Job responsibilities
JOB
PURPOSE
To
provide part of a professional Nutrition and Dietetic care service, which
includes
advice to in-patients, out-patients, all healthcare staff and participation
in the training of student Dietitians.
To
work within the Dietetic Service providing effective interventions to
specific clinical areas.
To
provide a patient focussed service using Dietetic core skills.
The
post holder will be professional accountable to the HCPC and accountable
contractually to their employer and to the law for their actions.
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 Liaise with the multidisciplinary care
team to provide integrated dietetic
Care
3.4 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 Willing to undergo any training as
required to enable performance in the job.
5.4 Awareness of current issues in
Dietetics.
5.5 Good written, oral and interpersonal
communication skills.
5.6 No previous dietetic experience
required.
5.7 Able to work within a team,
demonstrate initiative, time management and organisational skills.
8. CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
8.1 Demonstrate good office practice in
accordance with departmental and professional policies and procedures.
8.2 Be an active team member of the
Dietetics department at LTHT by participating in departmental development
projects, attending departmental meetings and clinical updates.
8.3 Demonstrate the ability to communicate
complex and sensitive information with empathy and understanding.
8.4 Demonstrate the ability to motivate
patients to achieve behavioural change using counselling skills.
8.5 Demonstrate the ability to analyse
clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate nutrition care plans
9. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
9.1 Ability to perform nutritional
assessment and plan relevant dietetic care programmes.
9.2 Knowledge of biochemistry, physiology
and pharmacology.
9.3 Understanding of the calculations
required in dietetic assessment.
9.4 Ability to correctly interpret
nutritional impairment, biochemical parameters and fluid balance. This will
involve nutritional diagnosis including interpretation of biochemistry,
anthropometrics, clinical condition and diet histories.
9.5 Demonstrate knowledge in
interpretation of clinical information to develop, monitor and complete
nutritional care plans. This will include the prescription of dietary
treatment and ACBS products.
9.6 Demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of safe discharge planning.
10. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
10.1 Clinical and professional
10.1.1 Be an autonomous practitioner, clinically,
legally and professionally responsible for own caseload.
10.1.2 Responsible for undertaking dietetic
clinical duties in assigned clinical areas under the supervision of the line
manager, following departmental standards and procedures.
10.1.3 Collect, analyse and record relevant
patient information from clinical and patient sources, and consider these in
the development of effective nutritional care plans.
10.1.4 Communicate the nutrition and dietary
treatment of patients to healthcare staff, other professionals and patient
carers.
10.1.5 Responsible for providing relevant dietary
advice within an in-patient, out-patient setting in verbal and written forms
in a format which is understood by patients and carers.
10.1.6 Responsible for developing and maintaining
an agreed level of expertise by updating own clinical knowledge and skills.
10.1.7 Participate in the appraisal process as an
appraisee and develop a strategy for personal and continuous professional
development, encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national
legislation.
10.1.8 Undertake any other duties appropriate to
the grade as requested/ agreed with the line manager.
10.2 Education and training
10.2.1 Devise and implement nutritional care plans
for inpatients and outpatients. This will involve advising patients,
relatives or carers, individually or in a group setting.
10.2.2 Provide effective oral and written dietetic
advice and information to patients and their carers, to enable achievement of
dietary aims.
10.2.3 Assist with the development of resources
used in the education and training of patients, health professionals and the
public.
10.2.4 Participate in informal talks on nutrition
and dietetics to health care staff as required; this may include
presentations at department meetings.
10.2.5 Participate in supervising the training of
dietetic and other students to graduate level as assigned after an
appropriate induction period/supervisory training course.
10.2.6 Train ward staff to use dietetic resources
appropriately.
10.3 Managerial
10.3.1 Disseminate Dietetic information to other
members of the multidisciplinary team. This could include attendance and
participation in ward rounds and case conferences.
10.3.2 Responsible for ordering and cancelling
additional snacks, nutritional supplements and feeds from catering and
pharmacy according to patients clinical condition and requirements.
10.3.3 Contribute to the planning, setting and
monitoring of departmental objectives and standards as assigned.
10.3.4 Participate in surveys, research and audit
as required/assigned.
10.3.5 Participate in the collection of data for
management information purposes as requested.
10.4 Organisational
10.4.1 Provide appropriate diet sheets/patient
education material for ward discharge and outpatient use.
10.4.2 Responsible for liaison with medical and
nursing staff to ensure integrated dietetic care.
10.4.3 Liaise with the catering department and
pharmacy to ensure the correct provision of meals for patients on therapeutic
diets.
10.4.4 Responsible for participating in the
development of a dietetic resource manual as required.
10.4.5 Participate in departmental and
multidisciplinary meetings as required.
10.4.6 Provide cover for annual leave, sickness,
bank holidays etc as required
Health
and Safety/Risk Management
All
staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and
improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service
users. This includes complying at all
times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health
and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working
procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting
system.
Infection
Control
The
jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS
Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal
Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and
after contact with patients and their environment.
Equality
and Diversity
The
jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure
equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the
individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient
or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender,
ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.
Patient
and Public Involvement
The
Trust has a statutory duty to involve patients and public in evaluating and
planning services. All staff have a
responsibility to listen to the views of patients and to contribute to
service improvements based on patient feedback.
Training
and Personal Development Continuous Professional Development
The
jobholder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for
his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional
Development remains a priority. The
jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.
Respect
for Patient Confidentiality
The
jobholder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge
patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
11. COMMUNICATION & WORKING
RELATIONSHIPS
11.1 Responsible for communicating complex
and sensitive information in an understandable form to patients including
adaptation of oral and written advice appropriate to the individual. This may
include communicating unwelcome news in a sensitive way or giving
advice/information which is hard to accept.
11.2 Responsible for motivating patients to
accept and adhere to treatment and make behavioural changes where there may
be significant barriers to understanding.
11.3 Demonstrates empathy and understanding
of social, psychological, ethnic and religious factors which affect
compliance in order to facilitate long term dietary changes.
11.4 Responsible for communicating the
requirements, progress and outcome of nutritional care plans to patient care
team members on a regular basis.
11.5 Responsible for communicating patients
nutritional care information to nursing, medical staff, therapy staff and
community personnel including GPs, social care workers and other health
professionals, as required.
Internal
Head of Dietetics
Clinical Dietetic Managers
All Grades of Dietetic Staff
Dietetic Assistants
Nursing
Consultants and Medical Staff
Multi-disciplinary teams
Internal agencies
Catering
Support staff
External
Dietetic Students
University Staff
Colleagues employed by other NHS
Trusts
Colleagues employed by other
agencies
Patients and carers
