Specialist DietitianinSouthportinSouthportPUBLISHED TUE 11 FEB 2025

We have a great opportunity for an enthusiastic individual interested in further developing their dietetic skills in an acute adult hospital setting. You will be working in a busy acute hospital providing a specialist service across several wards and undertake patient group education.

You will be joining our friendly and supportive team of Dietitians, dietetic assistants and administrative staff, working across the hospital in the areas of frailty, surgery, gastroenterology and critical care. The majority of treatment will be nutrition support, both oral and enteral with opportunities to be involved in parenteral nutrition.

We are committed to supporting the ongoing personal and professional development of our staff and offer excellent development opportunities. We are also involved in Student Training, offering Practice Placement opportunities from North West HEI's. We develop our workforce, here you can really grow with the knowledge & guidance shared by our dietetic working groups.

We are looking for someone who can work as a specialist, autonomous dietitian. You should have strong organisational, communication and leadership skills and embrace the challenge of service development.

Acute care is provided at Southport and Formby and Ormskirk District General Hospital. This includes adults' and children's accident and emergency services, intensive care and a range of medical and surgical specialities.

Interview date: TBC

To provide a specialist Dietetic Therapy Service to patients of Southport & Ormskirk Hospital

To provide specialist expert clinical support to junior staff and students.

The post holder will demonstrate by example, and have advanced communication skills, using them to motivate, develop, guide and advance dietetic skills required by the team in order to provide a high-quality responsive dietetic service.

To provide specialist assessment and management advice for patients whilst working closely with all members of the MDT.

Accept clinical responsibility for and manage a caseload of complex cases using advanced knowledge, evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions as required.

To take part in the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of dietetic therapy services within the designated area, holding responsibility for defined projects, including the development of team outcome measures, risk assessment, documentation and operational policies in conjunction with the team leaders

To assist in the meeting of Trust Objectives in relation to patient care.

About us

KEY DUTIES

• To collect and analyse patient information (e.g. medical, biochemical, nutritional, social, cultural, financial and personal) to devise appropriate evidence based nutritional care plan as part of the treatment of their disease(s), adapting your advice to ensure that it is practical and realistic for the individual.
• To provide a broad range of expert, complex nutrition and dietetic advice to adults and their family/carers for a wide range of medical conditions to meet varying complex needs.
• To ensure effective internal and external 2-way communication with patients, carers and all other Health and Social Care Professionals to negotiate, review and adapt care plans and in all aspects of patient care ensuring the holistic care of patients.
• To Provide and receive complex information which requires empathy and reassurance. Communicating where there may be barriers to understanding, or when patients may be finding difficulty dealing with their diagnosis and where skills such as motivational interviewing and counselling are required.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To calculate individual requirements for nutritionally at risk and compromised patients and advise on dietary manipulation and/or the prescription of nutritional supplements/enteral feeds and parenteral nutrition.
• To provide a dietetic service to designated in-patient wards.
• To liaise with adult dietitians across the region and refer to other health professionals to ensure appropriate care pathways for those patients seeking information outside your area of skills and knowledge.
• To advise Dietitians and Student Dietitians on the management of clinically demanding patients.
• To liaise with catering staff and advise on the provision of therapeutic diets.
• To be a member of the multi-disciplinary team and actively participate in M.D.T. meetings and case conferences MDT meetings.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To demonstrate skills of active listening and respond to verbal and non-verbal cues of your patients, recognising and dealing with their concerns.
• To accurately record all assessments and interventions on dietetic records, and in relevant nursing and medical records.
• To lead and contribute to the production and evaluation of resources produced by the department e.g. diet sheets, information and training packs, advice leaflets etc.
• To provide cover for leave and sickness to appropriate wards.
• To liaise with dietetic colleagues at other hospitals to ensure a seamless transfer of care between hospitals.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• To work with colleagues and other agents to plan, organise, deliver, and evaluate training for other health care staff such as health care assistants, doctors, nurses and catering staff and patient/carer groups appropriate to specialist area.
• To take part in the appraisal process to identify your needs for Continuing Professional Development, to facilitate evidence-based practice, in order to keep updated on current trends, developments and practices in the field of nutrition and dietetics and within your specialist area and maintain Health Care Professions Council registration.
• To disseminate information from training attended as required.
• To participate in the delivery of student placements and work experience programs. Asa clinical teacher participate in the delivery of the student training programme and assessment of students. Deliver tutorials in the areas of clinical dietetics and professional practice.
• To organise and lead training programmes for colleagues within dietetics on the specialist dietetic areas.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To assist / deputise for the Team Leader including the supervision of junior staff, Students and Assistants when required to do so.
• To respond to national and local plans and strategies in dietetics, collecting, analysing, and interpreting information and advising the team leader on future service direction and developments.
• To be responsible for the timely and accurate collection of statistics / records as are required nationally, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained.
• To produce ad hoc reports and an annual report of activity and development of specialist area for key stakeholders and line manager.
• To develop and implement local evidence-based policies on matters relating to nutrition and dietetics in specialist area, in response to local and national guidance.
• To represent the department at multidisciplinary meetings within your specialist area advising on nutritional matters as required.
• To be responsible for the delivery of dietetic care within the specialist dietetic area including the supervision of other staff such as Dietetic Assistants.
• To recognise and maintain stock levels of resources for own area of work.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• To actively participate in the Departmental Governance/Quality Framework. To undertake clinical audit and research and ensure compliance with all Trust Research governance procedures.
• To lead and contribute to the development of departmental / organisational procedures and guidelines.
• To ensure advice offered to patients is based on the best available clinical evidence.