We are looking for an experienced dietitian to work in a critical care/surgical role within MTW. You should be self-motivated, enthusiastic, and dynamic with excellent team-working, communication, and organisational skills.
It is anticipated that your clinical experience and knowledge will contribute to the development, evaluation, and quality improvement of the Intensive care department and formation of our digestive disease's unit. The successful applicant will be well supported by the Clinical Lead Dietitian & Professional Lead for Dietetics.
You will support junior staff to develop clinical skills to manage the complex needs of the inpatient and outpatient cohort. You will also work collaboratively on the Trust's artificial nutrition safety and quality initiatives.
Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications and may close earlier than the original closing date, so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible.
Main duties of the job
1. Act as a source of expertise for dietetic, nursing, and medical colleagues locally and nationally regarding the nutritional management of ICU/DDU patients, including attendance at ITU MDT.
2. Provide outpatient follow-up and expertise in DDU patients.
3. Participate in audits, project work, and research within Critical Care and Digestive diseases.
4. Monitor and evaluate whether local/national standards are being met and make recommendations for change to protocols and guidelines within critical care.
5. Educate, train, supervise, and disseminate information to healthcare professionals about the dietetic management of critical care/DDU patients.
6. Cover the leadership responsibilities of the Team Lead in their absence, when required.
7. Be an integrated member of the Dietetic team, providing help, support, and cover to the team where appropriate.
8. Participate in and contribute to the development of the Dietetic Department.
About us
MTW is a large acute hospital trust in the south-east of England. We provide a full range of general hospital services and some aspects of specialist and complex care to around 600,000 people living in west Kent and East Sussex. We have a team of over 8,000 full and part-time staff. We also provide specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex via the Kent Oncology Centre.
In the 2024 NHS staff survey, our employees ranked MTW among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and the second-best Trust to work for in the South East.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed, you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date, which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints, and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Interview Date: To Be Confirmed.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Degree (or equivalent) in Dietetics
* Current state registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
* Evidence of relevant and current CPD
* Appropriate post-graduate study in a specific specialist field
Desirable
* Member of a BDA Specialist Group and/or BAPEN
* Member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) or other body conferring professional insurance
Skills
Essential
* Highly developed oral and written communication skills with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and excellent interpersonal skills, including observation, listening, and empathy skills
* Able to prioritise and manage own workload to achieve deadlines
* Excellent time management and organisational skills
* Excellent presentation skills, both written and verbal
* Competent and accurate IT skills with the ability to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, data collection tools, and willingness to develop these skills
* Competent to use specialist equipment for anthropometric assessment
* Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills
* Demonstrates highly developed analytical and reflection skills, and commitment to engage in CPD and appraisal process
* Proven ability to function as part of a team
* Ability to work independently and be self-motivated
* Highly-developed concentration skills and ability to prioritise especially when under pressure
* Evidence of a high standard of record keeping
Experience
Essential
* Able to demonstrate significant dietetic experience post-qualification
* Able to demonstrate experience working in specialist surgical, gastroenterology or critical care services or a role requiring advanced artificial nutrition support skills
* Experience of managing complex enteral feed discharges
* Experience of managing patients with complex nutritional support requirements including enteral and parenteral nutrition
* Evidence of recent CPD in UGI/LGI surgical/Gastroenterology or critical care dietetics
* Experience of supervising, mentoring, and appraising junior colleagues
* Evidence of initiating and participating in clinical audit
* Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
* Experience working with groups of patients
* Experience of teaching and training dietetic colleagues and other members of the MDT
Desirable
* Experience of supervising dietetic student placements
Knowledge
Essential
* Excellent and sound clinical knowledge of the nutritional management of a wide variety of clinical conditions based on current best practice
* In-depth and current knowledge of enteral feeding systems and parenteral nutrition
* In-depth knowledge of national policies, procedures, and guidelines (relevant to the specialist patient group)
* Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and experience of conducting clinical audit
* Knowledge of current issues and research relating to dietetics
Employer details
Employer name
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Address
Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Tonbridge Road
Tunbridge Wells
TN2 4QJ
Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
359-6643099-T1-D #J-18808-Ljbffr