An exciting vacancy has arisen for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Dietitian to work as a Specialist HDU Band 7 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Greenwich.
We are looking for a dietitian who is keen to innovate and work together with our acute across site team and the HDU MDT. You will join a friendly department comprising 45 dietitians across the two Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust hospital sites and Lewisham community.
Main duties of the job
This post will be the inpatient lead for HDU (4 beds) and will work with the acute Band 6 and 7 posts at QEH.
* Responsible for the 4-bedded HDU.
* Actively liaise with tertiary referrals centers.
* Responsible for the safe discharge of enterally fed children to community teams.
* Actively involved in training students from London universities on the 1,2,3 Placement programme.
* Provide Band 6 Paediatric supervision.
* Participate in audits, service evaluations, and continuous professional development.
* Take a lead in service improvements and developing policies and guidelines.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team, and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
* Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development.
* Widening access (anchor institution) and employability.
* Improving the experience of staff with disability.
* Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development.
* Making equalities mainstream.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
The post holder will be responsible for providing the dietetic service to Paediatric HDU at QEH. They will support the acute QEH paediatric team. You will be actively involved in training students from the London universities on the 1,2,3 Placement programme. All dietetic staff are encouraged to participate in audits, service evaluations, and continuous professional development. Band 7s take a lead in service improvements and developing policies and guidelines, offer supervision and support to Band 5 and Band 6 dietitians across the trust and develop specialist resources. This post is accountable to the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Clinical Duties and Responsibilities
Communication and Relationship Skills
* To provide expert, specialist, evidence-based, dietetic advice and care to paediatric patients and their carers. Communicating highly complex and sensitive information on nutrition using negotiation, counselling, and behavioural change skills.
* To work autonomously when assessing patients, making clinical decisions, selecting treatments, and evaluating outcomes of dietetic interventions.
* To collaborate with team members to ensure the child receives care and advice on all aspects of feeding at home.
* To develop and maintain close communications with all health care professionals to provide co-ordinated patient-centred care.
* To work with families who may have learning disabilities, mental health problems and challenging behaviours.
* To work with patients who have language barriers to effective communication.
* To empathise, communicate and reassure families who may be dealing with unpleasant circumstances/diagnosis relating to their child.
* To use motivational and negotiating skills to facilitate acceptance and ongoing compliance with nutritional treatment plans.
* To act as a keyworker to certain families.
* To be involved with children and their carers placed on the child protection register.
* To document all activities concerning patient care in the electronic paediatric dietetic patient record notes.
* To produce timely and informative reports for health professionals relevant to a specific family.
* To negotiate with carers, clients and other members of the multi-disciplinary team around individual case management.
Analytical and Judgement skills
* To make all clinical decisions and judgments autonomously guided by broad professional and organisational policies.
* To implement specialist clinical dietetic assessment, treatment and management of patients referred to the acute team.
* To analyse dietary intake and calculate nutritional requirements.
* To be trained to trainer level in the use of anthropometrics equipment.
* To take anthropometric measurements and interpret as part of nutrition assessment of patients ongoing monitoring.
Planning and Organisational Skills
* To manage and act as an independent holder of the paediatric caseload ensuring high quality dietetic care is delivered.
* To liaise with health care professionals regarding hospital discharges or new referrals.
* To provide cover for the other dietitians within the paediatric team during periods of staff absence.
* To devise and implement specialist evidence/research-based guidelines and protocols.
Managerial and Administrative Responsibilities
* To be solely responsible for prioritising and managing own caseload.
* To supervise dietitians and dietetic assistants.
* To be involved in the development of, write and update policies and procedures related to all aspects regarding acute Paediatric Dietetics.
* To ensure all equipment defects, accidents, complaints and clinical incidents are reported.
Education and Training Responsibilities
* To provide effective training to individual patients and their carers/families.
* To assist in the organisation and participate in formal study days.
* To participate in the training of student healthcare professionals.
* To pursue an active programme of personal continuing professional development.
Research and Audit
* Regularly take lead in clinical audit using research methodology.
* Undertakes clinical trials as appropriate in conjunction with the commercial sector.
* To contribute to team presentations and training on a local, regional and national basis.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
* 4 year degree in dietetics or equivalent.
* Current State Registration.
* Advanced BDA course in paediatrics (or equivalent).
* Specialist paediatric training/experience working to or at masters level.
* Registration with Health Professional Council.
* British Dietetic Association member or equivalent professional insurance.
* Evidence of ongoing Professional development.
Desirable
* Advanced British Dietetic Association Course in Nutritional Support.
* Experience of working in HDU.
* Interest in Research.
Experience
Essential
* Significant experience of paediatric dietetics.
* Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
* Evidence of training student dietitians.
* Able to decide priorities for own work area.
* Experience of working in a multi-ethnic and cultural setting.
* Experience of working in complex safeguarding situations.
Desirable
* Working in the community setting.
* Previous experience of conducting audits and or research.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
* Understand and abide by standards of professional practice, including confidentiality.
* Able to demonstrate awareness of current NHS changes and professional issues.
* To have an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the other disciplines within the MDT team.
* Computer Literacy, able to use Word, Excel.
* Accurate anthropometrics measurement skills.
Desirable
* Full driving licence.
Employer details
Employer name
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Address
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich
Stadium Rd
London
SE18 4QH
Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
197-UT6273 #J-18808-Ljbffr