Dietitian

**Band 6 Dietitian**: gastroenterology and eating disorders

1.0 WTE band 6 permanent

North Bristol NHS Trust are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated dietitian to work within the acute dietetic team here at Southmead Hospital. This B6 post would suit a dietitian who has experience of nutrition support in a variety of clinical conditions, specifically gastroenterology and ideally (but not essential) experience of eating disorder patients.

The acute work will provide nutrition support to the gastroenterology ward which support IBD, liver and eating disorder patients. In addition, there are 2 clinics per week supporting IBD and gastroenterology patients.

**The post holder’s responsibilities include**:
Regular attendance at board round meetings

Managing a complex nutrition support caseload ( oral nutrition support and enteral nutrition)

Representing dietetics by attending regular specialty, governance and best interests meetings

Maintain a busy training element to the role which includes supporting junior team members within Dietetics, and other MDT colleagues

Assisting the department in the training of student dietitians

The post is supported by a Band 7 Dietitian specializing in gastroenterology and by the wider acute team.

To learn more about working as a dietitian at NBT, click here to watch the video.

Provide dietetic expertise to patients on the gastro ward.

Representing Dietetics at speciality, governance and best interests meetings.

Provide wider dietetic cover during times of annual leave / sickness.

Support Student Dietitians during placement.

Take an active role in clinical audits, service evaluations and research and disseminating findings in academic journals, professional magazines and conferences.

Deliver nutrition-related topics, to a range of health professionals’ e.g., nursing and medical staff and students.

To contribute to the implementation of the Trust Nutrition strategy.

As part of our commitment to service improvement and quality, we would expect you to undertake audit and be involved with research projects relevant to the post, and our department encourages and supports CPD.

Clinical

To provide an evidenced based inpatient service to the gastroenterology ward and support 2 out patient clinics per week.

This means;
Providing expert advice to patients, carers and clinicians (both within NBT and areas served by the specialist units) about the most effective nutritional treatment.

Liaising with members of the health care team in hospital and in the community to ensure they are fully informed and able to support the patient in implementing the appropriate nutritional prescription / management for their condition.

To be responsible for and manage a defined clinical caseload. The caseload will include complex cases, with multiple pathologies.

To be trained (to orange card level) to use the Nutricia feeding pumps. To advise and deliver training on safe usage of enteral feeding pumps to ward-based staff, patients and carers.

To contribute towards training other health care professionals in NG and nasal bridle placement

To be able to state Trust enteral nutrition policy. To be able to set up an enteral feed and advise medical and nursing staff, patients and carers about safe placement of enteral feeding tubes (NG, PEG, jejunal)

To deliver enteral training to patient/family/carers to facilitate safe discharge into the community with enteral tubes

To contribute towards changes to the Trust enteral nutrition policy, identifying any training needs as a result and implement a clear dissemination programme

To undertake nutritional assessment of patients based on history taking and interpretation of biochemistry and other diagnostic tests, anthropometry and clinical condition

To develop nutritional care plans which are both realistic and practical for the patient and carers, taking into account medical, social, cultural and psychological factors

To ensure that patients and their carers understand their condition / diagnosis, the options for nutritional treatment and the implications of compliance or non-compliance. To discuss and agree dietary and medical targets

To assess suitability of patient’s current medical treatment in relation to their symptoms and dietary patterns and recommend changes in treatment to physician or GP

To facilitate behaviour change and negotiate dietary and lifestyle changes with patients, enabling them to achieve agreed dietary and medical targets even where there are significant psychological, social or cultural hurdles to overcome. This will be aided by postgraduate training in counselling, motivational approaches and behaviour change

To monitor and review the outcomes of nutritional and behaviour change interventions and adjust care plans to facilitate achievement of required goals

To act on the findings of dietetic assessment and planning, liaising as necessary with members of the health care team in hospital and in the communit