Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

 

• To use highly advanced communication skills to negotiate dietetic interventions and communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and staff

 

• To work closely and communicate effectively with MDT including-medical and nursing teams, therapy teams, catering teams, nutrition lead and senior management

 

• To demonstrate a high level of written and verbal communication to communicate complex and sensitive information

 

• To be able to motivate others and use advanced communication skills to persuade, negotiate and influence others when required

 

• To keep accurate and complete written records of all in-patient and out-patient consultations in accordance with Trust and departmental standards for record keeping

 

• To effectively articulate the specialist dietetic perspective on a patient’s condition with medical colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary team and negotiate when various patient management options are available.

 

• To clearly convey complex knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff, where evidence underpinning practice may be conflicting and ensuring sensitivity to the audience’s level of understanding and prior knowledge.

 

 

 

Patient/customer care (both direct and indirect)

 

• To have accountability for the highly specialist independent clinical management of patients in intensive care requiring dietetic intervention.

 

• To demonstrate an advanced level of clinical decision making to assess, make a dietetic diagnosis, develop, implement, and evaluate highly complex and specialised treatment programmes.

 

• As a member of the critical care and nutrition multidisciplinary teams (MDT) to influence decision making regarding treatment planning and consequences for rehabilitation of patient’s dietetic needs.

 

• As a core member of the critical care and nutrition MDT to participate in critical care team meetings/working parties and audit groups. To propose and assist in implementation of policy and service development in those groups.

 

• To take responsibility for planning service developments in critical care dietetics within the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals and Network wide.

 

• To represent the dietetic service at relevant critical care meetings, internally and externally to the hospitals.

 

• To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, which may be conflicting, to regularly provide specialist advice and second opinion to peers, medical colleagues and other health professionals. This includes the formulation of accurate prognoses, recommendation of best course of intervention, and development of comprehensive discharge plans.

 

• To have a specialist knowledge of and experience in the management of patients with respiratory and cardiac disease and ventilatory support, including ECMO.

 

• To work with other teams e.g. surgical teams to ensure the appropriate dietetic management of critically ill patients throughout the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals.

 

• To provide specialist opinion which informs the development of clinical pathways in collaboration with other multidisciplinary team leads

 

• To manage clinical risk within own caseload at all times and ensure clinical risk is effectively managed for the specialist area across the organisation.

 

• To facilitate patient involvement in decision making at all stages of their nutritional management, ensuring that they have consented to dietetic intervention in line with Trust and departmental ethico-legal policies and the BDA Code of Professional Conduct.

 

• To be competent in the use of anthropometrical equipment for the assessment of nutrition status

 

• To lead in the provision of expert nutritional advice to patients, carers and clinicians using evidence-based practice or, in the absence of a robust evidence base, advanced clinical judgment acquired through professional expertise

 

 

• To translate highly complex scientific, medical, biochemical and nutritional information into simple and easily understood practical information and advice for patients and their carers.

 

• To advise medical staff on patient need and suitability with regard to the type of feeding tube and method of placement, or suitability for non-enteral feeding when indicated.

 

• To discuss feeding options with patients and their carers, including any practical implications and support available.

 

• To maintain knowledge and skills as an expert in critical care nutrition through attendance and presentation at national conferences (or internationally if appropriate)

 

• To maintain an expert level of clinical knowledge in clinical area by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses and database searches

 

• To maintain a CPD portfolio reflecting personal professional development, in conjunction with the management team.

 

 

Policy and Service development

 

• To be aware of and comply with the departments and Trusts Risk Management Strategy and ensure any incidents/complaints are managed, reviewed and reported according to Trust policy.

 

• To review relevant nutrition related incidents and develop strategies to continually improve safety and care

 

• To contribute to and develop innovations in areas of risk management, quality standards setting and clinical effectiveness as part of clinical governance.

 

• To contribute to the critical care service’s systems of Clinical Governance as a specialist resource.

 

• To provide specialist clinical opinion, as required, in the development of clinical policy and service development within the dietetic department and multi-professional team

 

• To work with the management team to ensure that the service responds locally to national initiatives (e.g. NICE, NHS England).

 

• To work closely with the Trust nutrition lead and support with developing any relevant policies or tenders as required

 

 

 

 

Resource Management

 

§  To propose the use of novel equipment, which will develop practice to the therapy lead and management team, and to contribute to the appraisal and evaluation of any new equipment use in the clinical  setting.

 

• To have oversight of feed stock in the hospital to ensure that supply matches demand and to limit waste

 

 

 

Management/professionalism

 

 

• To be responsible for providing clinical leadership of junior members of the Harefield and Brompton dietetics team, including supervision and performance appraisal of direct reports.

 

• To potentially provide professional dietetic leadership to the dietetic team-professional leadership may also be provided/represented by another member of the adult dietetics team

 

• Contribution to and attendance at regular professional and business meetings, in-service training and special interest groups in order to facilitate continuing professional development.

 

• To offer peer support to colleagues at Royal Brompton and Harefield sites and mentor junior staff as appropriate.

 

• To be an active member of the dietetic team, attending and participating in departmental service development projects, staff and team meetings and professional development meetings.

 

• To ensure safe practice through documentation and reporting of critical incidents as outlined in the Trust policy

 

• To comply with the BDA and HCPC Code of Professional Conduct, BDA professional standards, Trust and departmental policies

 

• To be responsible for maintaining a professional portfolio in line with departmental and national guidelines

 

• To assist management team in the recruitment of staff as a clinical expert panel member.

 

• To provide regular training/lectures on critical care nutrition to postgraduate doctors, nurses and AHPs specialising in critical care across the Trust.
• To participate in the departments training programmes for student dietitians

 

 

Research and development

 

• To use specialist knowledge of current evidence to drive the clinical audit and research programme in area of expertise and identify sources of funding for research where necessary.

 

• To assist the highly specialist dietitians in identifying areas of research need and developing clinical guidance within critical care services which may have impact on clinical practice.

 

• To disseminate the results of research/audit/expert practice at local, district and national level.

 

• To contribute to the research environment within the department and offer support and guidance to research teams, MSc projects and external agencies.

 

• To co-ordinate and supervise research projects for undergraduate and postgraduate dietetic students.

 

• To identify appropriate outcome measures and service impact measures which accurately evaluate patient response and service development needs.

 

• To maintain accurate statistical information on specialist area using databases as necessary to inform management team and drive audit programme.