward sister. This may involve:
- Gathering relevant clinical information from medical and nursing notes, care plans, drug charts, patients and carers
- Liaise with nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team, for example, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) and Occupational Therapists about the patients nutritional plan
- Assess patients tolerance to tube feeding
- Calculate patients intake from food record charts, which may involve using a dietary analysis computer package
- Regularly liaise with the supervising dietician about all aspects of patients nutritional care
- Monitor patient in order to achieve optimum nutritional intake
- Record all interventions and actions on dietetic record cards
- Oversee the completion of daily menus for all patients on therapeutic diets. This may involve face-to-face discussion with patients and/or their carers.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION RESPONSIBILITIES:
If required, assist a dietician or deliver training to staff and/or patients.
- Participate in the induction of new ward and Dietetic staff; demonstrating the role of the Nutritional Assistant as well as informing them about the provision of therapeutic meals, nutritional supplement products and raising nutritional awareness in their ward area.
- Support ward sister and dietician in project work including review audits and patient satisfaction questionnaires.
- Assist the dietician with the writing and updating of diet sheets by gathering information and drafting text.
- Create visual displays in public areas to reflect national nutrition and health promotion campaigns, for example, the 5-a-day campaign and Cancer Awareness week, to improve health education.
- To undertake regular training sessions with a colleague, learning by experience and improving working practice on an on-going basis.
- Liaise with dieticians, patients, the catering department and ward staff to ensure the provision of therapeutic diets, appropriate snacks, supplements and enteral feeds runs smoothly.
- Work with the dietician to alter menus as necessary, update the special diet manuals and nutrition policy. Disseminate this information throughout the ward.
Person Specification
Education/Training
Desirable
- NVQ qualification or relevant study days
- Experience of working within nutrition/dietetics
- Food hygiene training
- Experience of working within a team
- Experience of working with the public
Skills and personal qualities
Essential
- Organisational skills
- Good communication skills
- Willing to learn and develop
Person Specification
Education/Training
Desirable
- NVQ qualification or relevant study days
- Experience of working within nutrition/dietetics
- Food hygiene training
- Experience of working within a team
- Experience of working with the public
Skills and personal qualities
Essential
- Organisational skills
- Good communication skills
- Willing to learn and develop
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
