Clinical Specialist Dietitian

Job overview

We are looking for a specialist dietitian with experience in Nutrition Support to deliver a specialist clinical service at Southport & Ormskirk Hospital sites within the Mersey West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust and contribute to supervision of the team of dietitians and support staff.

The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal and time management skills, together with an ability to be flexible and a commitment to MDT working. In return, you will have opportunity to further develop and extend your leadership and clinical skills.

The post holder will have a specific interest in adult nutritional support and service/ quality improvement.

We are looking for someone who can work as a specialist, autonomous dietitian.  You should have strong organisational, communication and leadership skills and embrace the challenge of service development.

Acute care is provided at Southport and Formby and Ormskirk District General Hospital. This includes  accident and emergency services, intensive care and a range of medical and surgical specialities.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

• To have clinical responsibility for a complex nutrition support caseload on the Spinal Injury Unit.
• To provide specialist clinical support to junior staff and students.
• The post holder will demonstrate by example, and have advanced communication skills, using them to motivate, develop, guide and advance dietetic skills required by the team in order to provide a high quality responsive acute dietetic service.
• To provide specialist assessment and management advice for patients whilst working closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Accept clinical responsibility for and manage a caseload of patients, using advanced knowledge, evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions delivered across the acute wards.
• To assist in the meeting of Therapy and Rehabilitation/Trust Objectives in relation to patient care.
• To support the clinical lead in risk assessment for the dietetic team.
• To coordinate, organise, assess, and deploy dietetic students while on their clinical placements

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached JD for full details

• To provide highly specialist assessment and management advice for patients throughout the hospital, working closely with all members of the team.
• Accept clinical responsibility for, and manage, a caseload of complex critically ill patients with complex needs using, expert/specialist knowledge, evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions for in patients as required.
• To take part in planning, development, delivery of dietetic services to adults in conjunction with the team leader and clinical therapy manager and hold responsibility for defined projects delegated e.g. risk assessment, documentation and operational policies.
• The post holder will demonstrate by example, have advanced communication and use skills to motivate, develop, guide and advance the dietetic skills required to provide a high-quality responsive team.
• To be responsible for the training of dietetic students on professional practice placements regularly throughout the year as a professional practice educator with specialist clinical knowledge across the acute wards.
• To assist the team leader and clinical service manager in the maintenance and development of the dietetic service.
• To be responsible for educating and developing dietetic staff and other staff in the skills of the dietitian.
• To establish links and networks with other dietetic staff working within defined clinical area at other hospitals and community
• To deputise to team as needed.
• To take part in extended working rotas as appropriate, this could include 7 days working and evenings.