Clinical Specialist Dietitian – Haematology & Medical Oncology

Grade Code: 3715

A panel may be created for Clinical Specialist Dietitian – Haematology and Medical Oncology GUH from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part time duration may be filled

Dietitian Manager Galway University Hospital

Tel: 091 542343

Email: grainne.obyrne@hse.ie

The Group comprises 7 hospitals across 8 sites:

• Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH)
• Mayo University Hospital (MUH)
• Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH)
• Roscommon University Hospital (RUH)
• Sligo University Hospital (SUH) incorporating Our Ladies Hospital Manorhamilton (OLHM)
• Galway University Hospitals (GUH) incorporating University Hospital Galway (UHG) and Merlin Park University Hospital

The Group’s Academic Partner is NUI Galway.

The Saolta Group’s region covers one third of the land mass of Ireland, it provides health care to a population of 830,000, employs in excess of 10,000 employees, and has a budget in excess of €800 million.

The Group provides a range of high quality services for the catchment areas it serves and GUH is a designated supra-regional cancer service provider meeting the needs of all the counties along Western seaboard and towards the midlands from Donegal to North Tipperary.

Saolta University Health Care Group aims to meet its service plan targets. Its priority is to implement the national Clinical Care programmes across the Group and establish a performance management culture with the development of Key Performance Indicators.

Vision

Our vision is to be a leading academic Hospital Group providing excellent integrated patient-centred care delivered by skilled caring staff.

Saolta Guiding Principles

Care – Compassion – Trust – Learning

Our guiding principles are to work in partnership with patients and other healthcare providers across the continuum of care to:

·         Deliver high quality, safe, timely and equitable patient care by developing and ensuring sustainable clinical services to meet the needs of our population.

·         Deliver integrated services across the Saolta Group Hospitals, with clear lines of responsibility, accountability and authority, whilst maintaining individual hospital site integrity.

·         Continue to develop and improve our clinical services supported by education, research and innovation, in partnership with NUI Galway and other academic partners.

·         Recruit, retain and develop highly-skilled multidisciplinary teams through support, engagement and empowerment.

Solta Strategy 2019-2023

We have developed a five year strategy which outlines the vision and framework for the Group’s strategic development from 2019 to 2023.

We are committed to ensuring that our patients are at the centre of all service design, development and delivery. Over the five years of the strategy we will further develop our services, both clinical and organisational based around seven key themes: Quality and Patient Safety; Patient Access; Governance and Integration; Skilled Caring Staff; Education Research and Innovation; eHealth and Infrastructure. These will be our key areas of focus to enable us to meet the future needs of our patients.

We continue to work very closely with our colleagues in the community both Community Healthcare West and Community Health Organisation 1 in the North West to deliver more streamlined care to our patients in line with the national focus of bringing services closer to patients.

While the tertiary referral centre for the Group is University Hospital Galway, it is essential that all our hospitals work more closely together in delivering services to address the challenges facing us across our region.

A key theme of our 5 year strategy is the development of Managed Clinical and Academic Networks (MCAN).

These networks will ensure that specialities in individual hospitals will no longer work in isolation but as a networked team which will improve clinical quality and patient safety. It will also support collective learning/sharing of expertise and will be supported by education, training, research and audit programmes. It will result in safer, standardised and more sustainable services for our patients.

OUR GUIDING VALUES  

Respect – We are an organisation where privacy, dignity, and individual needs are respected, where staff are valued, supported and involved in decision-making, and where diversity is celebrated, recognising that working in a respectful environment will enable us to achieve more.

Compassion – we treat patients and family members with dignity, sensitivity and empathy.

Kindness – whilst we develop our organisation as a business, we will remember it is a service, and treat our patients and each other with kindness and humanity.

Quality – we seek continuous quality improvement in all we do, through creativity, innovation, education and research.

Learning – we nurture and encourage lifelong learning and continuous improvement, attracting, developing and retaining high quality staff, enabling them to fulfil their potential.

Integrity – through our governance arrangements and our value system, we will ensure all of our services are transparent, trustworthy and reliable and delivered to the highest ethical standards, taking responsibility and accountability for our actions.

Team working – we engage and empower our staff, sharing best practice and strengthening relationships with our partners and patients to achieve our Mission.

Communication – we communicate with patients, the public, our staff and stakeholders, empowering them to actively participate in all aspects of the service, encouraging inclusiveness, openness, and accountability.

These Values shape our strategy to create an organisational culture and ethos to deliver high quality and safe services for all we serve and that staff are rightly proud of.

The Clinical Specialist Dietitian will lead on the delivery of evidence based nutritional care to the Medical Oncology and Haematology Services and manage the development of the clinical nutrition service in this area.

• The person holding this post is required to support the principle that the care of the patient comes first at all times and will approach their work with the flexibility and enthusiasm necessary to make this principle a reality for every patient to the greatest possible degree
• Maintain throughout the Group’s awareness of the primacy of the patient in relation to all hospital activities.
• Performance management systems are part of role and you will be required to participate in the Group’s performance management programme

Professional /Clinical:

The Clinical Specialist Dietitian, Haematology & Medical Oncology, will:

• Be responsible for the organisation, provision and evaluation of Nutrition and Dietetic services to cancer service users / patients attending GUH including inpatient care, haematology oncology ambulatory care and outpatient support.
• Develop an evidenced based nutritional care pathway for cancer patients, commencing on the identification of need for medical oncology treatment, through inpatient and day services and organisation of appropriate follow-up, through integration with community services or other acute centres as appropriate.

·       Be highly competent in assessing and treating a wide range of clinical presentations relevant to a cancer cohort.

• Develop, implement and monitor a plan of care, based on assessment of the patients’ nutritional needs.
• Improve nutritional status of cancer patients to optimise treatment tolerance, and provide dietary advice for secondary prevention of recurrence or chronic disease development in survivorship when appropriate.
• Participate in service planning, develop the nutrition service to this area and ensure effective use of available resources through continuous improvement, efficiency and quality management.
• To initiate and actively participate in research and audit in this area.
• Ensure the ongoing review of existing resources; develop and evaluate new resources to support and meet the needs of the service.
• Work towards and deliver on key performance indicators in the area of clinical nutrition in cancer.

• Attend ward rounds/safety huddles as required for effective interdisciplinary communication and decision-making.

• Lead and facilitate change management, and improve service delivery in the area of clinical nutrition in cancer.

• Liaise with the multidisciplinary team, staff colleagues and dietitians in other acute settings and in Primary Care as appropriate to ensure continuity and safe care of all patients.
• Ensure appropriate discharge planning in conjunction with patient’s families/carers and the multidisciplinary team.
• Analyse service demands and develop the haematology oncology dietetic team with other HSCP members in line with evolving requirements including extended working hours.
• Liaise with catering staff regarding the provision of therapeutic diets including special dietary considerations to support Stem cell transplantation.
• Keep abreast of evolving clinical knowledge in the specialist area of cancer care.
• Maintain and develop high standards of dietetic clinical practice.
• Work in a manner that maintains patient/client confidentiality and that upholds the client’s and families/carers trust.
• Act as a positive and supportive specialist team leader in the area of cancer.
• Provide leadership to Senior & Staff Grade Dietitians through the process of professional supervision, mentoring and tutoring with a view to enabling the dietitian to identify areas for skill development.
• Provide cover for colleagues during periods of absence and to take the lead in the provision of service during cover/ leave.
• Represent the clinical nutrition & dietetic service at meetings and committees.
• Manage clinical risk within own caseload and that of the designated team at all times.
• Lead on relevant designated projects, initiatives or duties within the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Be available as a consultant specialist lead to other health care professionals within and outside the region.
• Develop, implement and evaluate standards and policies within the department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Maintain appropriate patient records and statistics in line with the department policy and hospital policy.
• Be actively involved in continuously improving the quality of the service, through audit, quality improvement initiatives and clinical research.
• Carry out any other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post that may be assigned by the Dietitian Manager or nominated person.
• Promote a culture that values equality, diversity and respect in the work place

Education & Training 

The Clinical Specialist Dietitian, Haematology & Medical Oncology will:

• Identify own personal and professional development needs and put formal and informal structures in place to meet those needs in collaboration with the Dietitian Manager.
• Maintain high standards of practice, and levels of clinical knowledge by participating in continuous professional development initiatives, and attendance at relevant courses as appropriate.
• Maintain professional knowledge on relevant scientific research and practice development.
• Promote the importance of CPD within the team.
• Attend mandatory training programmes.
• Provide support to other staff including mentoring, coaching, supervision and formal development training as appropriate.
• Liaise with other professional groups with respect to nutritional education & training, e.g. nursing staff, allied health professional staff, medical staff, HCA’s, catering department etc.
• Participate in the development and evaluation of nutrition education resource material.
• Oversee and play a key role in the practice education of student dietitians. 

Quality service, Audit & Research

The Clinical Specialist Dietitian, Haematology & Medical Oncology, will:

• Develop and audit the impact of an evidenced based nutritional care pathway for medical oncology and haematology patients including those receiving autologous stem cell transplant.

• Evaluate the impact and outcomes of the medical oncology and haematology Nutrition & Dietetic Service in GUH.

• Identify areas for service development, and continuous improvement in service provision.

• Lead on service provision and activity analysis

• Carry out clinical audits and service evaluation as relevant to the role.

• Engage in relevant research: identify and design relevant research studies, engage with key stakeholders, complete study design, complete ethics application, carry out data collection on relevant research studies, and disseminate research findings to the clinical team and other key stakeholders in an appropriate manner. 

Health & Safety 

The Clinical Specialist Dietitian, Haematology & Medical Oncology, will:

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.
• Work in a safe manner with due care and attention to the safety of self and others.
• Be aware of risk management issues, identify risks and take appropriate action.
• Report any adverse incidents or near misses.
• Adhere to HSE policies in relation to the procurement, care and safety of any equipment supplied for the fulfilment of duty.
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards, Standards for Nutrition and Hydration in Acute Hospitals etc.
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

The above Job Specification  is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office

KPI’s

• The identification and development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are congruent with the Hospital’s service plan targets.
• The development of Action Plans to address KPI targets.
• Driving and promoting a Performance Management culture.
• In conjunction with line manager assist in the development of a Performance Management system for your profession.
• The management and delivery of KPIs as a routine and core business objective. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL CONDITIONS:

·         Employees must attend fire lectures periodically and must observe fire orders.

·         All accidents within the Department must be reported immediately.

·         Infection Control Policies must be adhered to.

·         In line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Acts 2005 and 2010 all staff must comply with all safety regulations and audits.

·         In line with the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004, smoking within the Hospital Buildings is not permitted.

·         Hospital uniform code must be adhered to.

·         Provide information that meets the need of Senior Management.

·         To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

·         You will be required to attend mandatory Children First training and cooperate fully with the Children First policies of the institution.  You will receive full information on your responsibilities regarding Child protection on appointment. 

Risk Management, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety

·         The management of Risk, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.

·         The post holder must be familiar with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.

·         The post holder has a duty to familiarise themselves with the relevant Organisational Policies, Procedures & Standards and attend training as appropriate in the following areas:

o   Continuous Quality Improvement Initiatives

o   Document Control Information Management Systems

o   Risk Management Strategy and Policies

o   Hygiene Related Policies, Procedures and Standards

o   Decontamination Code of Practice

o   Infection Control Policies

o   Safety Statement, Health & Safety Policies and Fire Procedure

o   Data Protection and confidentiality Policies

·         The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they become familiar with the requirements stated within the Risk Management Strategy and that they comply with the Group’s Risk Management Incident/Near miss reporting Policies and Procedures.

·         The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they comply with hygiene services requirements in your area of responsibility.  Hygiene Services incorporates environment and facilities, hand hygiene, catering, cleaning, the management of laundry, waste, sharps and equipment.

·         The post holder must foster and support a quality improvement culture through-out your area of responsibility in relation to hygiene services.

·         The post holders’ responsibility for Quality & Risk Management, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety will be clarified to you in the induction process and by your line manager.

·         The post holder must take reasonable care for his or her own actions and the effect that these may have upon the safety of others.

·         The post holder must cooperate with management, attend Health & Safety related training and not undertake any task for which they have not been authorised and adequately trained.

·         The post holder is required to bring to the attention of a responsible person any perceived shortcoming in our safety arrangements or any defects in work equipment.

·         It is the post holder’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with the HSE Health Care Records Management/Integrated Discharge Planning (HCRM / IDP) Code of Practice.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office. 

Qualifications and/ or experience

1.        Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc.

(a)    Candidates for appointment must: 

(i)      Be registered, or be eligible for registration, as a Dietitian by the Dietitians Registration Board at CORU. 

And

(ii)    Have 5 years full time (or equivalent) years post qualification dietetic experience of which 4 years full time (or equivalent) must be consecutive in the required area of specialism. 

And

(iii)   Be able to demonstrate a proven record of clinical excellence in the specialism

And 

(iv)   Professional Development and Practice 

Candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the required area of specialism, in the form of post-graduate qualifications or relevant courses.

And

Candidates must demonstrate achievement in the areas of clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives, practice development, teaching and research.

And

(v)    Candidates must have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, management, leadership and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

And

(vi)   Provide proof of Statutory Registration on the Dietitians Register maintained by the Dietitians Registration Board at CORU before a contract of employment can be issued.

2.       Annual Registration:

i)                    On appointment practitioners must maintain annual registration on Dietitians Register maintained by the Dietitians Registration Board at CORU.

And

ii)                  Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC). 

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service. 

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character

• Demonstrate depth and breadth of clinical dietetic experience as relevant to the role.
• Demonstrate experience of undertaking clinical audit and / or research in the area of Oncology and Haematology.

• Clinical expertise in haematology and medical oncology with a broad range of related clinical experience.
• Up-to-date knowledge of emerging evidence for clinical nutrition in cancer patients and relevant documents published by National Cancer Control Programme.
• The ability to effectively plan and manage resources including; the ability to manage deadlines and effectively handle multiple tasks; the ability to act appropriately to address urgent matters.
• Research and Audit skills with proven track record.
• Professional supervision skills including, staff supervision, performance management, service planning and strategic planning.
• Demonstrate an ability to deal with members of multidisciplinary teams, professional/ working colleagues and managers assertively and with diplomacy to ensure nutritional care is implemented and monitored.
• Ability to ensure high professional standards in service delivery.
• Excellent interpersonal, counselling and communication skills including an ability to communicate in a manner suited to target groups including service users as well as health professionals.
• Excellent facilitation skills including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner.
• An awareness and appreciation of the service user and a commitment to providing a quality service.
• Effective judgement, decision making and problem solving skills.
• A commitment to continuing professional development for self and team members.
• Evidence of ability to empathise with clients, relatives and colleagues and treat service users with dignity and respect.
• IT skills including report writing, service monitoring, record keeping and data collection/systems.

Ranking/Shortlisting/ Interview

Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process. 

Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the organisation.

Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.cpsa.ie

This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

A panel may be created for Clinical Specialist Dietitian – Haematology and Medical Oncology GUH from which permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part time duration may be filled.

Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Act 2004 and Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Amendment Act 2013.

€60,484 €61,650 €62,849 €64,043 €65,234 €66,489 €67,809  €69,128  €70,186

New appointees to any grade start at the minimum point of the scale.  Incremental credit will be applied for recognised relevant service in Ireland and abroad (Department of Health Circular 2/2011).  Incremental credit is normally granted on appointment, in respect of previous experience in the Civil Service, Local Authorities, Health Service and other Public Service Bodies and Statutory Agencies.

HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service Needs (Extended Working Day / Week Arrangements); Framework for Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016” applies. Under the terms of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to promotional posts from Dec 16^th 2008 will be required to work agreed roster / on call arrangements as advised by their line manager. Contracted hours of work are liable to change between the hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day services in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016).

* Public Servants not affected by this legislation:

Public servants recruited between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2012 (new entrants) have no compulsory retirement age.

Public servants recruited since 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Pension Scheme and have a compulsory retirement age of 70.

·         To report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to TUSLA.

·         To assist Tusla, if requested, in assessing a concern which has been the subject of a mandated report

You will remain a mandated person for the duration of your appointment to your current post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction.  You will receive full information on your responsibilities under the Act on appointment.

Key responsibilities include:

·         Developing a SSSS for the department/service[1], as applicable, based on the identification of hazards and the assessment of risks, and reviewing/updating same on a regular basis (at least annually) and in the event of any significant change in the work activity or place of work.

·         Ensuring that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is integrated into day-to-day business, providing Systems Of Work (SOW) that are planned, organised, performed, maintained and revised as appropriate, and ensuring that all safety related records are maintained and available for inspection.

·         Consulting and communicating with staff and safety representatives on OSH matters.

·         Ensuring a training needs assessment (TNA) is undertaken for employees, facilitating their attendance at statutory OSH training, and ensuring records are maintained for each employee.

·         Ensuring that all incidents occurring within the relevant department/service are appropriately managed and investigated in accordance with HSE procedures[2].

·         Seeking advice from health and safety professionals through the National Health and Safety Function Helpdesk as appropriate.

·         Reviewing the health and safety performance of the ward/department/service and staff through, respectively, local audit and performance achievement meetings for example.

Note: Detailed roles and responsibilities of Line Managers are outlined in local SSSS.