Advanced Dietitian in Paediatric Diabetes

To work as a member of the Paediatric Dietetic team at St Georges Hospital. You will be a clinical lead specialist responsible for the nutrition and dietetic management of inpatient and outpatient paediatric diabetes under the care of the Women and Children’s Service Delivery Unit.

To be responsible for providing a specialist tier 4 dietetic service to children with type 1, complex type 2, and young adults, across in and out-patient settings. We provide one to one and group education; following evidence based practice, being an active multidisciplinary team member (in both the Paediatric Dietetic team and the Paedaitric Diabetes Team) and developing nutrition policies and guidelines, in order to improve health outcomes and develop the role and service.

The Paediatric diabetes dietitian will act as a diabetes educator alongside the other members of the diabetes MDT to cover a wide variety of educational interventions including pump therapy, CGM, Libre, Carbohydrate Counting sessions, plus audit and research as part of the wider diabetes MDT.

This post will work as an integral part of the inpatient diabetes MDT plus be involved in educating non-diabetes specialist dietitians for patients receiving nutrition support and education sessions for other HCPs.

The post will also work closely with the adult Diabetes Dietitians and other adults MDT colleagues to provide transitional clinics.

The Children’s Therapy department within St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is dedicated to providing high quality, goal orientated, child and family focused care to all children and young people referred to the service. Children and young people are managed in both the acute hospital and in the community settings.

CLINICAL PRACTICE
- Practice autonomously, providing high quality innovative clinical practice in specialist area.
- Be proactive in clinical decision making underpinned by an advanced level of theoretical and practical knowledge.
- Use advanced clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis, treatment and discharge of service users in specialist area.
- Undertake comprehensive specialist holistic nutritional assessments including the calculation of nutritional requirements on the interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition and other physical parameters in those with highly complex needs.
- To be experienced in the use of anthropometric equipment for assessment of nutritional status, such as bioelectrical impedance, callipers and hand grip dynamometer and interpretation of results.
- To provide nutrition counselling using strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational skills to engage, educate and reassure patients, helping overcome barriers to change, particularly where there is non-compliance.
- To develop a dietetic treatment plan based on evidence based practice and provide advanced nutritional advice to service users, in collaboration with their carers, where needs are highly complex. This involves the interpretation and communication of complex and sensitive information in an understandable form.
- Where appropriate, to advise and liaise with the catering staff concerning the dietary needs for service users and to assist in instructing chefs on preparation of special meals as required. To adapt and analyse the menu cycle to ensure suitability for the service users and make recommendations to the site Catering Manager.
- Demonstrate a high level of knowledge in relation to pattern of disease or disorder, marker of condition progression and range of treatment available at each stage of disorder or condition.
- To take the lead in providing expert dietetic advice to the multidisciplinary team, through attendance and participation in multidisciplinary team meetings and ward rounds.
- Where appropriate to role, act as an independent non-medical supplementary prescriber, able to take a history, assess, examine, diagnose and prescribe and develop a management plan including medication and monitor response to medication.
- To recommend and advise on the prescription of suitable cost effective ACBS products including oral nutritional supplements, enteral feeding products and gluten free products to service users within speciality, in line with SW London Alliance prescribing guidelines.
- To be responsible for ensuring written and electronic patient records are completed for all patient contacts including statistical activity data records in accordance with professional, departmental and trust standards.
- The ability to manage distressing situations, involving the treatment of terminally ill and very unwell patients. This results in exposures to complex situations and distressed clients and their relatives / carers.
- To ensure flexible service delivery and provide clinical cover for colleagues during periods of absence

LEADERSHIP
- Inspire and demonstrate leadership qualities through the delivery of specialist advice, working with others, and demonstration