Karen Crudgington
Falmouth,Cornwall
Summary
A motivated, experienced dietitian who is passionate about the dietetic profession, patient care, leadership and the Allied Health Professional community. Over 15 years of acute dietetic experience including the provision of complex nutrition support both parenteral and enteral to a range of clinical areas. Experience of service development, quality improvement project and workforce transformation projects a across systems.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
AHP Faculty Project post
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2023 - 02.2025
- Delivering on defined objectives, for priority areas of the AHP faculty and reporting on deliverables quarterly to NHS England
- Projects have included: Return to Practice for AHPs, Placement Expansion for Dietitians and a AHP Recruitment video
- Achievements to date have included
- The development of a webpage and enquiry form as a sustainable pathway for return to practice enquires
- The development of a system wide pathway for AHPs returning to practice. This included Cornwall Council, Cornwall Foundation Trust and The Royal Cornwall Hospital
- The development of toolkit for AHP return to practice leaders and resources for returnees and a rolling recruitment strategy
- A scoping exercise to map student responsibilities within the dietetic department
- Allied Health Professional Recruitment video
- Induction booklet for therapy students aligned with the Student Learning Environment Charter.
Joint Lead Dietitian for Critical Care
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2020 - 02.2025
- Leading of team of dietitians and a dietetic apprentice to provide dietetic care on a 19 bedded critical care unit and a 7 bedded enhance post operative care unit (EPOC)
- Undertaking advanced nutritional assessment of critically ill and high risk post-operative patients, and providing dietetic treatment plans including complex nutrition support in all modalities of feeding (parenteral and post-pyloric)
- Providing dietetic care for critical care patients on stepdown to the wards, and contributing to the delivery and development of the critical care MDT post discharge clinic, and the weekly rehabilitation meetings
- Contributing to critical care clinical governance, including presenting audits and QI projects, and supporting the critical care unit to manage nutrition risk
- Working as a member of the allied health professional (AHP) therapy team contributing to the leadership of the AHP MDT team, and helping shape the direction and structure of the AHP therapy service through interdisciplinary review of patients, regular development meetings and joint quality improvement projects
- Contributing to trust wide policies and guidelines on nutrition related to critical care, contributing to the work of the Nutrition Steering Group to raise standards of nutrition within the hospital
- Contributing to local and national critical care specialist groups including the BDA Critical Care Specialist Group and the South West Critical Care Rehabilitation Network
- Providing nutritional education for nurses, doctors and AHPs on Critical Care and in theatres, and to dietetic colleagues
- Supporting with training of student dietitians
- Providing flexible cover to other dietetic wards and the Nutrition Team when required
Acute Specialist Dietitian
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2011 - 01.2020
- Rotational acute specialist dietitian covering gastroenterology, hepatology, surgery, gastro-surgery and critical care
- Leading and managing the daily running of the Acute Dietetic Team
- Supporting prioritisation of caseloads, and providing clinical support for junior team members
- Leading training for Band 5 dietitians through development of dietetic competencies and clinical supervision
- Supervising B & C dietetic students, providing guidance on placement projects, and developing and delivering tutorials
- Assisting the community dietitians with complex gastroenterology patients
- Working with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in managing complex nutrition support patients (oral and enteral) in the above areas including ventilated and sedated patients with multi-organ failure on Critical care, post-surgical patients including those with ileus, high output stoma's and fistulas
- Providing pre-operative nutrition support for inpatients and outpatients
- Working with the Nutrition Support Team providing cover for the Nutrition Support Team dietitian during annual leave
- Running a gastro-specialist clinic for outpatients
- Engaging with patients using a range of communication skills including negotiation skills and motivational interviewing skills to make appropriate changes to support their treatment
- Providing education to nursing staff, health care assistants on nutritional screening, and nutrition support
- Identifying areas for service development on the wards to improve nutritional care for patients
- Developing standards and policies around patient nutritional care
- Producing departmental resources such as patient information
Cardiothoracic Dietitian
Bristol Royal Infirmary
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Specialist dietitian in cardiovascular disease, thoracic surgery and diabetes Providing a dietetic service to the Bristol Heart Institute
- Working closely with the MDT in providing nutrition support for cardiology patients including ventilated and sedated patients on Cardiac Intensive Care
- Developing and delivering the cardiac rehabilitation nutritional sessions alongside the cardiac nurses
- Providing annual leave cover on other dietetic wards including Upper GI, Hepatology and Stroke
- Providing dietetic input for weekly MDT clinics for women with gestational diabetes, and patients with type 1 or 2 Diabetes. This included working closely with ethnic minority patients through the use of interpreters
- Providing dietetic support within a consultant-lead lipid clinic engaging patient to make lifestyle changes using motivational interviewing and negotiating techniques
- Organising talk to nursing staff
- Training B &C dietetic students
- Developing of departmental resources such as a nutritional screening programme and patient information leaflets
- Health and safety representative for the dietetic department
Band 5 Rotational Dietitian
North Bristol NHS Trust
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Band 5 rotational dietitian working in Diabetes, Urology, Care of the Elderly, Stroke, Cardiovascular, Maternity and Vascular Disease
- Included regular cover for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Respiratory wards
- Experience of working within the MDT to develop and implement enhanced recovery protocol for cystectomy patients
- Developing of PEG/RIG feeding regimens for head and neck cancer patients and teaching patients and families PEG bolus feeding to ensure safe, rapid discharge
- Working closely with district nurses and the Home Enteral Feeding Team to ensure safe discharges of patient with PEG feeds
- Working with the dietetic team to implement nutritional screening and auditing its use
- Participating in training of B&C dietetic students
- Delivering talks to other health professionals and groups including medical staff on Palliative Care Course at local hospice and on Heart Failure as part of an MSC course at University of the West of England
Education
ILM Level 5 - Coaching and Mentoring
Cornwall College
St Austell, Cornwall 01.2024 -
Master Module - Evidence into Practice
University of Plymouth
Plymouth 09.2023 - 10.2023
Clinical Update - Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Queen Margaret University
Bachelor of Science - Dietetics
Plymouth University
Bachelor of Science - Zoology
University of Wales Cardiff
A Level - Physics
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Biology
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Maths
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Chemistry
St John's School and Community College
A Level - General Studies
St John's School and Community College
Skills
- Comprehensive nutritional assessment
- Evidence based dietetic practice
- Clinical nutrition
- Nutrition Education
- Excellent interpersonal skills and building relations with staff and patients
- Audit and quality improvement
- Change management
- Peer mentoring
- Coaching
- Project coordination
Certification
Car driver
Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Timeline
ILM Level 5 - Coaching and Mentoring
Cornwall College
01.2024 -
Master Module - Evidence into Practice
University of Plymouth
09.2023 - 10.2023
AHP Faculty Project post
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2023 - 02.2025
Joint Lead Dietitian for Critical Care
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2020 - 02.2025
Acute Specialist Dietitian
The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
01.2011 - 01.2020
Cardiothoracic Dietitian
Bristol Royal Infirmary
01.2010 - 01.2011
Band 5 Rotational Dietitian
North Bristol NHS Trust
01.2008 - 01.2010
Clinical Update - Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Queen Margaret University
Bachelor of Science - Dietetics
Plymouth University
Bachelor of Science - Zoology
University of Wales Cardiff
A Level - Physics
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Biology
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Maths
St John's School and Community College
A Level - Chemistry
St John's School and Community College
A Level - General Studies
St John's School and Community College
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