Clinical Dietitian II - Outpatient Pediatric Specialty

Clinical Dietitian II - Outpatient Pediatric Specialty

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Clinical Dietitian II - Outpatient Pediatric Specialty

Summary: The Clinical Dietitian II works closely with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to coordinate evidence based medical nutrition therapy that is integrated and compatible with the patient focused medical goals. The Clinical Dietitian II provides professional outpatient nutrition services to patients referred from N.C. Children's Hospital pediatric subspecialty teams and is dedicated exclusively to caring for children's health care needs with feeding and swallowing disorders, as well as children with complex nutritional needs discharged from the neonatal care unit.

Primary responsibilities include application of the Nutrition Care Process (NCP), through nutrition focused physical exam. Nutrition/malnutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, interventions, monitoring and evaluating of the patient's progress. The Clinical Dietitian II uses practice-specific dietetics and as available and evidence-based practice protocols/nutrition practice guidelines to help determine nutrition intervention. The Clinical Dietitian II has extensive knowledge in the area of clinical practice as evidenced by years of experience and/or specialty certification(s) noted in the requirements listed below. The Clinical Dietitian II performs business functions, such as management of resources in a cost-effective manner, and participates in compliance and quality performance improvement efforts to ensure that nutrition care is safe and effective. The Clinical Dietitian II is an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, serving as a resource on nutrition management of the clinical practice area(s) is involved in team conferences provides nutrition-related in-services and contributes to the development and revision of hospital policies. The Clinical Dietitian II also may be involved in community-based nutrition programs and maintains professional competency and skills required for professional practice. The Clinical Dietitian II precepts interns and supports, models and trains clinical dietitians in the core behaviors and responsibilities of the department and organization. The Clinical Dietitian II will provide professional outpatient nutrition consultation to pediatric patients at UNC Hospitals outpatient clinics, UNC Children's clinics in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and other clinics as needed to support care access.

Responsibilities: 1. Assesses nutritional needs using standardized practice and critical thinking. Identifies nutrient requirements according to age, disease and individual needs for assigned patients. Demonstrates clinical and age specific competency as evidenced by clinical competency tools, forms, chart audits, tests, observation, etc. 2. Acts as a resource person for the clinical team assigned and serves as a liaison between other medical specialties and ancillary services. 3. Assists in achieving compliance with the Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), or other accrediting agency standards to continuously improve the safety and quality of care to the public and to the organization's performance improvement. 4. Attends medical rounds, patient care conferences, and continuing education/staff meetings. Participates in quality improvement initiatives and cross training. 5. Develops, implements, and monitors nutrition care plans and participates in the coordination of care and discharging process. Provides education using established behavioral change techniques. 6. May lead, direct, and manage the work assigned to others within the department. Documents all aspects of nutrition care in the medical record. Demonstrates compliance with regulatory agency standards as evidenced by timely completion of clinical nutrition workload as evidenced by chart audits and organizational / regulatory agency surveys. 7. Creates/updates evidence based protocols in area of clinical practice and trains others in order to ensure medical nutrition therapy practices are current and meet established guidelines. 8. Identifies needs for professional development and mentors others in area of clincal practice. Participates in the training of clinical nutrition intern by acting as preceptor throughout the year as assigned. 9. Participates in clinical research, on-the-job training, or QI projects as pertains to clinical practice area. Leads efforts to continually understand and measure quality of the clinical area practice in terms of structures, process, content, and outcomes. Designs and tests interventions to change process and systems of specialty practice area with the objective of improving quality outcomes. Serves on cross functional quality teams.