Dietitian - Band 5 in Luton

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Nutrition and Dietetic Department at Luton and Dunstable Hospital as a full-time Dietitian within the acute team. The successful candidate will be welcomed into a supportive environment, working alongside an experienced team of dietitians and a dedicated dietetic assistant. We provide regular supervision and a robust appraisal system to ensure professional growth and development.

Continuous professional development is actively encouraged, with opportunities to shadow other specialities within the department and attend relevant study sessions. In addition, the department plays a key role in training students from the University of Hertfordshire, offering a dynamic and collaborative learning atmosphere. This is a fantastic chance to develop your career in a forward-thinking team committed to excellence in patient care and professional development.

Main duties of the job

• You will join our acute team and will be responsible for a number of designated wards across the hospital, a weekly outpatient clinic and educational sessions for healthcare professionals.
• You will be required to have HCPC registration, communication skills and demonstrate reflective practice. Experience delivering teaching and training would be an advantage.

Working for our organisation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication and Relationships

• To establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships with other staff.
• To liaise with nursing, medical, catering and other health professionals concerning the treatment of your patients whether on the wards or out in the community.
• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to ensure understanding of condition and treatment plans.
• To attend department meetings and team meetings.
• To use a range of different communication skills; including motivational interviewing, counselling skills, negotiating skills and cognitive behavioural therapy to help patients achieve their nutritional goals, considering any barriers to change patients may have.
• To advise and liaise with catering staff concerning the dietary needs of patients and work closely with dietetic and catering colleagues on issues such as menu planning, provision of therapeutic diets and initiatives to improve nutrition of patients.
• To contribute as required to the multidisciplinary team via ward rounds; case conferences; discharge planning meetings and team meetings as appropriate.
• To plan and organise group education sessions for patients.
• To advise medical team on the appropriate prescription of nutritional supplements and enteral feeds for in and outpatients, based on individual clinical assessment. Arrange follow-up and monitoring as required.

Analytical and Judgemental

• To be professionally and legally accountable and responsible for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care.
• To develop individual treatment plans for patients setting appropriate nutritional goals.
• To negotiate and agree dietary changes with patients using appropriate counselling, motivational and behaviour change techniques and skill.
• To evaluate and review your own work and that of the service, seeking the views of others and adopting the principles of evidence based practice to ensure maintenance of clinical and professional standards.

Planning and Organisation

• To work as a member of the clinical team of Dietitians supporting ‘team working’ within the hospital.
• To be able to organize and manage caseload.

Patient and Client Care

• To provide Nutrition and Dietetic Services to adult inpatients and outpatients.
• To undertake comprehensive assessments of adult patients, including biochemistry, anthropometrics, pharmacological, clinical condition, diet history and social circumstances and to use clinical reasoning skills to interpret data, using patient care pathways to plan patient care.
• To provide dietetic advice to patients and / or carers, taking account of medical, social, emotional, psychological and cultural needs of the patients.
• To provide appropriate treatment, monitoring and review of patient’s dietary needs, involving other agencies when indicated.
• To provide advice on appropriate use of nutritional products including product type, rate and volume to meet patient’s individual nutritional requirements.
• To demonstrate empathy and reassure patients and their carers, when appropriate, to continue to reach targets throughout their nutritional treatment.
• To ensure appropriate supply of nutritional products to wards in accordance with Trust policies.
• To be familiar with the use of enteral feeding equipment used within the trust and community setting.

Policy and Service

• To contribute to the service’s quality and audit programme, including the monitoring of clinical and process standards for your own work and that of the wider Nutrition and Dietetic Service.
• To contribute to the development of high quality diet sheets, information leaflets and other educational resources to support the delivery of Nutrition and Dietetic Services.
• To maintain an up to date knowledge and evidence base to support your practice.
• To contribute to the implementation of protocols and guidelines relevant to your work.
• To evaluate and review your own work and that of the service, seeking the views of others and adopting the principles of evidence based practice to ensure maintenance of clinical and professional standards.
• To contribute to the journal club and CPD meetings.
• To cover for colleagues in their absence.
• To be a member of the resources group or quality improvement group.
• To contribute to the setting of targets and annual team objectives, and to the monitoring of these objectives.

Financial and Physical Resources

• Does not hold budgetary responsibility but is aware of the need to plan non-pay expenditure for the team of Dietitians.

Human Resources

• To contribute to the provision of tutorials and monitoring and supervision of student Dietitians and/or dietetic assistants.

Information Resources

• To maintain accurate and comprehensive patient records in line with HCPC, BDA, acute trust, PCT and departmental standards.
• To collect patient data to meet the department’s information requirements.

Research and Development

• To plan and provide appropriate training for other health professionals.
• To provide group education session to specific patient groups e.g. pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation.
• To evaluate, review and update all training provided on a regular basis.
• To be responsible for maintaining your own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development activities.
• To attend training courses relevant to your rotation.

Freedom to Act

• Describes and applies clinical reasoning for the treatment of patients under their care.
• Works within broad treatment guidelines, but is able to act autonomously when making decisions about patients care.
• Refers the care of complex patient cases, which are outside their competencies, to a more Senior Dietitian.

Professional Registration

The post holder should work in accordance with their professional body’s Code of Conduct. Evidence of continuous registration is a requirement of employment with this Trust.

Personal Development

The post holder will be expected to undertake ongoing personal and professional development commensurate with the responsibilities of the post.

Role Development

The duties and responsibilities contained within this job description are indicative but not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other work consistent with their grade.

Notes:

• The post holder will have access to confidential data on staff and services within the Trust.
• You will be required to assess all risks to your systems, processes and environment and contribute towards the clinical and corporate governance agenda as appropriate.
• You will be expected to produce work to a high standard and to promote quality at all times.
• You will be expected to keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy.
• You must familiarise yourself with matters relating to Health and Safety management as they affect you personally and / or the Trust.
• You will be expected to participate in the staff appraisal scheme for staff you manage.

Person specification

• Evidence of experience within the NHS relevant to Dietetics, either paid, voluntary or through clinical training.
• Currently working as a band 5 or dietetic assistant within the acute/community setting.
• Membership of the British Dietetic Association.

Knowledge & Experience

• Sound clinical knowledge of general dietetics including relevant national policies & guidelines.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex medical and nutritional information.
• Evidence of multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience of carrying out audits within a clinical setting.
• Experience of supervising students.

Skills

• Written skills- evidence of a good standard of written and verbal English appropriate to the role.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients in one-to-one situations.
• Presentation skills- ability to present to groups of patients/ healthcare professionals.
• Able to work under own initiative and manage a caseload.
• Evidence of ability to prioritise and manage time effectively and efficiently.
• Proficient IT Skills, including use of Word, Microsoft Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Evidence of ability to critically evaluate current research & apply to own practice.
• Use of behaviour change and motivation skills.

It is an exciting time to join the newly formed Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We run two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Our 7,500 staff provide high quality care for a growing population of around 700,000 across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. Travel between hospital sites may be required. We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.