Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical  

1. To work autonomously to provide specialist dietetic advice to patients, their carers and staff within agreed protocols and guidelines and with support from senior colleagues including: 

• Carry out nutritional assessments (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition and diet history) to determine nutritional problem. 
• Development of treatment plans (calculation of nutritional requirements, analysis of nutritional intakes sometimes using specialist IT systems, client centred goals and discharge planning including patients on artificial nutritional support).
• Prescription of dietary treatment and ACBS products for conditions where there are limited professional / clinical guidelines available.

2. To be clinically competent following appropriate training to give specialist dietetic advice, treatment and dietary counselling to patients in, in-patient and out-patient clinic locations including consultant led clinics and structured group education programmes as appropriate. 
3. To communicate nutrition and dietetic information in an understandable form to staff, clients and carers, requiring negotiation, persuasion, motivation and counselling skills including situations where there are barriers to change.
4. To use appropriate communication skills and resources to ensure that suitably accessible information is available to individuals on their dietary treatment/care plans.
5. To liaise with catering, nursing and dietetic staff to ensure the provision of a satisfactory meal service for individual patients
6. To attend and participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
7. To participate in the health promotion activities of the department.
8. To work flexible hours to meet the needs of the patients and the service as required
9. To cover the work of colleagues and deputise for senior colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.

Management  

1. To participate in forward planning and development of the dietetic department with particular reference to the Gastroenterology Dietetic team.
2. To lead and contribute to the development and updating of evidence based clinical guidelines, policies, procedures and patient information with particularly for those required for use in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 
3. To propose changes to own working practices and practices relating to nutrition across the Gastroenterology Dietetic Team based on current evidence and best practice.
4. To monitor stock levels of resources such as stationery, diet sheets, patient information, enteral feeding equipment and ensure cost effective and appropriate use within the Gastroenterology Dietetic Team.
5. To plan and prioritise own workload and evaluate own practice which may include clinics, group work, working jointly with other professionals and agencies.
6. To actively participate in the forward planning of the department.

Training and education 

1. To plan and organise the training and clinical supervision of student dietitians and dietitians on attachment including planning and prioritising training programmes, timetables and written assessments.
2. To undertake mentoring of junior members of staff and student dietitians.
3. To initiate and lead the planning and coordination of training on nutritional topics in community nutrition support as appropriate to healthcare staff, and other workers or carers.
4. To regularly initiate and participate in the departmental Clinical Governance programme including presenting research findings, evidence based practice work shops, clinical audit, and reporting of clinical risks.
5. To develop evaluation criteria and audit clinical practice within the designated speciality to ensure a high quality, evidence based effective service. 

Professional  

1. To keep up to date with current developments in dietetics and participate in appropriate continuous professional development activities.
2. To actively participate and contribute to departmental clinical supervision group to ensure a regular evaluation of practice through peer review.
3. Ensure that all Trust wide and departmental standards and clinical guidelines are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of total care, to all who come into contact with services provided by University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
4. Participate in personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives.
5. To document patient activity data in accordance with Trust and professional standards and to meet any external requirements of the designated speciality.
6. To work as an autonomous practitioner working within the BDA Code of professional conduct and HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency (Dietitians).
7. Contributes to the development and maintenance of the profile of the Dietetic profession.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.