Clinical Specialist Practitioner Nutrition and Hydration

Job overview

We are delighted to advertise the opportunity to undertake a 12 month secondment/fixed term  Specialist Practitioner Nutrition and Hydration Nurse. The postholder will support the successful implementation of the MCHFT Nutrition and Hydration 2025-2027 strategy.

Through leadership and dedicated quality improvement initiatives the postholder will support our Nutritional Ninja Champions in promoting quality nutritional and hydration standards across the Trust.

This role will be key to the ongoing success of our Nutritional MDT and facilitate cross divisional working to ensure quality seamless care for patients as they transition through our services.

The post holder will develop and present nutrition and hydration assessment compliance data and drive the Trust in providing assurance that patients receive quality nutrition and hydration care whilst being cared for in MCHFT.

The post holder will work collaboratively with Dieticians, Nurses, Doctors Speech and Language therapists across all divisions and departments within hospital and community settings.

The post holder will support the ongoing review of policies and procedures together with supporting the development of any new policies/SOP's and Guidance that provide good governance around nutrition and hydration care.

The post will be predominantly working within the hospital base but their will be a need to travel and support across community services

Main duties of the job

To support in leading the multi-professional management of patients with enteral and parenteral nutritional needs through the provision of clinical leadership and expert advice across the service and primary care settings.

To support the leadership in facilitating, enabling and supporting the development of nutrition and hydration best practice ensuring delivery of high quality, effective and efficient care across the Trust.

Support to lead in developing, delivering and evaluating high quality nutritional and hydration care in conjunction with the associated clinical teams to ensure this is incorporated within the Business Group and trust objectives.

Ensures patients and their families are given appropriate oral and written information regarding planned care.

Participates/leads Nutritional MDT's with consultants, Dieticians, SALT, Nurses  to discuss, review and plan complex case management

Works in close collaboration with other health care professionals across organisational boundaries to ensure service meets patient’s needs.

Promote Nutritional Champions across all services and departments.

Review national guidance related to Nutritional and Hydration and support clinicians, teams and services in developing good governance processes so that assurance can be demonstrated.

Lead/support in the development of local policies, protocols and procedures in accordance with local and national standards in relation to specialist area of expertise.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Role Summary

• To undertake in-depth specialist clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment for adult patients with enteral and parenteral nutritional needs.
• To support in leading the multi-professional management of patients with enteral and parenteral nutritional needs through the provision of clinical leadership and expert advice across the service and primary care settings.
• To support the leadership in facilitating, enabling and supporting the development of nutrition and hydration best practice ensuring delivery of high quality, effective and efficient care across the Trust.
• Support to lead in developing, delivering and evaluating high quality nutritional and hydration care in conjunction with the associated clinical teams to ensure this is incorporated within the Business Group and trust objectives.

Role Duties & Responsibilities

• Supports the planning and development of clinical protocols for enteral and parenteral nutritional care.
• Works autonomously to manage their own caseload of patients whilst working as part of a multidisciplinary team without direct medical supervision.
• Enables patient choice and involvement and initiates appropriate action.
• Coordinates and develops patient care pathway and liaises across organisational boundaries.
• Undertakes specialist assessment and plans specialised programmes of care and provides highly specialised advice to patients, relatives and carers.
• Ensures each patient is placed in the correct treatment pathway at the appropriate time and necessary investigations and treatments are organised.
• Provides clinical advice and support to healthcare professionals within and across organisational boundaries.
• Provides clinical advice in accordance with current evidence based practice.
• Undertakes nurse/practitioner -led clinics.
• Participates in case conferences in relation to future management or discharge arrangements.
• Ensures patients and their families are given appropriate oral and written information regarding planned care.
• Maintains accurate patient records and ensures all relevant information is documented in the patient’s medical and nursing records.
• Participates in MDT with consultants and specialist registrars to discuss complex case management

Governance

• Be a member of relevant professional association and attend/present at regional/national meetings and conferences as required.
• Identify personal learning needs and take steps to pursue personal development plan
• Maintain practice within the context of the professional guidelines for the relevant professional body and policies laid down by the Trust.
• Maintain a comprehensive personal profile and demonstrate appropriate professional development to Post Registration Education and Practice standards.
• Evaluate professional performance and identify implications for practice.
• Ensure the promotion of safety, wellbeing and interests of patients, staff and visitors to the department.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines for self and others, by taking action/alerting senior management team if practice appears to contravene policy, or if concerned about any aspect of patient care.

Managerial / Leadership

• Manages own caseload, and coordinates patient journey across business groups and organisational boundaries.
• Works in close collaboration with other health care professionals across organisational boundaries to ensure service meets patient’s needs.
• Supports the management of the Clinical Team in the day to day delivery/management of services including co-ordination, delegation, and supervision of the team to facilitate effective service delivery.
• Assists with the recruitment and initialising of new staff.
• Acts as a clinical supervisor to staff within the department.
• Acts as a mentor to pre and post registration nurses, assisting in meeting their learning needs.
• Lead/support in the development of local policies, protocols and procedures in accordance with local and national standards in relation to specialist area of expertise.
• Ensure a healthy, safe and secure working environment, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and reporting any concerns.

Education /Learning

• Lead/support the development, planning and delivery of a range of specialist educational and training programmes for healthcare professionals, patients and carers.
• Lead in the teaching and development of healthcare professionals, patients and carers.
• Provides clinical supervision and mentorship to junior or new clinical nurse specialists / practitioners/nurses / medical staff as required.
• Identifies assists and meets the educational needs of the patient and their family.
• Maintains own professional development, skills and competencies through participation in training and development activities.
• Maintains and updates evidence based knowledge and skills.
• Fulfils all mandatory training requirements for the trust and assists others within the department to do so.
• Undertakes health promotion across organisational boundaries.
• Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including full participation in KSF/appraisal, supervision, action learning and by maintaining a professional/personal portfolio of learning.

Research

• To participate/take the lead for clinical audit and development of knowledge within specialist field of practice.
• To carry out research in relation to specialist area of practice taking into account local and national guidance
• Undertakes evidence based practice and ensures dissemination of relevant research and best practice
• Supports and advises junior staff who may wish to undertake audit and research in specialist field

Continuous Improvement

• Support the Trust’s commitment to developing a continuous improvement culture by making everyday improvements as part of your job using Improvement Matters, the Trust’s single continuous improvement approach
• Role model the behaviours of an improver displaying; curiosity, humility, compassion, effective practice, open-mindedness to try new ideas, self-discipline
• Take personal responsibility for the role you play in actively contributing to creating a culture which promotes learning as opposed to blame and supports colleagues to embrace change
• Coach and enable others to innovate and make improvements happen in their area of work using Improvement Matters as the Trust’s single improvement approach

This job description is an outline of the role and function. It is not intended to describe all specific tasks.