Are you interested in nutrition and health and are someone who would like to make a difference to the nutritional care and management of patients in hospital? We are looking for a motivated, friendly team-player to join the dietetic team based at Broomfield hospital as a dietetic assistant for 32.5 hours/week. This may be able to increase to full time later in the year. This role will enable you to work closely with the Dietitians and ward staff to deliver a high standard of nutritional care. You will be involved in the collection of clinical information to assist dietetic assessment and practical aspects of implementing/monitoring the nutritional recommendations made by the Dietitian. A key aspect of this role involves training members of the healthcare team and promoting first-line nutrition support strategies on the wards. This is an exciting opportunity working with a friendly and supportive team. Main duties of the job
To collect relevant information for patients referred to the dietetic department to assist in the prioritisation of workload. To provide assistance to the dietitians in implementing dietetic care plans for inpatients and outpatients. To liaise with catering staff regarding the provision of special diets and nutritional supplements, in conjunction with the dietitians. To liaise with pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies regarding nutritional feeds and supplements, in conjunction with the dietitians. With support from the dietitians, to undertake teaching and education of nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team in nutrition screening and basic nutrition support. To update dietetic resources as required by the dietitians. Job responsibilities
For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description, but some of the responsibilities include: The post-holder will communicate with patients, carers, and health professionals, e.g. Nutrition Nurse, Speech Therapist, Nursing Staff, and Doctors on the telephone or in person. The post-holder will talk to ward staff regarding patients' nutrition. The post-holder will talk about healthy eating to the general public. The post-holder will attend and contribute to staff meetings. The post-holder will assist with the running of the office as required, e.g. filing, photocopying, answering the phone. The post-holder will photocopy diet sheets and other resources. The post-holder will record clinical findings in patients' records. The post-holder will complete the reporting of patient contacts in line with department guidelines. The post-holder will organise and prioritise clinical workload. The post-holder will encourage and assist patients to take prescribed snacks, nourishing drinks, and supplements. The post-holder will assist patients requiring special diets to choose from the hospital menu. The post-holder will ensure the completion of food record charts and collect information from food record charts as requested by the Dietitian. The post-holder will monitor the use of nutrition screening on the wards and inform the Dietitian of patients at high risk. The post-holder will help to train nursing staff on the use of the nutrition screening tool. The post-holder will collect preliminary information on patients referred to the dietetic service from a variety of sources, including the taking of diet histories. The post-holder will monitor patients' weight changes and do simple calculations and conversions for weight, height, and body mass index. The post-holder will undertake review of patients as requested by the dietitian. The post-holder will liaise and report to the Dietitian on patients' progress and any changes that may have occurred. The post-holder will liaise with the Dietitian regarding follow-up arrangements required after the discharge of an inpatient. The post-holder will follow up discharged patients by telephone when requested by the dietitian. The post-holder will act as a link to other agencies and services by appropriate networking. The post-holder will contribute to any health promotion sessions that are being attended by the dietetic service. Person Specification
Qualifications
NVQ 3 level or equivalent experience. GCSE qualification or equivalent in maths, English, and basic sciences. Qualification in Nutrition. Knowledge and Experience
Experience of working with the public. Good interpersonal skills. Able to work with confidential information. Experience of working within the NHS setting. Experience of working with unwell people. Personal skills
Good written and verbal communication skills. Interest in nutrition. Evidence of teamwork. 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. Salary: £24,071 a year (Pro Rata for Part Time)
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