Specialist Renal Dietitian

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic dietitian to join our renal dietetic team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. This is a Band 6 post ideal for an established renal dietitian, but for the right applicant with extensive clinical experience and a keen interest in renal dietetics, a Band 5/6 development post will be considered, with full training and progression to Band 6 dependent on completion of competences after 6-12 months.

You will have a varied caseload across Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Dialysis Unit and satellite units and community clinics throughout the South Hams, North West Devon and East Cornwall areas, so substantial travel by car will be required. You will be involved in all aspects of renal dietetics, including CKD, dialysis, AKI and transplantation.

You will work as a valued member of an established and supportive renal MDT and our large friendly dietetics department. Plymouth is a vibrant waterfront city, close to Dartmoor National Park and the beautiful coastline of South Devon and East Cornwall.

Interviews will be held in person.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

• To provide expert evidence-based renal dietetic advice to patients, carers and health care professionals. This will involve nutritional diagnosis (including interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinic condition and diet history) and the development and monitoring of treatment goals and plans.
• To provide complex nutritional counselling using motivational skills to overcome barriers to change particularly where there is non-adherence
• To provide renal nutrition education to groups of patients and staff
• To work closely with renal MDT members
• To be involved in all aspects of department activities and contribute to service evaluation and development projects
• To undertake student dietitian training
• To undertake significant travel by car to offsite locations such as Holsworthy, Launceston, Liskeard, Kingsbridge and Totnes (sites subject to change)

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work with the renal MDT and the dietetic team to provide dietetic care to kidney patients under the care of the UHP Renal Directorate. These may include pre-dialysis, haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and transplant patients, many of whom have multiple co-morbidities
• To work autonomously to provide highly complex nutritional counselling to patients, carers and healthcare professionals. This will involve nutritional assessment (based on interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, dialysis adequacy, clinical condition and dietary history) and development of nutritional care plans which are both realistic, practical and evidence based (based on assessment of medical, social, economic, cultural and psychological factors)
• To communicate with empathy and understanding where dietary change may be difficult to accept. To adapt communication methods and implement motivational interviewing skills where appropriate to overcome barriers to change
• To monitor and review the outcomes of nutritional care plans and adjust to facilitate achievement of the desired goals in the light of changing medical treatment and personal circumstances
• To act autonomously to assess risk and take appropriate action to ensure patient safety, for example, in patients with hyperkalaemia
• To make recommendations to the medical team regarding adjustment of medications relating to management of CKD mineral bone disorder
• To manage out-patient renal dietetic clinics and report on clinic activity statistics
• To provide clinical support and cover for other staff as requested by the Renal Team Leader
• To represent the renal dietetic service in multidisciplinary team meetings to ensure that dietetic expertise contributes to multi-professional decisions on care
• To advise on appropriate use of prescribable nutritional products within the renal service and to general practitioners.

For further information please see attached job description

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.