Job overview

We need an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our friendly team, as a Dietetic Assistant Practitioner, to work within the Dietetic team, based at Darent Valley Hospital.

You will work closely with Dietitians and Ward Nursing staff to help in the management of patients identified as nutritionally compromised. This will include checking patients’ weights, completing menu plans, and collecting and estimating calories and protein from reported food and drink intake from patients.

You will be part of the wider Nutrition & Dietetics Department, which currently has 27 Dietitians, 5 Dietetic Support Workers, 2 Dietetic Assistant Practitioners and good secretarial support

We provide a comprehensive and seamless nutrition and dietetic service across acute and community settings in Dartford , Gravesham & Swanley (with an outpatient dietetic service at Queen Mary’s Hospital)

We are committed to staff training and continuous professional development, providing in-house and external courses and training opportunities     

Main duties of the job

To provide clinical support to the Dietitians in; assessing patients dietary needs, planning provision of special diets, undertaking ward based audits, collecting and collating patient experience data.

Responsible for organising own delegated clinical workload and administrative tasks and activities and to be flexible to the needs of the service as indicated by the Acute Dietetic Team Lead.

Provide appropriate first line nutritional advice as agreed with Acute Dietetic Team Lead to patients, carers, nursing staff, medical staff and other healthcare professionals to ensure the patient’s nutritional requirements are met.

• Work within an agreed framework for dealing with routine and urgent clinical problems/interactions, face to face or on the telephone, seeking guidance from Dietitians to agree action outside the framework.

• Manage and prioritise a selected caseload of adult patients who are at risk of malnutrition, while working to service standards under the guidance and supervision of the Acute Dietetic Team Lead

Working for our organisation

We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we’ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.

We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.

If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.