Clinical Dietitian

Clinical Dietitian

Schedule: Day Shift. 40 hours weekly. 8:00am – 5:00pm

About the Position

The Clinical Dietitian demonstrates courtesy, positive attitude, respect, and enthusiasm to patients, residents, visitors, and staff. He/she is cognizant of their role as part of the hospital and department leadership and their role as a community member. He/she consults with medical and nursing staff regarding patient nutrition.

Overview of Responsibilities

• Provides consultation to physicians and other staff members regarding nutritional care of patients.
• Reviews medical chart to assess needs and determine patient's nutritional plan of care. Pertinent patient data is maintained in the Electronic Medical Record and/or CBORD system. This data is necessary to recommend, prescribe, or modify therapeutic diets as needed to meet the nutritional needs of the patients.
• Approves patient menus and nutritional supplements using diet manual, current evidence-based medicine, and facility-approved protocols as appropriate.
• Interviews patients and/or family/significant others/caretakers to obtain information regarding food habits for guidance in planning nutritional care. Identifies physical, social, cultural, religious, and psychological needs of the patient that may impact nutrition interventions and education of the patient and/or family/significant others. Identifies barriers to learning such as cognitive limitations and language barriers.
• Provides nutrition counseling to patients and/or family/significant others/caretakers, as necessary.
• Maintains pertinent patient data necessary to recommend, prescribe, or modify therapeutic diets as needed to meet the nutritional needs of the patients.
• Performs nutritional assessments, nutrition diagnosis, interventions, and monitoring/evaluating outcomes when appropriate utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP).
• Documents patient outcomes and participates in the hospital QA&I program.
• Provides medical nutrition therapy utilizing age-appropriate techniques, modifies care appropriately to the age of the patient by accurately calculating age-specific calorie, protein, and fluid needs. Records and interprets laboratory values using age-specific target ranges. Asks sensitive information of adolescents in the absence of parent. Utilizes knowledge of growth and development in generating appropriate care plans and interventions.
• Provides medical nutrition therapy and recommendations on critical care nutrition (enteral and parenteral nutrition). Maintains abreast of current trends in this area and assists in the education of other disciplines on the appropriateness and proper implementation of enteral/parenteral nutrition. Makes appropriate recommendations in the management of enteral/parenteral nutrition and follows hospital protocols in place for critical care nutrition.
• Plans and teaches various nutrition-related classes for patients, outpatients, and their families, implementing teaching methods at the appropriate level. Evaluates the effectiveness of teaching by obtaining feedback from class members.
• Instructs patients and residents on proper use of diet at home as ordered by physician. Assesses patient and family/significant other's learning needs, modifies teaching based on patient's age, readiness to learn, learning style, and cultural/religious background, implements teaching method at the appropriate level, evaluates effectiveness of teaching by obtaining feedback.
• Receives prescriptions for patient and nutritional needs and directs proper planning of these orders.
• Coordinates the need for patient nutritional supplements using NCP and physician-approved facility protocols.
• Collaborates with other hospital services (medical staff, nursing services, pharmacy service, and social work service) to plan and implement patient care and nutritional education, as necessary to meet the nutritional needs of patients.
• Participates in planning and implementing departmental objectives and procedures.
• Keeps abreast of current practices in the field of dietetics and nutrition and applies them to Reid (i.e., procedures, diet manual, and QA&I). Attends appropriate Food and Nutrition Services Department continuing education programs.
• Plans hospital menus in accordance with guidelines for age-specific populations.
• Must maintain patient confidentiality.
• Provides educational programs outside the hospital.
• Provides clinical coverage on scheduled weekends and holidays.
• Other duties as assigned.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and can be expanded to include duties or responsibilities that management deems necessary.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's or Advanced degree from accredited institution.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Dietetics from accredited institution.
• 2 years preferred in an acute care setting.
• CDR registered or eligible.

Licensure & Certification

• Licensed within the state of Indiana (or able to apply and obtain).
• CDR registered (or eligible).