Specialist Dietitian

Job summary

This vacancy is for a Specialist Dietitian, maternity leave cover. The post is based at our Weston General Hospital, alongside other Dietitians & Dietetic Support Workers delivering high quality nutritional care. The role will focus on acute inpatient beds & outpatients, across a number of pathways but primarily within specialist areas of ICU and medical inpatient wards. Input to surgical wards is also required, particularly when patients initially step down from ICU.

You will require to demonstrate core skills in oral, enteral and parenteral nutrition support along with behaviour change strategies.

Work will be augmented with wider service development, education and student training.

All members of the team work one Bank Holiday a year.

Main duties of the job

The post will provide expert nutritional care across a range of pathways, notably critical care & medicine.

The role works closely with a wide range of professionals within the MDT

Ensure effective communication at all levels of health care professionals regarding the nutritional care of individual patients.

Impart information to patients in situations which could be distressing / emotional for the patient, therefore require use of holistic skills.

Use negotiation skills to motivate and negotiate dietary change this will require using a variety of evaluation strategies and adapting communication techniques if necessary.

Educate, support and direct patients by advising on therapeutic dietary regimens which may involve significant and continuous lifestyle changes.

Translate nutritional concepts into practical everyday terms for patients, staff and professional colleagues of all levels.

As a key member of the multi-professional team, provide expert dietetic advice at case conferences, care and discharge planning meetings.

Liaise with partners including clinical MDTs, pharmacy, catering and the community to ensure continuity of care across service providers.

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• oQ1 HCPC Registration
• oQ2 Evidence of continuing professional development
• oQ3 Degree/Post Graduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics
• oQ4 Clinical Supervisory Skills (Basic)

Desirable

• oQ5 BDA Membership
• oQ6 PEN Group Clinical Update Course and/or Behaviour Change Course

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• oE1 Proven experience in: -Enteral Nutrition Support -Chronic Disease Management -Nutrition support in acute illness
• oE2 Working as part of a multi-professional Team
• oE3 Student Training
• oE5 Teaching Experience

Desirable

• oE4 Audit Experience
• oE6 Experience of supervision of junior staff
• E7 Experience of writing protocols & guidelines
• oE8 Experience of working in the community
• oE9 Experience of Home Enteral Nutrition

Skills and abilities

Essential

• oS1 Good communication skills at all levels -Oral -Written -Interpersona
• oS2 Good organisational skills
• oS4 Teaching/presentation skills in a variety of settings & to professional groups/ grades
• oS5 Computer skills & use of dietary analysis programmes
• oS6 Advanced clinical reasoning
• oS7 Behaviour & motivational interviewing skills
• oS8 Able to maintain effective working relationships across different professions
• oS9 Insight & sensitivity
• oS11 Team player & able to maintain effective working relationships
• oS12 Ability to process highly complex information or situations
• oS13 Ability to work under own initiative
• oS14 Ability to deal with challenging behaviours of patients, carers & students
• oS3 Time Management

Desirable

• oS10 Active/committee member of BDA Specialist Interest Group
• oS15 Access to transport in order to deliver community working