Current jobs related to Dietetic Assistant - Headington - Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary
We are looking for a Dietetic Assistant to join our busy hospital-based team of Dietitians. Our team of Dietetic Assistants work across both the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals. The Dietetic Assistant plays a critically important role in supporting our service.
This role will involve working directly with patients, healthcare professionals and catering; administrative tasks; and the ordering, movement, and stock control of nutritional products.
Applicants need to be interested in nutrition and working in a hospital environment. Although not essential to the role, a background or qualification in human nutrition is desirable. We welcome individuals who are organised, flexible, who can communicate well and can work independently and as part of a team.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family.
Find out more here Main duties of the job
To support the department's role in patient catering by helping to analyse, code and provide allergy information for patient menus; under the guidance of a dietitian, help patients requiring a special diet to choose and obtain their required meals / snacks / etc; act as an intermediary between the dietetic and catering departments and enhancing communication to achieve the optimal provision of nutrition for patients in hospital.
To assist Dietitians and Secretaries in completing general administrative tasks, such as registering or amending patient registrations on the Abbott Hospital to Home Service, keeping track of feeding pumps given to patients, stock control, data input or letters.
To assist Dietitians to enable patients to be discharged from hospital promptly, for example to provide patient information, feeding pump or equipment, needed by patients prior to hospital discharge; and to co-ordinate supplies of nutritional supplements or tube feeds for patients.
After training, to support dietitians in delivering aspects of dietetic care by reviewing, monitoring, and advising patients and undertaking related administration.
To participate in project work and be involved with education and training of staff, such as housekeepers in aspects of nutrition or nutritional screening e.g. MUST training.
To undertake and oversee the ordering, delivery and payment of nutritional products (e.g. tube feeds and sip feeds).
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
Job description
Job responsibilities
CLINICAL
1) After training, to review and monitor a small case load of named patients under the supervision of a dietitian, e.g. patients on established tube feeds, limited nutritional intake and those following therapeutic diets. This may involve:
a) Gathering relevant clinical information from electronic patient records, nursing staff or housekeepers, patients and carers
b) Liaise with nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team, for example, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Occupational Therapists about the patients nutritional plan
c) Calculate patients intake from food record charts, which may involve using a dietary analysis computer package
d) Monitor patient in order to achieve optimum nutritional intake
e) Assess patients tolerance to tube feeding
f) Regularly liaise with the supervising dietitian about all aspects of patients nutritional care
g) Record all interventions and actions on electronic patient records (EPR) ensuring that all entries meet the professional standards of the British Dietetic Association
2) Oversee the completion of daily menus for all patients on therapeutic diets. This involves face-to-face discussion with patients and/or their relatives or carers, working closely with Catering staff.
3) To be involved with education and training of staff, such as housekeepers in aspects of nutrition or nutritional screening e.g. MUST training.
PROFESSIONAL
Participate in the induction of new ward and dietetic staff; demonstrating the role of the Dietetic Assistant as well as informing them about the provision of therapeutic meals, nutritional supplement products and raising nutritional awareness in their ward areas.
If required, participate in training the Diet Chefs, Catering Assistants or ward staff, about the importance of nutrition and educate on the special and therapeutic diets using a variety of teaching methods. It may be necessary to adapt the teaching methods used to facilitate those with limited English.
To be involved in project work including review audits, working alongside dietitians, other health professionals and catering staff, for example, mealtime observation audits, patient mealtime satisfaction survey.
To work alongside Dietetic colleagues, Catering and administrative staff, learning by experience and improving working practice on an on-going basis.
If required, to deliver training to staff and/or patients under the supervision of a Dietitian.
Participate in annual appraisal, identifying own developmental and training needs and setting a personal developmental plan.
CATERING
Liaise with dietitians, patients, the catering department and ward staff to ensure the provision of therapeutic diets, appropriate snacks, supplements and enteral feeds runs smoothly.
Work as an active and contributing member of the dietetic catering group, and provide regular feedback to the rest of the dietetic department.
When required, code menus to reflect changes in food supplied, which will involve communicating with the catering suppliers, catering managers, dietitians and chefs across all four hospitals.
Work with the dietitian to alter menus as necessary, update the special diet manuals and nutrition policy. Disseminate this information throughout the Trust and on the Intranet site.
ADMINISTRATION
Be responsible for the ordering and supply of nutritional products to wards and outpatients. This involves:
a) Conducting weekly stock takes and placing orders for tube feeds and nutritional supplements, with different nutritional suppliers, liaising with customer services and nutritional representatives as necessary.
b) Ensuring all invoices are processed and sent to finance for payment.
c) Maintaining record charts for regular stock checking and billing hospital wards for nutritional supplements and enteral feeds.
Be responsible for maintaining a supply of feeding pumps for use on the ward or at home. This involves:
a) Liaising with nutritional suppliers representatives and customer services when requesting a delivery.
b) Sending new pumps and those for repair or servicing to Clinical Engineering.
c) Regularly checking wards to ensure pumps are present and operating efficiently.
Complete appropriate paperwork when patients on enteral feeds are discharged from hospital.
To assist the Department Secretaries in completing general administrative / secretarial tasks. This may include answering and dealing with telephone calls, entering Department patient activity data (stats) onto the department spreadsheet, general department wide administration, etc.
ORGANISATIONAL
To determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with other professional demands, for example.
To collect data as required by the department, trust and outside agencies.
To maintain accurate and up to date documentation of patient interventions on electronic records.
To undertake and oversee the ordering, delivery and payment of nutritional products (e.g. tube feeds and sip feeds).
Job description
Job responsibilities
CLINICAL
1) After training, to review and monitor a small case load of named patients under the supervision of a dietitian, e.g. patients on established tube feeds, limited nutritional intake and those following therapeutic diets. This may involve:
a) Gathering relevant clinical information from electronic patient records, nursing staff or housekeepers, patients and carers
b) Liaise with nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team, for example, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Occupational Therapists about the patients nutritional plan
c) Calculate patients intake from food record charts, which may involve using a dietary analysis computer package
d) Monitor patient in order to achieve optimum nutritional intake
e) Assess patients tolerance to tube feeding
f) Regularly liaise with the supervising dietitian about all aspects of patients nutritional care
g) Record all interventions and actions on electronic patient records (EPR) ensuring that all entries meet the professional standards of the British Dietetic Association
2) Oversee the completion of daily menus for all patients on therapeutic diets. This involves face-to-face discussion with patients and/or their relatives or carers, working closely with Catering staff.
3) To be involved with education and training of staff, such as housekeepers in aspects of nutrition or nutritional screening e.g. MUST training.
PROFESSIONAL
Participate in the induction of new ward and dietetic staff; demonstrating the role of the Dietetic Assistant as well as informing them about the provision of therapeutic meals, nutritional supplement products and raising nutritional awareness in their ward areas.
If required, participate in training the Diet Chefs, Catering Assistants or ward staff, about the importance of nutrition and educate on the special and therapeutic diets using a variety of teaching methods. It may be necessary to adapt the teaching methods used to facilitate those with limited English.
To be involved in project work including review audits, working alongside dietitians, other health professionals and catering staff, for example, mealtime observation audits, patient mealtime satisfaction survey.
To work alongside Dietetic colleagues, Catering and administrative staff, learning by experience and improving working practice on an on-going basis.
If required, to deliver training to staff and/or patients under the supervision of a Dietitian.
Participate in annual appraisal, identifying own developmental and training needs and setting a personal developmental plan.
CATERING
Liaise with dietitians, patients, the catering department and ward staff to ensure the provision of therapeutic diets, appropriate snacks, supplements and enteral feeds runs smoothly.
Work as an active and contributing member of the dietetic catering group, and provide regular feedback to the rest of the dietetic department.
When required, code menus to reflect changes in food supplied, which will involve communicating with the catering suppliers, catering managers, dietitians and chefs across all four hospitals.
Work with the dietitian to alter menus as necessary, update the special diet manuals and nutrition policy. Disseminate this information throughout the Trust and on the Intranet site.
ADMINISTRATION
Be responsible for the ordering and supply of nutritional products to wards and outpatients. This involves:
a) Conducting weekly stock takes and placing orders for tube feeds and nutritional supplements, with different nutritional suppliers, liaising with customer services and nutritional representatives as necessary.
b) Ensuring all invoices are processed and sent to finance for payment.
c) Maintaining record charts for regular stock checking and billing hospital wards for nutritional supplements and enteral feeds.
Be responsible for maintaining a supply of feeding pumps for use on the ward or at home. This involves:
a) Liaising with nutritional suppliers representatives and customer services when requesting a delivery.
b) Sending new pumps and those for repair or servicing to Clinical Engineering.
c) Regularly checking wards to ensure pumps are present and operating efficiently.
Complete appropriate paperwork when patients on enteral feeds are discharged from hospital.
To assist the Department Secretaries in completing general administrative / secretarial tasks. This may include answering and dealing with telephone calls, entering Department patient activity data (stats) onto the department spreadsheet, general department wide administration, etc.
ORGANISATIONAL
To determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with other professional demands, for example.
To collect data as required by the department, trust and outside agencies.
To maintain accurate and up to date documentation of patient interventions on electronic records.
To undertake and oversee the ordering, delivery and payment of nutritional products (e.g. tube feeds and sip feeds).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Good general level of education up to at least A level (or equivalent)
• Study of subject(s) related to food/health/nutrition to at least A level standard (or equivalent)
• Can demonstrate a good working knowledge of: Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, E-mail and Internet
• Nutrition or health related course completed at a university or college

Experience and Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
• Is able to demonstrate excellent organisational skills
• To be able to work without supervision
• To be able to work with constant interruptions from phones and requests
• To be able to respond to unpredictable working patterns / have flexible attitude
• Able to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• To be able to support distressed or angry relatives / patients/ staff

Other relevant factors
Essential

• Is able to travel efficiently to work at different hospital sites
• Is able to show a basic working knowledge of the NHS

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Good general level of education up to at least A level (or equivalent)
• Study of subject(s) related to food/health/nutrition to at least A level standard (or equivalent)
• Can demonstrate a good working knowledge of: Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, E-mail and Internet
• Nutrition or health related course completed at a university or college

Experience and Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
• Is able to demonstrate excellent organisational skills
• To be able to work without supervision
• To be able to work with constant interruptions from phones and requests
• To be able to respond to unpredictable working patterns / have flexible attitude
• Able to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• To be able to support distressed or angry relatives / patients/ staff

Other relevant factors
Essential

• Is able to travel efficiently to work at different hospital sites
• Is able to show a basic working knowledge of the NHS

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
Employer details
Employer name
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headley Way
Headington, Oxford
OX3 9DU
Employer's website

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