Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic dietitian with experience in Nutrition Support to deliver a specialist clinical service at Southport & Ormskirk Hospital sites within the Mersey West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust and contribute to supervision of the team of dietitians and support staff.
The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal and time management skills, together with an ability to be flexible and a commitment to MDT working. In return, you will have opportunity to further develop and extend your leadership and clinical skills.
The post holder will have a specific interest in adult nutritional support and service/ quality improvement.
We are looking for someone who can work as a specialist, autonomous dietitian. You should have strong organisational, communication and leadership skills and embrace the challenge of service development.
Acute care is provided at Southport and Formby and Ormskirk District General Hospital. This includes accident and emergency services, intensive care and a range of medical and surgical specialities.
Main duties of the job
1. To have clinical responsibility for a complex nutrition support caseload.
2. To provide specialist clinical support to junior staff and students.
3. The post holder will demonstrate by example, and have advanced communication skills, using them to motivate, develop, guide and advance dietetic skills required by the team in order to provide a high quality responsive acute dietetic service.
4. To provide specialist assessment and management advice for patients whilst working closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
5. Accept clinical responsibility for and manage a caseload of patients, using advanced knowledge, evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions delivered across the acute wards.
6. To assist in the meeting of Therapy and Rehabilitation/Trust Objectives in relation to patient care.
7. To support the clinical lead in risk assessment for the dietetic team.
8. To coordinate, organise, assess, and deploy dietetic students while on their clinical placements.
9. To lead service developments including education and training of other health professionals on matters relating to nutrition and dietetics.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
o Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
o Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
o National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
10. To provide highly specialist assessment and management advice for patients throughout the hospital, working closely with all members of the team.
11. Accept clinical responsibility for, and manage, a caseload of complex critically ill patients with complex needs using, expert/specialist knowledge, evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions for in patients as required.
12. To take part in planning, development, delivery of dietetic services to adults in conjunction with the team leader and clinical therapy manager and hold responsibility for defined projects delegated risk assessment, documentation and operational policies.
13. The post holder will demonstrate by example, have advanced communication and use skills to motivate, develop, guide and advance the dietetic skills required to provide a high-quality responsive team.
14. To be responsible for the training of dietetic students on professional practice placements regularly throughout the year as a professional practice educator with specialist clinical knowledge across the acute wards.
15. To assist the team leader and clinical service manager in the maintenance and development of the dietetic service.
16. To be responsible for educating and developing dietetic staff and other staff in the skills of the dietitian.
17. To establish links and networks with other dietetic staff working within defined clinical area at other hospitals and community
18. To deputise to team as needed.
19. To take part in extended working rotas as appropriate, this could include 7 days working and evenings.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
20. To autonomously manage a caseload of patients with complex needs, using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions delivered and liaise with community services where patients are discharged to.
21. To proactively adopt, lead and facilitate a holistic approach to patient care by undertaking comprehensive accurate assessment and recording of each patient/clients physical state and taking into account the individuals social and environmental needs.
22. To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care. Ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support junior staff to do likewise. This includes supporting other junior professionals, therapy assistants and students.
23. To assess and identify complex needs including lifestyle and daily living activity, including personal, work, social, domestic, psychological and physical abilities, using specialist assessments.
24. To use analytical skills and clinical reasoning to interpret the results in order to decide upon, and plan, appropriate interventions in partnership with the individual. To formulate, implement and evaluate individualised management/treatment plans to maintain/improve patients nutritional state, using evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning.
25. To use a range of specialist interventions, which will include health education and goal setting.
26. To justify and promote treatment approaches to peers and other clinicians by applying a specialist level of theory and expertise in diagnostic and therapeutic clinical reasoning.
27. To provide specialist service to patients and their carers within critical care and acute wards through education, training and advice and support the dietitians in the paediatric and adult service to do the same.
28. To take an active role, within the MDT, in facilitating a safe, effective and timely discharge and transfer of care for patients utilising a range of specialist assessments and care co- ordination.
29. Responsible for providing written and verbal feedback to the multidisciplinary team on patient treatment and progress to facilitate smooth and seamless discharge.
30. To advice, recommend to, and negotiate with clients, relatives, carers and companies to ensure that patients needs in the community, are met, in terms of equipment provision for home enteral tube feeding.
31. In consultation with other members of the treatment team record and report findings following the standard procedures used by the department to maintain high levels of written/verbal communication.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
32. To be aware of changes in service demand and report to team leader or clinical therapy manager.
33. To ensure that the department has the appropriate equipment/materials/resources to facilitate patient care delegating this role as necessary.
34. To deputise for team leaders in their absence and take responsibility for running the department as needed.
35. To be responsible for the clinical day to day management of the dietetic service.
36. To attend/participate in Trust/Departmental briefing sessions and cascade to therapy team ensuring that all staff are informed and updated.
37. To keep timely accurate client records and relevant statistical information and ensure team do the same.
38. To provide nutrition and dietetic input to the investigation of incidents and complaints.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
39. To maintain and develop specialist skills in specific therapy practice through maintenance of CPD.
40. To participate in the induction, development and training of junior staff, therapy assistants, students and other colleagues.
41. To lead and encourage participation in service training, ensuring all maintain their CPD portfolio and keep up to date with their practice.
42. To identify own and junior staff personal development needs by carrying out supervision and Personal Development Plans with staff
43. To lead Trust/Departmental activities in relation to Clinical Governance and audit in Dietetics.
44. To participate in the planning, organisation, delivery and evaluation of training for other health care staff such as health care assistants, doctors, nurses and catering staff and patient/carer groups appropriate to specialist area.
45. To help co-ordinate Dietetic student clinical placements, organising the programme, liaising with Higher Education Institutes, coordinating the students ongoing assessment.
46. To use clinical expertise and respond to national and local plans, policies, guidelines and strategies in relation to nutrition and dietetics to advise on service developments, caseload management, and contribute to service modernisation and business planning across the trust.
ORGANISATIONAL
47. To be clinically responsible for complex nutrition support matters within the Trust, as agreed with the team leader and clinical therapy manager and organise efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and use of time. To decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and Trust requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate multi professional groups in the form of reports and letters. To be actively involved in the collecting of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the Trust. This should include the activity generated through the day to day role as Clinical Specialist Dietitian including compliance with national guidance. To promptly report incidents via the Datix system, informing the Therapy Manager of any issues. To comply with the organisational policies and procedures, with involvement in reviewing and updating these as appropriate. Develop, review and improve information sheets and booklets for patients, in line with trust policy. Advise and develop the service with appropriate timing of the sessions, staffing, expertise and resources in terms of space, equipment etc.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
48. Extensive clinical post-graduation experience in specialist area and within acute wards
49. Extensive knowledge of the physical and psycho-social impact of critical, acute illness
50. Experience of working with multi professional groups involved in the care of critically ill patients
51. Operational management, development and supervision of junior staff, students and therapy assistants
52. Experience of teaching multi professional staff, students and peers
53. Experience of service evaluations and audit processes
54. Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio, including attendance at recent post graduate courses relevant to speciality
55. Experience of joint working with external organisations, academic institutes where applicable
56. Have a detailed awareness of current NHS issues and relevant frameworks/quality indicators
Desirable
57. Evidence of developing services
Skills
Essential
58. Committed to personal and departmental development
59. Able to work well with others and pass on skills and knowledge
60. Able to maintain judgement under pressure and manage stress in others
61. Have motivation, drive and enthusiasm
62. Be able to deal with conflict resolution with staff, patients and members of the public
63. Ability to be empathic and discuss sensitive issues
64. Self-directed learning
65. Clear vision of role and commitment to specialty and be able to represent the service and organisation at Trust initiatives and with outside agencies
66. Good computer and telephone skills
67. Evidence of advanced communication skills.
68. Initiate evidence based practice within the clinical setting and develop local care pathways
69. Demonstrate full awareness of clinical governance and its application in therapy
Other
Essential
70. To be able to assess complex critically ill patients by carrying out a full assessment that often requires changes of position and frequent standing and sitting
71. The work pattern is unpredictable and concentration is required for investigating problems, analysis of performance data and policies, interruptions may be frequent where immediate response is required
72. Ability to deal with distressing situations within the acute wards and support staff to manage these situations
73. To be able to impart distressing information to patients/carers or relatives in a sensitive and supportive way where targets are not met or patient has deteriorated
74. To manage working in a highly pressured work environment that is busy and maintain excellent working relationships with the MDT.
75. Ability to fulfil the travel requirements of the post
Qualifications
Essential
76. BSc Degree in nutrition and dietetics (or equivalent)
77. HCPC registered Dietitian
78. Membership/participant
79. Professional Practice Educator Training/qualification
Desirable
80. Relevant management qualification or managerial specialist course equivalent
81. Masters level clinical courses/or equivalent( PENG Clinical Update Course)