Specialist Oncology Dietitian

Job overview

You will also work with the wider team to support the service.

Excellent presentation skills will be required to carry out training and education to the HCPs on a regular basis.

Main duties of the job

• Be clinically responsible for the nutritional care and management of patients and independently plan organise and prioritise patient related and professional demands daily.
• Provide an expert nutritional support and dietary education service for patients attending the Christie Hospital.
• To act as a specialised resource on nutrition and cancer for patients, carers, medical staff, nursing staff, and other health care professionals associated with the Christie Hospital and at regional and national level.
• To provide education and training to medical staff, nursing staff and other health care professionals in the Trust.
• To provide support and supervision to band 6 rotation dietitians
• To take an active role in the research and audit.

Working for our organisation

We are a supportive and dynamic department of 26 dietitians and 3 nutrition specialist nurses who work closely together, daily. The teamwork in line with the Core values and behaviours of the trust.

The team’s vision is to be an expert leader in oncology nutrition and dietetics putting patients at the centre of everything we do through innovation, education, and research. We aspire to be the best department to work in by valuing and respecting each other, working as one team, and supporting and developing the current and future workforce through experience, education, opportunities and positive learning environment.

The trust supports and is currently developing career pathways for AHP’s.

The department engages in student training, education, and networking at a local and national level.

We encourage continuous professional development with professional update sessions, journal clubs, and offer inhouse / external courses and training programmes on leadership, different disease groups / treatments and advanced communication skills with the support of The Christie’s School of Oncology.

1. To be clinically responsible for a highly complex area of work, as agreed with the dietetic manager and independently plan, organise and prioritise patient related and professional demands.
2. To develop the dietetic service alongside the surgical teams with the support of the dietetic manager.
3. To work closely with the other band 7 dietitians to support the service by cross covering when required and support the junior members of the team on a day to day basis.
4. To work closely with the multidisciplinary team to enhance the person’s health, wellbeing and quality of life and contribute to the management of frailty syndromes, prior, during and post-treatment.
5. To nutritionally assess oncology patients by interpreting and evaluating anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary data, whilst considering the patients social and ethnic circumstances, prognosis and treatment.
6. To convey complex specialised dietary advice and lifestyle changes to patients and carers using advanced counselling and communication skills.
7. To follow patients post operatively on critical care unit.
8. To attend appropriate multidisciplinary meetings and outpatient clinics in order to provide expert advice to clinicians regarding provision of nutritional support to surgical patients and carers based on clinical evidence
9. To diagnose malnutrition and to liaise with the appropriate consultant, with an aim of optimising treatment outcome, by recommending the appropriate method of nutrition intervention and reducing risk of Refeeding Syndrome.
10. To communicate, liaise and advise the team, key workers, nursing staff, AHP’s and other health care professionals on the appropriate evidence based nutrition care plan.
11. To prescribe the appropriate dietary regimen for surgical oncology patients using evidence-based practice and to manage, monitor and re-evaluate the treatment plan as necessary.
12. To refer patients to other services for monitoring and therapeutic support following discharge.
13. To work with the catering department to ensure suitable meal provision to meet the special needs of the oncology patient in line with national standards.
14. To initiate, facilitate and coordinate the setting up of a home enteral feed to ensure a safe discharge.
15. To be responsible for the ordering, delivery and monitoring of specialist nutritional supplements (ACBS endorsed) for individual client needs.
16. To work alongside the other band 7 leads and support the wider inpatient service.
17. To write, deliver and evaluate internal and external education and training sessions on nutrition and specialist dietetics in relation to lung and SAO to medical staff, nursing staff, AHP’s, dietitians, other health care professionals, patients, and carers.
18. To act as a clinical educator by participating in student dietetic placements.
19. To provide supervision to allocated band 6 dietitians daily, carrying out regular one to one meetings, and carrying out annual PDR process.
20. To take an active role in the research and audit.
21. To maintain accurate, comprehensive and up to date documentation on individual patients in line with local and national standards and be responsible for the appropriate storage of d with the Health Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C) and trust policy on confidentiality.
22. To record and submit patient data and statistics as required by the manager and provide information for annual reports and service development and planning.
23. To attend and participate in departmental, professional update meetings and trust nutrition related meetings leading them when required.
24. To attend and contribute to the trust nutrition steering committee.
25. To be responsible for own clinical professional development (CPD) to maintain competency and to ensure best practice.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSc Nutrition & Dietetics or BSc degree in relevant science subject plus Post Graduate Diploma in Nutrition & Dietetics.
• HCPC registration.
• Clinical supervision training
• Masters level or equivalent course e.g. Advanced course in nutritional support (e.g., BDA PEN course), masters modules

• Teaching qualification course.
• Evidence of post-graduate specialist counselling skills course in oncology, bereavement counselling or breaking bad news
• BDA oncology group member

Experience

• Recent NHS experience of working in acute surgical oncology (pelvic/ gyne/Lower GI)
• Some recent critical care experience
• Experience of enteral and parenteral nutrition
• Presentations/talks to large groups
• Clinical supervision
• Demonstrate evidence in Leadership.
• Experience in setting up patient pathways/service.
• Evidence of recent CPD.
• Evidence of recent audit/ research experience
• Evidence of multidisciplinary team working.
• Student training

• Experience of undertaking annual appraisals and absence management
• Experience of leading or co-ordinating audit or research work

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Good presentation skills and evidence of presentations to large groups.
• Standard keyboard skills
• Ability to work effectively single-handed with individuals and groups.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Accurate anthropometrics measurement skills.
• Ability to interpret complex information.
• Evidence of leadership skills
• Supervision skills

Knowledge

• Understanding the complex effects of cancer and treatments on nutritional status of patients.
• Conversant with enteral feeding systems.
• Excellent up to date knowledge in cancer and treatments
• Sound knowledge of current issues relating to cancer and nutrition support.
• Surgical oncology (pelvic/ lower GI)
• Knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of national oncology strategies/ polices/ guidance / pathways.
• Evidence of oncology / nutrition support courses

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

Other

• Self-motivated, reliable
• Able to recognise own limitations
• Positive mindset in respect of supporting organisational change; learning, and continuous improvement.
• Effective interpersonal and intrapersonal skills including high degree of self -awareness and self-regulation.
• Willingness to support preregistration students
• Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and tact with patients and their families

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.