A new Allied Health Professions (AHP) Critical Care Capability Framework, which shines a light on dietetic-specific clinical capabilities and provides structured career development guidance, is now available for members to use.
The Intensive Care Society’s new framework highlights the expertise, experience and contributions of five AHP professions in critical care – dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners and speech and language therapists.
The BDA contributed to its development, and it was designed in collaboration with four other professional bodies, with input from over 65 clinical experts and advisors, relevant AHP students and people with lived experience.
BDA member Ella Terblanche, who is a critical care dietitian and phd student at the Health Sciences University, was the dietetic lead for developing the framework. She led a panel of experienced critical care dietitians, as they worked together to co-write the content and ensure it reflected best clinical practices.
The panel’s thorough developmental process resulted in the first set of dietetic-specific clinical capabilities for critical care, which, as Ella explains, now provides a valuable resource for dietetic staff who work in this area:
‘The capabilities framework is relevant to all dietitians and dietetic support workers who work within and beyond critical care. The aim is to provide visible career pathways for dietitians working in this area, as well as to highlight the unique contribution that dietitians make to the patient journey during and following critical illness. It is recommended that the framework is used by all grades of dietitianss and dietetic support workers who work with critically ill patients, to identify their learning needs and shape their professional development.’
Ella added that, 'along with clinical capabilities, the framework also covers leadership, education, and research in critical care, all aligned with national standards, and it serves as an essential foundation for appraisals and CPD activities for critical care clinicians.'
Structured career development guidance
The AHP Critical Care Capability Framework is designed to work across six nationally recognised levels of practice - supportive, assistive, foundation, enhanced, advanced and consultant - and provides visible opportunities for career progression and learning and education.
It is also aligned with existing national frameworks, including the Intensive Care Society’s AHP Critical Care Professional Development Framework.
Sian Cunningham, BDA’s professional practice manager, said: ‘The BDA are delighted to be endorsing the new framework. As a member of the steering group, I commend the project team for the robustness of their methodological approach and stakeholder engagement. Whilst it offers structured career development guidance through the lens of critical care dietetic practice, it also pays important attention to the pillars of education, research and leadership as part of the career development pathway. My thanks to all BDA members who have contributed to this significant piece of work.’
Find out more and access the new AHP Critical Care Capability Framework.
