A dietitian's career story

In my current role, I provide dietetic assessments and nutritional care plans for neuro-rehabilitation (a programme to support people with diseases, injury or nervous system disorders) and general rehabilitation wards at Clayponds Hospital.

I'm also tasked with the development of the service by carrying out audits and organizing ward training sessions for colleagues at the hospital.

I received my Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics after studying at the Shreemati Nathibai Domodar Thakersey Women's University in Mumbai in 2006.

While I began my career as a nutrition consultant at local gyms, my interest in clinical dietetics led me to look for opportunities in the dietetics field. My role as a Dietitian at Wockhardt Hospitals (India), covered a wide range of responsibilities, including critical care, High Dependency Unit, liver transplant unit, diabetes, pediatric and adult cardiology. Looking back, the time spent in this role has given me access to a wealth of information that I continue to benefit from.

I arrived to the United Kingdom (UK) in 2008 and completed the required formalities of registration with HCPC in 2009. After which, I joined Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. As I didn't have UK experience, I started as Band 5 dietitian. Within 3 months, I was promoted to Band 6.

At Frenchay, I was working with a research dietitian and enjoyed covering critical care, burns and neurosurgical wards. During my time here I gained experience in critical appraisal of articles, carried out various audits and implemented changes based on those results.

I moved back to London and worked as a locum dietitian gaining experience in the following areas: care of elderly, ICU, oncology, cardiology, rehabilitation, enteral feeding and nutrition support. 

I then joined a sexual health clinic as an HIV Dietitian in Surrey. As I was the first dietitian appointed at the service, I had the opportunity to set up a dietetic service. It was a challenging but enjoyable experience. During my role here, I also published an article in British HIV Association (BHIVA) magazine on clinical audit on safety and efficacy of high dose Vitamin D supplementation to HIV patients, and presented the results at a network meeting.

Since 2015, I have been a member of the Ealing community dietitian team. During my role here, I have covered a wide range of responsibilities. I started as part of adult team that covered enteral feeding and general clinics and also had the opportunity to cover for nutrition support dietitian role. I provided training to nursing homes and also was a part of student training.

My current role is a Band 7 role as a specialist dietitian (Rehabilitation) at Clayponds Hospital. What skills do you have as an AHP that have got you to where you are now? Over the years, my role has been to educate patients on the practical ways in which they can improve their health by recommending them to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Over the years, my role has been to educate patients on the practical ways in which they can improve their health by recommending them to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

My most notable achievement to date, is the successful completion of an audit on the “Safety and Efficacy of high dose Vitamin D supplementation to HIV patients” - the results were published in the British HIV Association (BHIVA) magazine.

I was also tasked with responsibility of designing a poster to be displayed at the BHIVA conference; a new and novel experience for me. The practice implemented cost-effective changes and so this project has given me the confidence to aim for similar outcomes in developing the service in my current role at Clayponds Hospital.

In my current role, spanning over two years at Clayponds, I have successfully implemented food first approach to tackle malnourishment.

I continue to provide further education and training to staff on the importance of identifying malnourishment in patients ensuring that early nutrition intervention will help achieve better outcomes.