Band 6 Dietitian: Generalist

1.0 WTE band 6 permanent

North Bristol NHS Trust are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated dietitian to work within the acute dietetic team here at Southmead Hospital. This B6 post would suit a dietitian who wants to gain experience of nutrition support in a variety of clinical conditions including respiratory, gastroenterology and some renal clinical work. This is a broad role supporting a variety of areas giving the post holder exposure to different patients and settings.

The acute work will provide nutrition support to the respiratory ward, some gastroenterology patients. The out patient work which may include a gastroenterology clinic and exposure to work in the renal team.

The post holder's responsibilities include:

• Regular attendance at board round meetings
• Managing a complex nutrition support caseload ( oral nutrition support and enteral nutrition)
• Representing dietetics by attending regular specialty, governance and best interests meetings
• Maintain a busy training element to the role which includes supporting junior team members within Dietetics, and other MDT colleagues
• Assisting the department in the training of student dietitians

The post is supported by a team leader and by the wider acute team.

To learn more about working as a dietitian at NBT, click here to watch the video.

Main duties of the job

• Provide dietetic expertise to patients on the respiratory ward and support to the gastro ward.
• Representing Dietetics at specialty, governance and best interests meetings.
• Provide wider dietetic cover during times of annual leave / sickness.
• Support Student Dietitians during placement.
• Take an active role in clinical audits, service evaluations and research and disseminating findings in academic journals, professional magazines and conferences.
• Deliver nutrition-related topics, to a range of health professionals' e.g., nursing and medical staff and students.
• To contribute to the implementation of the Trust Nutrition strategy.

About us

As part of our commitment to service improvement and quality, we would expect you to undertake audit and be involved with research projects relevant to the post, and our department encourages and supports CPD.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To provide an evidenced based inpatient service to the respiratory ward, to support the gastro in patients and out patient service. To support the renal team with support to dialysis units.

This means

• Providing expert advice to patients, carers and clinicians (both within NBT and areas served by the specialist units) about the most effective nutritional treatment.
• Liaising with members of the health care team in hospital and in the community to ensure they are fully informed and able to support the patient in implementing the appropriate nutritional prescription / management for their condition.
• To be responsible for and manage a defined clinical caseload. The caseload will include complex cases, with multiple pathologies.
• To be trained (to orange card level) to use the Nutricia feeding pumps. To advise and deliver training on safe usage of enteral feeding pumps to ward-based staff, patients and carers.
• To contribute towards training other health care professionals in NG and nasal bridle placement
• To be able to state Trust enteral nutrition policy. To be able to set up an enteral feed and advise medical and nursing staff, patients and carers about safe placement of enteral feeding tubes (NG, PEG, jejunal)
• To deliver enteral training to patient/family/carers to facilitate safe discharge into the community with enteral tubes
• To contribute towards changes to the Trust enteral nutrition policy, identifying any training needs as a result and implement a clear dissemination programme
• To undertake nutritional assessment of patients based on history taking and interpretation of biochemistry and other diagnostic tests, anthropometry and clinical condition
• To develop nutritional care plans which are both realistic and practical for the patient and carers, taking into account medical, social, cultural and psychological factors
• To ensure that patients and their carers understand their condition / diagnosis, the options for nutritional treatment and the implications of compliance or non-compliance. To discuss and agree dietary and medical targets
• To assess suitability of patients current medical treatment in relation to their symptoms and dietary patterns and recommend changes in treatment to physician or GP
• To facilitate behaviour change and negotiate dietary and lifestyle changes with patients, enabling them to achieve agreed dietary and medical targets even where there are significant psychological, social or cultural hurdles to overcome. This will be aided by postgraduate training in counselling, motivational approaches and behaviour change
• To monitor and review the outcomes of nutritional and behaviour change interventions and adjust care plans to facilitate achievement of required goals
• To act on the findings of dietetic assessment and planning, liaising as necessary with members of the health care team in hospital and in the community to support the client in implementing appropriate nutritional prescription / management for their condition
• To attend and actively participate in ward rounds and MDT meetings to provide expert nutrition and dietetic opinion and communicate with other health professionals to contribute to the most effective treatment and safe discharge of patients
• Take steps to develop and maintain effective working relationships with other members of the MDT and wider teams
• To supervise and co-ordinate, on behalf of the MDT, all aspects of the safe and timely discharge of patients on artificial nutrition support including liaison with the Avon Home Management Service (HMS) and social services
• To maintain adequate written and electronic records and statistics of all assessments and interventions in line with local and national standards. To ensure that all records are stored securely
• To record and submit clinical and professional activity data according to departmental and national standards
• To prescribe nutritional items from the Dietetic Formulary and to advise on their safe usage. To take responsibility for the monitoring of patients who are prescribed specialist non-Formulary nutritional products
• In conjunction with colleagues, to review, update, produce or procure educational resources which are acceptable to users of the service and their carers. To evaluate resources to ensure they are effective. To use all resources efficiently and with care
• To provide cover for colleagues during periods of absence

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Have attained second gateway of Band 5 and have attained or be working towards first gateway of Band 6.
• Experience of a wide range of clinical conditions including nutrition support pts

Desirable

• Experience of support to respiratory pts and gastro pts

Knowledge

Essential

• Detailed knowledge of common clinical conditions and best dietetic management.
• Evidence of professional development plan and commitment to lifelong learning

Desirable

• Experience of participating in audit or a research project

Personal Skills

Essential

• Evidence of ability to keep things in perspective and deal with unpredictable work patterns
• Self-motivating and willing to seek out learning opportunities.

Employer details

Employer name

North Bristol NHS Trust

Address

Brunel, Southmead Hospital

Bristol

BS10 5NB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

339-DAC4886