Renal Dietitian

Dorset County Hospital's busy and friendly Dietetic Team have an exciting opportunity for a Renal Dietitian development post; commencing as a Band 5 and developing to a Band 6.

As an autonomous HCPC registered dietitian, provide a specialist, evidence-based dietetic services to a caseload of patients within the renal setting covering DCH inpatients, the clinics and dialysis units managed by of South Somerset and Dorset Renal Service,

The post holder will function as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) delivering advice regarding patients’ nutritional status and most appropriate therapeutic diet.

Contribute to the wider Dietetic Department promoting a quality and patient-focused service and development of the profession.

Represent the kidney dietitians at MDT meetings, specialist renal meetings and participate in professional forums.

Participate in Continuing Professional Development, clinical audit and in-service training, as well as the training of student Dietitians, dietetic assistants and dietetic apprentices.

Build and maintain effective MDT relationships across the professional network

At Dorset County Hospital (DCH) we aspire to providing outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them. Our trust strategy is focussed on three strategic goals: People, Place, and Partnership. It signals our intention to truly value our staff. Our people are our most important asset, and we want them to feel valued, welcomed, respected, they belong and matter. We recognise the link between high levels of staff satisfaction and improving patient experience and outcomes.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Dorset County Hospital has a number of employees from overseas delivering high quality services and we recognise the value of diversity in leadership.

Formulate individualised dietetic management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning, and utilising a wide range of treatment skills and options to formulate a realistic programme of care taking into account patients’ wishes regarding treatment.

Discuss with the renal MDT nutritional support plans for patients with complex problems considering patient safety, compliance and self-management.

Give nutritional advice to patients, carers or clinicians based on the patients’ diagnosis and the results of any investigations.

Provide planned advice, teaching and both verbal and written instruction to patients, relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of nutrition and diet therapy, and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.

Identify and overcome barriers to change using interviewing, counselling, and motivational skills. Significant barriers will regularly be evident e.g. loss of hearing, pain and fear or have difficulty accepting their diagnosis.

Assess capacity, gain valid informed consent, and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.

Provide sympathetic, sensitive, and appropriate dietetic advice to renal patients and their relatives and carers, taking into account the stage of their disease, their level of understanding, wishes and needs.

Provide advice on the use of and to authorise the prescription of ACBS prescribed nutritional products based on the interpretation of nutritional status, biochemical and physiological parameters including nutritional supplements where appropriat

Advise of the safe use of enteral nutrition to include appropriate feeds, feeding regimes and organise the discharge of patients on home enteral feeding, educating patients and carers working alongside the Nutrition Nurses.

Advise other health care professionals, patients’ and carers on the appropriate use of nutritional products.

Identify the need for and request further investigations e.g. blood biochemistry necessary in the dietetic treatment and monitoring of patients.

Monitor the patients progress using a variety of sources of information including biochemistry, weight, hand grip strength and food record charts and to use these to review and alter treatment as appropriate.

Accurately record all assessments and interventions in eMed or where required in other hospital record systems in line with HCPC, the Trust’s and Department standards.

To communicate in writing with other agencies for example GP’s as required.

Participate in and contribute to the renal ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings as required.

Promote the role of the dietitian and importance of nutrition intervention with the multidisciplinary team.

Arrange the discharge of patients requiring on going nutritional advice with a timely plan for dietetic review.

Undertake specialist outpatient clinics for patients under the care of South Somerset and Dorset Renal Service. Prioritised according to departmental standards and that any other administrative issues are dealt