Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• To develop and maintain a high standard of knowledge and practical experience in general dietetics, and to provide specialist expertise in acute medicine / stroke, along with community oral nutritional support and home enteral feeding.
• To manage a highly diverse caseload 
• To draw up treatment plans for patients on caseload, this will include acute medicine, stroke, oral nutritional support and home enteral feeding.

• To provide nutritional therapy, education and support to people who may have complex social and dietary needs and may be resistant to dietary change. 

Leadership

• To assist, support and supervise junior dietitians, dietetic assistants and students contributing to their professional development including appraisal and personal development plans.
• To build good working relationships with other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective team working between different disciplines.
• To provide nutrition advice to key stakeholders and colleagues, by researching the evidence base and identifying opportunities for development and innovation.
• To collaborate in the development of guidelines, pathways and protocols using research skills and supporting the implementation as appropriate to identified needs.

Education

• To recognise the need for continuous professional development. Within the performance system and in discussion with the team leader, the post holder will be responsible of identifying and attending their own training and professional development needs.
• To feedback learning from training to inform other members of the department to enhance service development through up-to-date knowledge and expertise.
• To actively participate in student training within the department.
• To design and deliver training as appropriate to health care professionals, e.g. nursing and medical staff, health care assistants, catering staff etc
• To be jointly responsible for delegated planning, delivery and supervision of junior dietitian training.

Clinical governance

• To access, critically appraise and use best practice/evidence-based information to contribute to the production and review of clinical guidelines, and to inform care pathways for patients.
• To be involved in reviewing professional standards, protocols, and national guidelines (e.g. NICE guidelines, BAPEN recommendations, ESPEN publications) as they apply to the dietetic input of multidisciplinary teams.
• To work within the Code of Practice of the Health Professions Council and the guidelines and policies of the HCPC and the British Dietetic Association
• To work within the requirements of the Acute Trust policies and procedures.

Organisation/administrative responsibilities

• To keep accurate and timely electronic notes for patients. These will be completed within the guidelines of the organisation and professional body, ensuring legibility and accessibility.
• To be aware of confidentiality issues and to ensure organisational and departmental policies are adhered to.
• To be up to date with IT policies and plans, using electronic communication and reporting methods wherever possible.

Responsibility for resources

• To evaluate service user information in line with current evidence and produce new information as required.
• To provide and where necessary develop up-to-date resources for healthcare professionals to support nutritional management care plans.
• To request prescriptions from GPs for ACBS enteral feed products or oral nutritional supplements, and order for hospital use, as appropriate, via Dietetic Feed Stores Assistant.

Communication

• To communicate with patients, carers, and other healthcare professionals across the local healthcare environment.
• To communicate with dietetic colleagues across the region on a regular basis.
• To use special communication systems (e.g., pictorial or adapted aids) when dealing with people with additional learning needs and those with communication difficulties due to age, illness or trauma.

 Please refer to the job description for further details.