A Vacancy at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
We are a specialist centre for the management of Head and Neck Cancer and support patients from across the Thames Valley Cancer Network. This exciting Macmillan Dietetic Support Worker post will work closely with the Head and Neck Dietitians and Multidisciplinary Team in the Blenheim Head and Neck Cancer Unit at the Churchill Hospital.
It is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with an interest in nutrition and dietetics, who loves communication, organisation, administration, team-working and would like to be involved with patients diagnosed with Head and Neck cancer. The role will be competency-based and will receive training and support from our Head & Neck Dietitians and Macmillan Cancer Support.
We support flexible and remote working where appropriate, however this role will require regular on-site working.
If you are interested in this post, please get in touch with Rupali or Fiona (contact details below).
To support the nutritional management of HNC patients under the direction of a registered Dietitian by:
• Gathering patient information to support dietetic assessment
• Screening and review of patient’s nutritional status and intake
• Reinforcing dietary counselling and education to patient and carers
• Completing administrative tasks including drafting clinical letters, registering patients for home enteral feeding services and onward referrals to other services
• Triaging calls and referrals to the HNC dietetic service
• Signposting patients to appropriate services and support groups
• Contributing to service development, audits and quality improvement.
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. 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 this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and 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.
Clinical Responsibilities:
• Have an awareness of the impact of head and neck cancer and its treatment on nutrition
• To demonstrate knowledge and expertise in the use of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) for HNC patients
• To actively assist Dietitians with information gathering and performing routine measurements (such as Malnutrition Universal Screen Tool (MUST), hand grip strength, dietary intake and symptoms) to assess patient’s nutritional status
• To screen and review nutritional status and oral intake of non-complex patients, raising referrals to Dietetics or other disciplines as appropriate.
To use judgement to modify and adapt nutritional interventions, whilst maintaining the direction of the supervising Dietitians’ aim, to promote compliance and success
• To negotiate and implement appropriate nutrition support interventions, e.g. additional snacks, meals and supplements as appropriate in liaison with the Dietitian.
• To use encouragement, reassurance, tact and sensitivity to support patients in overcoming barriers and achieve mutually agreed goals.
• To support patients in understanding their dietary recommendations with provision of dietary literature, under guidance from the Dietitian.
• To communicate nutrition-related information to the supervising Dietitian and wider MDT
• After training, to triage incoming telephone calls from HNC patients, relatives and carers and to liaise with HNC MDT members as required
• To draft GP letters requesting ONS using templates under supervision of the Dietitian
• To liaise with Dietetic teams and other allied health professionals from across the Thames Valley Cancer Network regarding patient care
• To help with organisation of feeding tube referrals, enteral feeding pump training, registration of patients on the Abbott Hospital to Home Service, electronic patient records (EPR), completion of handover forms to community staff, Dietetic and Nursing colleagues, and to ensure that patients have supplies of enteral tube feed and/or nutritional supplements under the direction of the Dietitian
• Provide training to others (patient and healthcare staff) in either 1 to 1 or group settings on specific nutrition-related topics or health promotion, under Dietitian guidance
• To provide patients with information from Macmillan and local charities, (e.g. signposting to Maggie’s Cancer Information Centre and the Heads2Gether patient support group)
• To help collect and analyse patient experience feedback data to identify HNC Dietetic Service development needs
• Contribute to departmental collection of patient related outcome measures
To provide cover for other colleagues during planned or unplanned leave as required.
This advert closes on Tuesday 31 Dec 2024
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