• To lead and develop a highly specialised nutrition and dietetic service for patients receiving Parenteral Nutrition (PN) at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
• To act as the lead source of knowledge and expertise in Parenteral Nutrition support.
• To line manage dietitians and support staff within the Surgical/Gastroenterology/ Hepatology team.
• To be involved in all nutrition and dietetic departmental activities and contribute to the delivery of a Trust wide dietetic service.
• ***Please note that applications from temporary workers who have been engaged with the Trust for a minimum of 3 months are welcome.***

Main duties of the job

• To provide highly complex advice to IF patients. To include the interpretation of biochemical, haematological, faecal and anthropometric measurements.
• To lead a specialist dietitian outpatient service for all home PN patients.
• To attend MDT meetings and provide Dietetic advice to patients, nursing, and medical staff within this setting.
• To conduct nutritional assessments and to implement individualised, evidence-based interventions, including the calculation of nutritional requirements.
• To participate in PN ward rounds, alongside the nutrition nurses and consultant gastroenterologist. This will include assessing and monitoring patients referred for PN, making clinical decisions about the appropriateness, making recommendations for prescriptions, and advising on safe administration and routes for PN.
• To interpret medical diagnoses, calculate nutritional and fluid requirements, consider the psychological status of the patient, the drug treatment and interpret all relevant available information to formulate dietetic interventions.
• To participate in the maintenance of Trust wide PN policy and guidelines for staff.
• To work collaboratively with ward Dietitians in the Trust and across the Peninsula as appropriate.
• To supervise and co-ordinate the safe and timely discharge of patients on PN, liaising with hospital and community services.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• To work autonomously to provide highly complex advice to IF patientson wards at UHP. To include the interpretation of biochemical, haematological, observational, faecal and anthropometric measurements.
• To set up and lead a specialist dietitian / CNS outpatient service for all Home PN patients providing full nutritional assessment and specialist advice.
• Review patients in existing weekly nutrition support/ intestinal failure (IF) clinic alongside gastroenterologists and specialist nurses
• To attend MDT meetings and provide Dietetic advice to patients, nursing, and medical staff within this setting.
• To act as a clinical resource, providing specialist knowledge to members of the dietetic department on PN management.
• To conduct nutritional assessments and to implement individualised, evidence-based treatment plans, including the calculation of nutritional requirements and interpretation of medical information. This will require analysing highly complex, and sometimes conflicting information, liaising with other healthcare professionals, and will include ethical decision making.
• To participate in parenteral nutrition ward rounds, alongside the nutrition nurses and consultant gastroenterologist, and to cover other dietitians on this round, in their absence. This will include assessing and monitoring patients referred for parenteral nutrition, making clinical decisions about the appropriateness, making recommendations for prescriptions, and advising on safe administration and routes for parenteral nutrition.
• To be professionally responsible and accountable for the management of own clinical caseload and to organise this effectively with regards to clinical priority and effective use of time.
• For further details please see attached JD& PS.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Demonstrate extensive clinical practice post registration experience in a wide range of clinical areas, in particular GI surgery and intestinal failure
• Demonstrate experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
• Advanced proven knowledge and demonstrable experience of Parenteral Nutrition

Desirable

• Proven evidence of peerreviewed publications and presentations
• Demonstrable experience of developing policies/ protocols/guidelines
• Demonstrable experience of delivering training programmes at post graduate level

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc in Human Nutrition & Dietetics or equivalent qualification
• HCPC Registered
• Completion of Clinical Supervisory Skills training course
• Completion of post registration course e.g., PENG clinical update or equivalent

Desirable

• Relevant specialist clinical courses at Masters level
• A teaching qualification or demonstrable experience of teaching groups.

Aptitude and abilities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills with an ability to communicate with all levels of healthcare personnel as well as patients and their carers
• Effective teaching and presentation skills
• Computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets and presentations
• Good organisational and time management/ prioritisation skills

Desirable

• Research design/statistics skills
• Ability to work within a busy environment

Disposition, Attitude and Motivation

Essential

• Effective team worker
• Proactive, able to set up new initiatives
• Self-motivated
• Empathetic and approachable

Desirable

• An enquiring mind with an enthusiasm for research and innovation

Other factors

Essential

• Flexible regarding duties. May be required to work over 7 day period

Desirable

• British Dietetic Association (BDA) membership
• Member of the PENG Group (BDA)

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Dietetic Department Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL6 8DH

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

216-AM-C6433118-A