Clinical Dietitian

SUMMARY:

Collaborate as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to provide patients high quality medical nutrition therapy following the Nutrition Care Process. Coordinate all phases of nutrition care including nutrition assessment, care planning, monitoring, education and counseling of hospitalized patients and outpatients in a variety of settings. Provides professional advice on therapeutic diets, instructs patients and/or families, coordinates with nursing staff, physicians, and other medical staff and facilities on the nutrition evaluation and plan of patients.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Evaluate, interpret, monitor and document the nutritional status and nutritional needs of hospitalized patients and out patients using established standards of care and practice guidelines.

Reviews, updates, and coordinates patient nutritional care and protocol implementation through on-going communication and conference participation with nursing and other interdisciplinary staff.

Identify patients at nutritional risk based on established criteria and provides individual patient nutritional care.

Documents relevant aspects of nutritional care for patients in accordance with departmental standards in patient medical records.

Obtains the patient’s weight, height, and body compositions measurements (when applicable). This is documented in the Electronic Health Record.

Identify and provide age-specific nutrition counseling to meet the cultural needs of the patients and their families. Educates patients through individual discussions, group classes, and community speaking engagements.

Plans, develops, and conducts formal and informal educational programs in nutrition and diet therapy as well as functions as a nutritional resource physicians, nursing, students, and other healthcare professionals

Precept dietetic interns and provide on the job training for newly hired clinical staff.

Guides the Medical Nutrition Therapy Team through education, demonstration, and observation of the Diet Technicians.

Reviews, instructs, and communicates patient’s diet, food allergies, and food preferences and documents in computerized system.

Compiles dietetic information for use by kitchen personnel in food preparation.

Adheres to TMC organizational and department-specific safety, confidentiality, values policies and standards.

Performs related duties as assigned.

NICU - Within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the responsibilities will include the ability to diagnose nutrition-related problems, determine and implement appropriate interventions and monitor and evaluate interventions and outcomes.  Assists in the development and implementation of nutrition protocols and monitoring tools. Maintains current knowledge of neonatal nutrition and macro and micro nutrient requirements of preterm and term infant for optimal growth.  Monitors infant feeding composition, route of feeding and tolerance and makes appropriate recommendations as indicated. Also provide patient/ family formula mixing instructions.

Outpatient- Provides professional duties related to nutrition counseling of patients and/or families for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) diet education for both adults and pediatrics. This may include but are not limited to diabetes education, weight management, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, malnutrition/ weight fain, failure to thrive, cancer and nutrition therapy, and gastrointestinal disorders. The Outpatient Dietitian may also be required to assess/ evaluate outpatients receiving home tube feedings or need of parenteral nutrition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION:  Bachelor’s degree required.  Master’s degree preferred. Successful completion of coordinated program or dietetic internship of not less than 900 hours under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian required.

EXPERIENCE:  No experience required. One (1) year of experience preferred. Outpatient- One (1) year of clinical or outpatient nutrition experience required.

LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION: Current registration as a dietitian (RD/RDN) with the Commission of Dietetic Registration required.  Candidates eligible for registration must achieve registration within 6 months of the date of hire. NICU - Preferred completion of a neonatal nutrition fellowship and Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition (CSP) or Certified Specialist in Pediatric Critical Care Nutrition (CSPCC).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

• Knowledge of best practices for diet therapies for different needs.
• Knowledge of scientific rational and application of infant, pediatric, and adult formulas, intravenous feedings and feeding modules (carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals).
• Skill in assessing personal diet needs and providing advice on how to improve nutritional balance.
• Skill in the establishment of strong interpersonal working relationships with multidisciplinary teams and support services.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to inquiries or complaints from employees, patients, and/or their representatives and the general public.
• Ability to calculate figures and compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs and apply basic algebraic concepts.
• Ability to define problems, collect data and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.