Dietitian Med Surg | Children's Foundation Research Institute | Full | Time | Days

Nutrition Care Specialist

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We strive to be an employer of choice and establish a reputation for being a talent rich organization where Associates can grow their career caring for others. For over a century, we've served the health care needs of the people of Memphis and the Mid-South.

Formulates and implements optimal nutrition therapy and evaluates outcomes for assigned patients at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Coordinates nutritional care with other disciplines. Models appropriate behavior as exemplified in MLH Mission, Vision and Values.

Working at MLH means carrying the mission forward of caring for our community and impacting the lives of patients in every way through compassion, a deliberate focus on service expectations and a consistent thriving for excellence.

A Brief Overview

• Provides the Nutrition Care Process. Formulates and implements pediatric specialty medical nutrition therapy plan of care. Documents in accordance with policy, procedure, and clinical practice guidelines.
• Understands and documents face to face and telehealth charging practices with subsequent input into the electronic charging system.
• Screens, triages, and prioritizes medical nutrition therapy consults for all age groups (neonates, infants, pediatrics, adolescent, and adult.)
• Completes nutrition assessments and identifies nutrition diagnosis/problem(s).
• Identifies and documents differing malnutrition indicators in the following groups: neonates, pediatrics, and adults.
• Monitors formula orders and calculates special recipes with or without additives for milk tech staff.
• Identifies and integrates trends in anthropometic indices and biochemical data, implications of diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures.
• Performs pediatric nutrition focused physical findings to evaluate nutritional status throughout the lifecycle.
• Performs and ensures proper athropometric data and proper measuring techniques, including pediatric specific head circumference, segmental length, and recumbent length, and applies values to appropriate growth charts.
• Serves as resource for multidisciplinary team on proper anthropometric measuring techniques and equipment.
• Performs increased frequency of monitoring and adjusts pediatric plan of care, as pediatric patients can become malnourished quickly.
• Implements nutrition plan of care and works collaboratively with foodservice staff and milk techs to ensure conformance and continuation of said plan.
• Functions as an integral member of the clinical interdisciplinary team and the Nutrition Therapy team.
• Navigates wide network of pediatric formulas and additives and the corresponding companies to ensure tolerance and availability and patients financial resources.
• Works with case management and social work to identify available resources for formula supplies between WIC, insurance, and community programs. Documents need for each resource, how much will come from each resource, and assists with document completion for insurance, DME and community resource formula coverages.
• Identifies goals and provides age-specific, culturally appropriate nutrition counseling and education to patients and their families/caregivers throughout the lifecycle.
• Uses evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines and appropriate instructional methods and tools based on appropriate age groups.
• Documents in medical record patient's and/or caregiver comprehension and anticipated compliance with nutrition guidelines in measurable terms. Completes Ad Hoc charting for in-patient.
• Calculates special formula recipes for home and modifies as needed. Completes education with pt/caregivers, and documents formula education in the EMR.
• Monitors, trouble shoots, and communicates outpatient issues and nutrition plan of care in EMR messaging when patients are between outpatient appointments and/or inpatient admissions.
• Demonstrates professional development and leadership.
• Demonstrates performance measurement and quality improvement.
• Performs other job functions as assigned or requested.

Education/Formal Training Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree Dietetics
• Master's Degree Dietetics

Work Experience Requirements

• 1-3 years experience as a registered dietitian.

Licenses and Certifications Requirements

• Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist - Commission on Dietetic Registration
• Licensed as a Dietitian/Nutritionist in the state where work is performed

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the Nutrition Care Process and ability to apply all steps of the process.
• Comprehensive knowledge and application of nutrition services and medical nutrition therapy, specifically related to pediatrics.
• Comprehensive knowledge, application, and advancement of formularies for preterm, infant, preschool, school age, adolescent, adult, and metabolic and other disease specialty formulas
• Complex understanding and application of growth velocity and estimated needs for multiple age groups (premature, toddler, preschool, school age, adolescent, and adult) with differing growth rates to maximize medical nutrition therapy plan of care.
• Critical thinking to integrate facts, informed opinions, active listening, and observations.
• Decision making, problem solving, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form to patients, public, hospital and medical staff, and physicians.
• Ability to function independently on assigned patient care units.
• Ability to counsel and educate others.
• General knowledge of nutrient analysis, word processing, and spreadsheet software.

Supervision Provided by this Position

• There are no supervisory responsibilities assigned to this position.

Physical Demands

• The physical activities of this position may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.
• Must have good balance and coordination.
• The physical requirements of this position are: light work - exerting up to 25 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently.
• The Associate is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; or extensive reading.
• The conditions to which the Associate will be subject in this position: The Associate is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions; job functions are typically performed under conditions such as those found in general office or administrative work.

Our Associates are passionate about what they do, the service they provide and the patients they serve. We value family, team and a Power of One culture that requires commitment to the highest standards of care and unity.

Boasting one of the South's largest medical centers, Memphis blends a friendly community, a thriving and growing downtown, and a low cost of living. We see each day as a new opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people in our community.