Co-Chair of BANS and ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Malnutrition Officer
What made you apply to the position of BANS Chair?
I was volunteering as secretary for BANS (British Artificial Nutrition Survey) when the role of Chair became vacant, so I already knew the committee members and had some understanding about BANS activities. This, alongside ‘encouragement’ from colleagues and an option to share the chair role, gave me the push to apply!
What have you learnt in your role?
So many things! Probably my main learning has been that voluntary submission, collection and analysis of ‘big data’ relating to enteral nutrition is hard! Since I’ve been in post we’ve had to completely revise the way we collect and report on enteral data, as the existing system had become outdated. Finding an effective way forward is an ongoing challenge, requiring a creative approach to problem solving and perseverance. This has resulted in BANS pursuing opportunities to work more collaboratively with ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï groups and members, with the first joint report from BANS and PENG published earlier this year. The BANS co-chair role also comes with a place on the Executive Committee. Initially I felt a bit daunted about this but I now really enjoy it. The Exec team is great, and I have learnt a lot about how a charity is run and the different parts of ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï and its activities. I also get involved in some of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ work which is really interesting.
How do you think the ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï team work together?
I think we work pretty well together! The ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï team is a friendly group and I enjoy our meetings and working together. I feel that communication and understanding between Core Groups, Standing Committees, Trustees and the Exec Committee has really improved. Virtual meetings have certainly supported this, helping with attendance and easier discussions about ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï activities. We have also seen strong leadership from our President which has helped to bring the different components of ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï together as a more effective as a team.
Can you tell us a bit more about the pre-registration students’ placement you ran recently?
We began working with Kings College London in January 2020, providing pre-registration dietetic placements. These are required for qualification and HCPC registration as a dietitian. ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï provides a virtual placement for three weeks, which have been well received by students, the university and ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï colleagues. The two placements this year focused on ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï engagement with pre-registration healthcare professionals, with some great results. The first cohort undertook a survey to better understand pre-registration healthcare professionals’ knowledge about malnutrition and how ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï can support them in developing this. This provided some interesting insights and their report really impressed the Trustees and Executive team. I am delighted that these pre-reg dietitians went on to submit an abstract for ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Conference (2022) about this work and will be presenting at one of the poster sessions. I’m really proud of them!
The second cohort developed and launched the ºÚÁϳԹÏ_prereg Instgram account. This pilot is a really exciting development which we hope to make a permanent feature of ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï engagement. A couple of our pre-registration dietitians will be attending ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Conference 2022 to live stream and post about their experiences and learning. Next year we will be expanding our placements to also take pre-registration dietitians from the University of East Anglia so watch this space!
What do you most enjoy about your role within ºÚÁϳԹÏ?
There are lots of things I enjoy, but if I were to pick three it would be working with great people, making a difference and having new and sometimes unexpected opportunities. I have been involved in projects and activities which I would never have imagined being able to do a couple of years ago!
How do you balance your work/home life with your ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï commitments?
This is a tricky one! Being really clear about expectations and ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï tasks is helpful, as is agreeing realistic timelines within the context of other commitments. Working with ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï team members rather than in isolation also helps to share the work and achieve a better balance. However, ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï work does ebb and flow, with unexpected issues, activities or opportunities occurring, so flexibility and adjusting priorities is necessary. Also learning to sometimes say no or ask for help means the boundaries around different aspects of my life are more likely to remain in place – well, most of the time!
Why do you think people should get involved with ºÚÁϳԹÏ?
There are so many reasons to get involved! However, I would first like to dispel the myth that you need to be in a senior post or a national expert to become involved with ºÚÁϳԹÏ. You really don’t as our pre-registration dietitians’ have shown. Volunteering with ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï is great for new opportunities, personal growth and development. These can contribute to your CPD and of course add to your CV. You also get to meet new people, expanding your network of people with shared clinical interests. Finally, ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï is run by volunteers so needs volunteers to continue! Why not get in touch to find out how you can get involved with this great charity?
