Specialist Dietitian - Critical Care

Job overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Band 7 Critical Care Dietitian, on a full-time, fixed-term contract to cover a maternity leave. This role offers the opportunity to manage a complex, highly specialist caseload within the critical care setting, delivering high-quality, evidence-based nutritional care to critically ill patients in the ICU and across wider acute areas.

The successful candidate will have advanced clinical knowledge of parenteral nutrition and complex enteral feeding, and will contribute to the ongoing development of both the critical care and broader dietetic service. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated clinician to deepen their expertise in a supportive and progressive environment.

You will be joining a well-established, forward-thinking dietetics department that values continuous professional development and collaborative working. The role provides access to a range of opportunities including structured involvement in clinical governance, student education, and quality improvement projects. If you are a knowledgeable and driven clinician who thrives in a busy multidisciplinary setting and is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred nutritional care, we encourage your application.

Main duties of the job

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including management of patients in your care and undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To provide comprehensive and specialist therapy assessment and diagnosis for patients with a range of highly complex presentations, by utilising advanced clinical reasoning, evidence-based knowledge, investigative and analytical skills and specialist assessment techniques.
• To plan and organise time efficiently and effectively with regard to patient management and use of time. To be accountable for the designated area of work.
• To flexibly manage responsibilities for own complex caseload, service delivery and teaching commitments. To decide priorities for own work, balancing other patient related and professional demands and ensure that these remain in accordance with those of the teams as a whole.
• To support the education and development of the support workforce including assistants and apprentices.
• To take delegated responsibility for the development and implementation of speciality specific training programmes within the therapy service.
• Promote a culture of research awareness, research preparedness and activity in the team
• To take a lead in the development of the specialist clinical area/team and develop objectives and support prioritisation of projects for the team.
• See job description for full

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career. Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

For both overviews, please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree (or equivalent) in Dietetics
• State registration with the Health Professions Council
• Evidence of CPD through maintenance of a portfolio, especially in the relevant clinical area
• Clinical Educators course or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• Membership of the Professional Organisation
• Membership of Professional special interest groups relevant to speciality
• Relevant Postgraduate clinical qualification
• Management skills or leadership training

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant recent clinical experience in relevant clinical area
• Evidence of a broad base of clinical experience at Band 6 level or equivalent
• Significant experience of working as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team and inter-agency working
• Experience of multidisciplinary goal planning, development of care pathways and using outcome measures
• Experience of organising and implementing training programmes for therapists, MDT members, support workers, students and apprentices
• Experience of service development/change management
• Experience in implementing evidence based practice in speciality
• Experience of on-call and weekend working in an acute hospital (if required for job role)

Desirable criteria

• Previous Band 7 or equivalent experience in relevant post
• Leadership of a therapy team
• Recent, relevant work in an NHS environment
• Experience of using clinical governance framework to monitor and improve quality of patient care
• Clinical research experience
• Experience of planning and managing service improvement activities

Skills

Essential criteria

• Advanced knowledge of assessment and treatment approaches for the effective management of relevant conditions
• Advanced skills in the appropriate application of a range of techniques and approaches to the management of relevant conditions
• Advanced clinical reasoning and problem solving skills
• Advanced knowledge of the evidence base of the relevant therapy area
• Knowledge of the influence of psychosocial and cultural factors health/illness behaviours
• Ability to remain updated with professional practice and research and integrate this into daily patient management
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate as appropriate and manage time effectively
• Able to make sound judgments and reliable decisions in a variety of demanding situations
• Ability to keep accurate and legible patient notes
• Understanding of clinical governance and the implications for therapy services including experience of quality issues and audit
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust’s policies of data protection, equal opportunities and health and safety and meet differing patient needs
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships
• Ability to lead, motivate and inspire others
• Skills in supervision, mentoring and coaching
• Ability to analyse activity and outcome data accurately and objectively
• Ability to cope with working in a stressful environment and with emotional or aggressive patients or carers
• Ability to cope with work pressures and manage time effectively
• Ability to seek guidance and assistance when required and to be aware of personal limitations
• Advanced communication skills with patients, carers and colleagues
• Effective strategies for dealing with stressful interpersonal situations
• Able to present information written and orally, in a clear & logical manner

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of recent NHS developments and their impact on service provision
• Advanced computer skills for presentation and data analysis
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on

We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Vacancy Closing Date

This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).

Employer certification / accreditation badges