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SalaryJOB PURPOSE Provide advanced, highly specialised dietetic care to patients at local and regional level. This will include advice to patients and all healthcare staff. Provide and lead aspects of clinical training of dietetic students. Support Clinical Dietetic Manager in co-ordinating activities of the team and providing support and supervision to staff. Lead in research and audit within specialised clinical area and disseminate findings. 3. JOB DIMENSIONS The post holder will: 3.1 Lead in a clinical specialist area. 3.2 Manage own caseload and supervise the caseloads of other dietetic staff. 3.3 Assist and support the Clinical Dietetic Manager/line manager in the day to day management of the team of dietitians and students. 3.4 Deliver and supervise training to healthcare staff, dietitians and students at local and regional level, acting as a resource in the specialist area. 3.5 Be a core member of the multidisciplinary care team, liaising with other members of the team to provide integrated dietetic care. 3.6 Initiate and co-ordinate research and audit projects within specialised area and disseminate findings at conference level. 3.7 Be an active member of the out of hours service. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 5.1 BSc (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics or equivalent. 5.2 HCPC Registration as a Dietitian. 5.3 Experience of working in a senior Dietetic role. 5.4 Willing to undergo any training as required to enable performance in the job. 5.5 Advanced knowledge of current issues in clinical specialist area. 5.6 Able to work within a team, demonstrating leadership, initiative and confidence. 5.7 Good written, oral and interpersonal communication skills. 5.8 Able to demonstrate excellent time management and organisational skills. 5.9 Proactive in day to day clinical and non-clinical management. 5.10 Good presentation skills in delivering training to large multidisciplinary groups of staff or members of the public. (this may involve groups of more than 50 people) 7. CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS 7.1 Demonstrate excellent office practice in accordance with departmental policies and procedures. 7.2 Be a pro-active team member of the Dietetic department at LTHT by participating in departmental development projects, attending and participating in departmental meetings and clinical updates. 7.3 Demonstrate the ability to communicate highly complex, specialised and sensitive information with empathy and understanding. 7.4 Demonstrate the ability to provide highly complex nutrition counselling to patients, requiring cognitive behaviour therapy skills and use of advanced reassurance, motivational and negotiation skills to overcome barriers to change. 7.5 Demonstrate the ability to analyse, investigate and assess highly complex clinical and non-clinical information to form accurate nutrition care plans in a highly complex and specialist area. 7.6 Demonstrate analytical skills in prioritising the best course of dietetic treatment in patients with highly complex clinical conditions, where nutritional goals may conflict with other on-going physical, emotional, psychological and medical problems and a range of treatment options must be assessed and considered. 7.7 Be a recognised resource in a specialist clinical area at a regional level. 8. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING 8.1 Ability to perform advanced nutritional assessments in respective clinical area, interpret and plan relevant dietetic care programmes for patients with highly complex nutritional and medical needs which requires judgement and consideration of a range of treatment options. 8.2 Advanced knowledge of biochemistry, physiology and specialised pharmacology. 8.3 Understanding of the calculations required in dietetic assessment. 8.4 Ability to correctly interpret complex nutritional impairments, biochemical parameters and fluid balance. This will involve nutritional diagnosis including interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition, social factors and diet histories in patients with highly specialised and complex nutritional needs. 8.5 Highly specialist knowledge in interpreting complex clinical information to develop and monitor nutritional care plans in a specialised dietetic area. This will include the prescription of dietary treatment, prescribable nutritional products, enteral and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). 8.6 Responsible for safe discharge planning, including co-ordination of discharge of patients on home enteral feeding. 8.7 Able to evaluate, develop and implement practice using evidence based practice and critical appraisal. 8.8 Ability to advise and suggest nutrition-related medications. 8.9 Knowledge of clinical governance, quality of care and evidence based practice in specialist area. 8.10 Awareness of national guidance and driving factors in specialist area. 9. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY 9.1 Clinical and professional 9.1.1 Be an autonomous practitioner, clinically, legally and professionally responsible for own caseload. 9.1.2 Responsible for undertaking dietetic clinical duties in specialised clinical area, managing and prioritising own clinical caseload. 9.1.3 Collect, analyse and record relevant patient information from clinical and patient sources, to develop effective nutritional care plans. 9.1.4 Communicate complex dietetic treatment and advice of patients to healthcare staff, professionals and patient carers. This will involve co-ordinating nutritional care with other Trusts and regional centres. 9.1.5 Undertake advanced assessments of patients with diverse and highly complex nutritional issues where investigative and analytical skills are required to formulate accurate treatment plans. 9.1.6 Responsible for providing highly specialised dietary advice within an in-patient and out-patient setting, to patients in a distinct specialist area. eg advice to renal dialysis patients on calcium and phosphate management, oncology patients on enteral feeding, cystic fibrosis patients on fat intake and enzyme replacement therapy. 9.1.7 Responsible for developing and maintaining own expertise and agreed level of expertise of team members by updating own specialised clinical knowledge and skills. This will include developing regional networks within the speciality and attending local, regional and national professional interest group meetings. 9.1.9 Participate in the appraisal process as an appraiser and appraisee, developing a strategy for personal and continuous professional development, encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national legislation. 9.1.10 Responsible for implementing clinical governance and risk assessment in respective specialised clinical area as part of continuing quality improvement e.g. advise patients and staff on infection control issues around enteral feeding. 9.1.11 Undertake research and audit within specialist area using research methodology. This will involve identifying, co-ordinating and evaluating research and audit projects to measure clinical effectiveness and promote evidence based practice. 9.1.12 Expectation to attend regional and national conferences as a delegate and presenter. This will include both verbal and poster presentations. 9.1.13 Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as requested by line manager.
