Specialist Dietitian (Intestinal failure & colorectal)

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for;

• Specialist provision of a dietetic service to intestinal failure and colorectal surgery patients, providing complex nutritional support pre and post operatively.
• Work in a variety of clinical settings including acute wards and outpatient clinic.
• Attend and provide input to intestinal failure and colorectal multidisciplinary clinics and meetings as required.
• Attend nutrition support ward rounds reviewing and planning the parenteral nutrition support to inpatients.
• Provide complex nutritional support to colorectal surgery patients including management of enteral feeding, home enteral feeding discharges, and nutritional management of high output stomas.
• Work with an experienced team of intestinal failure and surgical dietitians covering intestinal failure, upper GI, hepatobiliary, and general surgery patients.
• Be a key member of the multidisciplinary teams working closely with gastroenterologists, surgeons, clinical nurse specialists, nutrition support team and ward nurses. You will also be required to liaise closely with teams at other hospitals.
• Provide educational talks on the importance of nutrition in intestinal failure/surgery to inform patients, nurses and doctors.
• Continued professional development is actively encouraged, there will be the opportunity to be involved in service development and regular audit.
• Be involved with the supervision and support of junior dietitians and dietetic assistants as well as student training placements.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who has a keen interest in nutrition support, with evidence of relevant, strong clinical skills. Flexibility, ability to prioritise and manage a busy, complex caseload is essential.

You must have excellent communication skills as well as an empathic nature to help patients manage their long-term condition and be aware of the psychological impact this may have.

You should have experience of working with patients requiring enteral nutrition in the acute setting. Experience of parenteral nutrition or surgical dietetics is highly desirable but full training and support will be provided.

For an overview of the position, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification document. This includes a detailed breakdown of the key responsibilities, role expectations, and the qualifications we are looking for.

Person Specification

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Degree or equivalent in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC (Health and Care professions Council) registered dietitian (RD)
• Evidence of commitment to relevant ongoing CPD and development in relevant areas
• Evidence of relevant dietetic knowledge and expertise with recent experience demonstrating this
• Ability to communicate complex information fluently, confidently and effectively to a diverse range of people: e.g., with patients, carers, managers and other health care professionals
• Ability to demonstrate a practical and sensitive approach and flexibility in working style when applying clinical judgement to complex clinical issues
• Ability to create rapport and professionally manage relationships with colleagues, patients and carers and the emotional challenges this presents
• Demonstrate a holistic approach to treatment
• Ability to cope with unpredictable events and varying clinical and non-clinical work pressures, independently planning and prioritising own workload, managing own time and meeting deadlines

Desirable criteria

• Member of British Dietetic Association (BDA) and relevant specialist groups
• Experience mentoring or supervising dietetic assistants or junior staff
• Experience and involvement with dietetic student training
• Experience of audit/project work
• Ability to cover “out of hours” commitments on agreed occasions

Trust Values and Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together