Career Opportunities
Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority
Diabetes Educator, Dietitian
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The Dietitian/Diabetes Educator is responsible for the provision of direct patient care in the Yellowknife Region which includes making daily decisions regarding education goals and approaches, nutrition assessments and interventions for individuals and groups. This position also provides leadership in the design, development, delivery, evaluation and advice on education, care and treatment approaches for individuals, groups, regional health authorities and territorial organizations who are dealing with Diabetes.
SCOPE
The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) is the single provider of all health and social services in the Northwest Territories (NWT), with the exception of Hay River and Tłı̨chǫ regions, covering 1.2 million square kilometers and serving approximately 43,000 people, including First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and non-indigenous persons. Health and social services includes the full range of primary, secondary and tertiary health services and social services including family services, protection services, care placements, mental health, addictions, and developmental activities, delivered by more than 1,400 health and social services staff.
Under the direction of the Minister of Health and Social Services, the NTHSSA is established to move toward one integrated delivery system as part of the government's transformation strategy. The NTHSSA sets clinical standards, procedures, guidelines and monitoring for the entire Northwest Territories. While the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency (TCSA) operates under a separate board, and Hay River Health and Social Services Agency (HRHSSA) remains separate in the interim, Service Agreements will be established with these boards to identify performance requirements and ensure adherence to clinical standards, procedures, guidelines and policies as established by the NTHSSA.
Located in Yellowknife and reporting to the Territorial Specialist, Chronic Disease Management (Specialist), the Dietitian-Diabetes Educator provides expertise in the prevention and management of diabetes and its complications for the residents of the Northwest Territories. This position works with community health center staff, integrated care teams, indigenous organizations, pharmacies, community groups, and the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to promote healthy lifestyles and the development and delivery of community programs in the Yellowknife region. The incumbent determines the nutritional management, education programming, resources, and teaching methods required to treat or support adults diagnosed with diabetes and its complications, and the prevention of diabetes in high-risk groups. This position requires the ability to handle several complex issues concurrently while maintaining attention to detail.
The NTHSSA provides diabetes prevention, education and treatment services to adults in order to restore health with dignity. Self-management is a core value of the program and the Dietitian-Diabetes Educator works with clients to achieve self-management of their own health and well-being. This position works in an interdisciplinary team with a physician and Nurse Practitioner to ensure a full scope of Diabetes services are available to clients. Work is performed in accordance with established standards from Diabetes Canada (Standards of Diabetes Education in Canada; Clinical Practice Guidelines). The position has an impact on reducing health care expenditures that result from chronic diseases.
The incumbent facilitates communication between the patient/client and health care professionals. Health care providers in the territory regularly contact the incumbent for advice on diabetes care and treatment. While working in conjunction with the Diabetes Educator-Nurse, the incumbent takes the lead on advising and making recommendations to allied health workers and physicians in regional health authorities on diabetes programming and patient care issues.
The legacies of colonization and residential schools have impacted Indigenous health outcomes and the way health and social services are delivered and accessed. Practicing from a trauma informed care perspective is expected and the position requires that interaction with clients and families is tactful, respectful and humble. The incumbent is required to honour and promote a culturally safe environment at all times and to remain calm, controlled and professional, and to demonstrate compassionate care that is free of racism and discrimination, to clients, families, community members, and health care team members.
The incumbent is required to be motivated and innovative in the area of continuing education and practice and to encourage the professional growth of self and others.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Develop, coordinate, implement and evaluate programs using a patient centered, team based delivery approach. Services may be delivered in the diabetes education center in Yellowknife or in a satellite community.
• Assist/lead communities with assessment of issues on the management of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and its complications, with focus on cardiovascular and kidney diseases. • Determine priorities, goals, objectives, approaches and solutions for community needs.
• Coordinate, research, design, deliver and evaluate services to facilitate learning, based on principles of adult education in relation to diabetes self-care.
• Facilitate community ownership and leadership in diabetes education by working with multidisciplinary community-based groups to increase their capacity to improve the health of their community members.
• Determine which resources and teaching methods are appropriate and effective, while recognizing and respecting individual, social and cultural differences.
• Ensure that policies and standards of diabetes care follow Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines.
• Develop, revise and implement data gathering tools for diabetes-related activities.
• Participate in and advise national and territorial committees, task forces and research projects related to diabetes care in the Northwest Territories, as requested.
2. Provide direct patient care and education to clients in the Yellowknife Region to facilitate the adoption of health-related behaviors for the prevention and management of diabetes and its complications (cardiovascular, eye, kidney and nerve diseases).
• Determine which resources and teaching methods are appropriate and effective while recognizing and respecting individual, social and cultural differences. This includes conducting and evaluating physical assessment, psycho-social screening, and lifestyle assessment.
• Document all interventions, nutrition assessment data, plan of care, interventions and patient responses or outcomes in a timely manner using the standardized prioritization tool.
• Guide and support the use of diabetes self-care equipment such as home blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps and injection devices.
• Ensure that diabetes equipment (i.e. blood glucose monitor) is working properly by testing, calibrating and troubleshooting before initiating testing.
Research, review, interpret and disseminate current diabetes information and best practices through workshops and counseling/training sessions.
• Speak to individuals and groups about diabetes care and prevention. This may be done in writing, by telephone, by Telehealth/telemerge or in person.
• Apply principles of adult education to daily practice and follows the most recent Standards for Diabetes Education in Canada.
• Communicate with other members of the health care team regarding the health care of adult clients with diabetes to provide continuity of care and promote collaborative efforts directed toward quality patient care. This may be done in writing, by telephone, by Telehealth/telemerge or in person.
• Advocate and promote principles of equity and fairness to assist clients in receiving unbiased treatment and education and share of health services and resources proportionate to their needs.
3. Support knowledge and skill development opportunities for health care providers, including physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and lay workers in diabetes management.
• Research, develop, deliver and evaluate training to health care providers within the NTHSSA to ensure they understand the best practices to care for their patients/clients living with diabetes. This may be conducted through workshops, and/or in-service education.
• Lead and coach peers, students and other members of the health care team to develop knowledge levels necessary to achieve the Standards of Care. Directs care plan changes.
• Instructs healthcare providers on how to assess and recognize significant differences between actual and expected responses of patients/clients to treatment.
• Orientate new employees, community nurses and nursing students to the Diabetes Education Program services.
• Participate in committees, task forces and research projects related to the following aspects of diabetes: advocacy, education, care, treatment and research.
4. Provide specialized care to enhance patient/client treatment and education.
• Deliver education in preparation for and initiation of insulin pump therapy. Provide ongoing management of insulin pump settings within parameters outlined in Standard Operating procedure for Insulin Adjustment.
• Deliver education to women who have diabetes and wish to become pregnant as well as pregnant women who have pre-existing diabetes or who develop diabetes during pregnancy. In coordination with a variety of prenatal care providers, guide the management of diabetes in pregnant women, including making recommendations for the initiation and adjustment of medication and/or insulin, and independently providing ongoing management of insulin doses within parameters outlined in Standard Operating Procedure for Insulin Management.
5. Facilitate, support and promote a culture of teamwork. • Receive and share information, opinions, concerns and feedback in a positive manner.
• Work collaboratively to build rapport and create supportive relationships with team members both within primary care and across the organization.
• Develop a supportive rapport with individuals and their families to facilitate collaborative relationships with other integrated team members.
• Determine the most appropriate, effective and efficient mode of communication among interdisciplinary team members in accordance with identified policies and procedures.
• Coordinate and participate in formal and informal case conferences to share appropriate information concerning individual concerns or progress and to utilize the team's skills and resources in the most efficient and effective manner.
• Contribute to a strengths-based team environment, and support team colleagues.
• Collaborate proactively with all integrated and interdisciplinary team members utilizing a client centered approach to facilitate and maximize healthcare outcomes.
• Communicate with other members of the health care team to provide continuity of care and promote collaborative efforts directed toward quality patient care.
• Provide coverage for other NTHSSA Dietitians in person and/or virtually, as required.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Physical Demands
No unusual demands.
Environmental Conditions
Due to the primary care work setting and the direct contact with patients, the incumbent may be exposed to communicable diseases frequently.
Sensory Demands
No unusual demands.
Mental Demands
Duty travel may require job holder to travel to remote areas once per month.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Knowledge of diabetes and capacity to share this information to patients, health care professionals and the public on an individual and group basis.
• Knowledge of and/or the ability to acquire knowledge of traditional foods of the indigenous peoples of the territory.
• Knowledge and practice of the Standards of Diabetes Education in Canada.
• Knowledge/practice competency of insulin pumps, certification.
• Knowledge and application of principles of adult education in order to develop, deliver and evaluate subject specific education sessions.
• Skill and ability to instruct patients/clients and their families about appropriate diabetes self-care activities such as food preparation, food selection, home blood glucose monitoring, administration of diabetes medication, insulin adjustment etc.
• Ability to apply standard nutrition intervention and processes (assessment, planning, interpretation, implementation and evaluation, and follow current practices as outlined in the most recent version of Diabetes Canada, Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes in Canada.
• Ability to advocate for patients/clients and families living with diabetes.
• Knowledge and an ability to network resources within and outside of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (i.e. community health nurses, physicians, homecare, etc.) in order to consult on patients/clients and their families.
• Ability to operate and/or use standard medical equipment (such as but not limited to – sphygmomanometers, blood glucose monitors, sharps, insulin injection devices, etc.).
• Knowledge of and proficiency in operating computer applications (electronic medical record, email, internet, word processing, database and spreadsheets).
• Knowledge and application relating to protection of privacy and confidentiality; ability to keep personal and medical information private and confidential at all times.
May 11, 2021 GNWT Job Description Page 6 of 7
Typically, the above qualifications would be attained by:
A Baccalaureate Degree in Nutrition, and completion of an accredited Dietetic Internship program, as well as two (2) years of recent dietetic experience in acute or ambulatory care setting.
A Master's degree in Nutrition will be considered on a case by case basis.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Proof of immunization in keeping with current public health practices.
Current designation as a Certified Diabetes Educator, or the ability to obtain the designation within a reasonable timeframe.
Current eligibility for registration with a provincially regulated association of Registered Dietitians is required. Membership with Dietitians of Canada is an asset.
Must have a valid NWT class 5 driver's license.
All health care providers must be able to acquire within a reasonable time frame and remain current with the following training and certifications: Fire training; Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS); Certification in First Aid & level C CPR/AED; and Cultural Awareness
Position Security
☐ No criminal records check required
☒ Position of Trust – criminal records check required
☐ Highly sensitive position – requires verification of identity and a criminal records check
French language (check one if applicable)
☐ French required (must identify required level below)
Level required for this Designated Position is:
ORAL EXPRESSION AND COMPREHENSION
Basic (B) ☐ Intermediate (I) ☐ Advanced (A) ☐
READING COMPREHENSION:
Basic (B) ☐ Intermediate (I) ☐ Advanced (A) ☐
WRITING SKILLS:
Basic (B) ☐ Intermediate (I) ☐ Advanced (A) ☐
☐ French preferred
Indigenous language: Select language
☐ Required
☐ Preferred