Job summary
PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced oncology dietitian to develop the new lung dietetic service. There will be the opportunity to also work alongside the senior adult oncology team, supporting patients with frailty. This post is part of the Christie nutrition and dietetic team in a world class cancer centre.
If you are passionate and have experience working within lung cancer, leadership, and want to develop your skills further in oncology and research, then this is the post for you. Clinical supervision experience skills will enable you to support the band 6 dietitians and students. Excellent presentation skills will be required to carry out training and education to the HCPs on a regular basis.
Main duties of the job
As a senior specialist lung oncology dietitian, you will:
1. Work with the multidisciplinary team to establish and evaluate a dietetic service for lung and frailty patients.
2. Provide expert nutritional support and dietary education for patients attending the lung outpatient clinics at the Christie Hospital.
3. Provide expert nutritional support and dietary education for frailty patients attending the senior adult clinic.
4. Provide education and training to medical staff, nursing staff, and other health care professionals in the Trust.
5. Support and supervise band 6 rotation dietitians.
6. Take an active role in research and audit.
About us
We are a supportive and dynamic department of 26 dietitians and 3 nutrition specialist nurses who work closely together, daily. The teamwork is in line with the Core values and behaviours of the trust.
The team's vision is to be an expert leader in oncology nutrition and dietetics, putting patients at the centre of everything we do through innovation, education, and research. We aspire to be the best department to work in by valuing and respecting each other, working as one team, and supporting and developing the current and future workforce through experience, education, opportunities, and a positive learning environment.
We provide a service to inpatients and outpatient areas and engage in and support research and audit. We encourage and support professional development with regular CPD, in-house courses, and training programmes on leadership, different disease groups, and advanced communication skills with the support of the School of Oncology.
Job responsibilities
1. Be clinically responsible for a highly complex area of work, as agreed with the dietetic manager, and independently plan, organise, and prioritise patient-related and professional demands.
2. Develop the lung and SAO dietetic service alongside the lung teams with the support of the dietetic manager.
3. Work closely with the Senior Adult multidisciplinary oncology team to enhance health, wellbeing, and quality of life, and contribute to the management of frailty syndromes, prior, during, and post-treatment.
4. Nutritionally assess lung/SAO oncology patients by interpreting and evaluating anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary data, whilst considering the patients' social and ethnic circumstances, prognosis, and treatment.
5. Convey complex specialised dietary advice and lifestyle changes to patients and carers using advanced counselling and communication skills.
6. Attend appropriate multidisciplinary meetings and outpatient clinics to provide expert advice to clinicians regarding the provision of nutritional support to lung oncology patients and carers based on clinical evidence.
7. Diagnose malnutrition and liaise with the appropriate consultant to optimise treatment outcomes by recommending the appropriate method of nutrition intervention and reducing the risk of Refeeding Syndrome.
8. Communicate, liaise, and advise the lung team, key workers, nursing staff, AHPs, and other health care professionals on the appropriate evidence-based nutrition care plan.
9. Prescribe the appropriate dietary regimen for lung oncology patients using evidence-based practice and manage, monitor, and reevaluate the treatment plan as necessary.
10. Refer patients to other services for monitoring and therapeutic support following discharge.
11. Work with the catering department to ensure suitable meal provision to meet the special needs of the oncology patient in line with national standards.
12. Initiate, facilitate, and coordinate the setting up of a home enteral feed to ensure a safe discharge.
13. Be responsible for the ordering, delivery, and monitoring of specialist nutritional supplements (ACBS endorsed) for individual client needs.
14. Write, deliver, and evaluate internal and external education and training sessions on nutrition and specialist dietetics in relation to lung and SAO to medical staff, nursing staff, AHPs, dietitians, other health care professionals, patients, and carers.
15. Act as a clinical educator by participating in student dietetic placements.
16. Provide supervision to allocated band 6 dietitians daily, carrying out regular one-to-one meetings, and conducting the annual PDR process.
17. Take an active role in research and audit.
18. Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date documentation on individual patients in line with local and national standards and be responsible for the appropriate storage of data with the Health Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C) and trust policy on confidentiality.
19. Record and submit patient data and statistics as required by the manager and provide information for annual reports and service development and planning.
20. Attend and participate in departmental, professional update meetings, and trust nutrition-related meetings, leading them when required.
21. Attend and contribute to the trust nutrition steering committee.
22. Be responsible for own clinical professional development (CPD) to maintain competency and ensure best practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* BSc Nutrition & Dietetics or BSc degree in relevant science subject plus Post Graduate Diploma in Nutrition & Dietetics.
* HCPC registration
* Clinical supervision training
* Masters level or equivalent course e.g., Advanced course in nutritional support (e.g., BDA PEN course), masters modules
Desirable
* Teaching qualification course
* Evidence of post-graduate specialist counselling skills course in oncology, bereavement counselling, or breaking bad news
* BDA oncology group member
Experience
Essential
* Recent experience of working in lung oncology, palliative care
* Experience of working with senior adults
* Evidence of multidisciplinary team working.
* Evidence of recent CPD
* Evidence of recent audit/research experience and ability to critique research papers
* Experience of enteral feeding
* Experience in home enteral feed discharges
* Presentations/talks to large groups
* Clinical supervision
* Leadership
* Experience in setting up patient pathways/service
* Student training
Desirable
* Experience of undertaking annual appraisals and absence management
* Experience of leading or co-ordinating audit or research work
Skills
Essential
* Excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Good presentation skills and evidence of presentations to large groups.
* Standard keyboard skills
* Ability to work effectively single-handed with individuals and groups.
* Good organisational and time management skills.
* Accurate anthropometric measurement skills.
* Ability to interpret complex information
* Evidence of leadership skills
* Supervision skills
Knowledge
Essential
* Understanding the complex effects of cancer and treatments on nutritional status of patients.
* Conversant with enteral feeding systems.
* Excellent up-to-date knowledge in lung cancer and treatments
* Sound knowledge of current issues relating to cancer and nutrition support.
* Knowledge of clinical governance
* Knowledge of national lung oncology strategies/policies/guidance/pathways.
* Evidence of oncology/nutrition support courses
Values
Essential
* Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.
Other
Essential
* Self-motivated, reliable
* Able to recognise own limitations
* Positive mindset in respect of supporting organisational change; learning, and continuous improvement.
* Effective interpersonal and intrapersonal skills including a high degree of self-awareness and self-regulation.
* Willingness to support preregistration Students
* Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity, and tact with patients and their families
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