A number of registered dietitians work across Nottinghamshire Healthcare to provide one to one therapeutic dietary advice within:
- mental health, forensic and learning disabilities inpatient settings
- physical health community clinics, groups, care homes or in the patient's home
- multi-disciplinary teams in services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, adult eating disorders and community learning disabilities
We work at various sites across Nottinghamshire covering a range of conditions and age groups.
Examples include eating disorders, enteral feeding, nutrition support, paediatric food allergy, autistic spectrum disorder, faltering growth, adult nutrition support, irritable bowel syndrome and diabetes.
We use evidence-based practice and effective communication to support behaviour change.
We work together as integral members of the multi-disciplinary team and support other staff via production of patient resources, education and development, professional support and shadowing opportunities. We also deliver dietary education via group sessions, for example to patients with type 2 diabetes in partnership with our diabetes educators.
Career stories
Elizabeth Archer, Professional Lead and Manager Dietetic Services
Pre-registration
Elizabeth celebrated being a qualified dietitian for 27 years in October 2020!! Elizabeth was drawn to Dietetics because of its ‘unique therapeutic approach’ to treating diet related illnesses and solving patients nutrition & hydration problems in practice. She was part of the first cohort at the University of Ulster to undertake their Human Nutrition degree 1991, specialising in Public Health Nutrition with Chronic Disease Management. Elizabeth had originally wanted to become an Epidemiologist & International Public Health Nutritionist with the WHO or UNICEF but providence had other plans & she ended up doing the Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics gaining a Distinction.
Preceptee experience
Elizabeth has two Master Degrees one in Biomedical Science specialising in Nutritional Impact of HIV (Retrovirus ) & the Other a MBA specialising in Total Quality management. Over the years she has been involved in many development & transformation projects. Many resources that she has worked on are now widely used in dietetic practice. In 1992, she commenced work on the Photographic Food Model Atlas, which today is widely used in Diabetic Carbohydrate Counting Apps & Portion Control Guides, used by insulin-dependent diabetes patients.
She has also worked in the development of the electronic health records and core assessment data for screening of older people.
Leadership
Elizabeth has worked in all of the 4 nations, within the United Kingdom, taking on roles where she can be an innovator and push boundaries in order to develop services and expand the role of dietitians & /or AHP’s. She was the treasurer for the older people’s services branch of the British Dietetic Association committee for over 8 years. She is now the chair of the ESDN ( European Specialist Dietetic Network) Older People group.
Lessons
If you can do something better do it! Innovate, problem-solve and get involved.