Senior Dietitian - Stroke

Job summary

We are seeking to employ a self-motivated dietitian to join our team of neurosciences dietitians at the Denmark Hill site of King's College Hospital, working primarily with stroke inpatients. This is an opportunity for a dietitian wishing to further develop their skills in nutrition support and work closely within a multidisciplinary team. This post is a permanent position.

Main duties of the job

As part of the neurosciences dietetics team, you will be responsible for delivering the dietetic input to the stroke inpatient service. Strong skills in inpatient nutrition support are required with experience of managing complex patients as part of an effective MDT. There will be an opportunity to also provide cover to neurosurgical and neurology patients as required.

This role sits within the wider adult acute dietetic team at King's. The post holder will be expected to assist in planning the strategic development of the service and in supporting junior dietitians, including line management of up to one Band 5 dietitian.

One day per week, this post will support the HIV team based at the Caldecot Centre, providing dietetic support in an outpatient clinic setting.

You will play an integral role in the large, supportive dietetic team at King's College Hospital. Our dietetics department expects all staff to be involved in the teaching of other healthcare professionals, in line with our mission to provide excellence in clinical care, research and teaching in King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

We also undertake student training and you would play an active role in student supervision.

About us

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Job responsibilities

Formulate and deliver individual dietetic treatment plans for patients based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of a wide range of dietetic treatments.

Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

Represent the dietetic service and/or individual patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate dietetic therapy into the treatment programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning.

Use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients. Use persuasive and empathetic communication skills to motivate patients so enabling them to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding and/or communicating.

To be responsible for the discharge planning of patients going home on artificial nutritional support.

Undertake the measurement and evaluation of your work and current practices through the use of evidence based practice projects, audit and outcome measures either individually or with more senior dietitians.

Maintain and develop current knowledge of evidenced-based practice in the each area, developing specialist knowledge of particular conditions and patient groups.

To understand the role in more detail please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• BSc/ Post graduate diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC registered

Desirable

• Membership of an appropriate professional development group e.g. specialist group of the BDA

Knowledsge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in acute environments
• Sound experience of nutrition support including enteral feeding
• Experience in the nutritional management of dysphagia
• Understanding of the importance of MDT working
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Knowledge of Dietetics within the NHS

Desirable

• Experience of working in an outpatient setting
• Experience in working with people following a stroke

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Good oral and written communication skills with people from a variety of backgrounds and those with cognitive impairment.
• Presentation skills and ability to work autonomously with individuals and groups
• Ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to identify and undertake audit/service development under supervision of senior colleagues
• Motivational interviewing and counselling skills

Desirable

• Demonstrates leadership skills