Registered Dietitian

Description

Kindred Hospital Tarrant County Southwest is a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital specializing in the treatment of patients recovering from post-intensive care and medically complex conditions. Our hospital provides both intensive care and telemetry-level services, offering advanced monitoring and support for patients requiring extended medical care. With a multidisciplinary team dedicated to personalized treatment plans, we focus on helping patients achieve significant recovery and transition to the next level of care.

Job Summary

The Dietitian is responsible for the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nutritional care for patients in accordance with applicable regulations, policies, and standards. Works closely with interdisciplinary teams to support quality nutritional outcomes and ensures individualized dietary needs are met through clinical consultation, menu oversight, education, and monitoring.

Essential Functions

• Leadership: Completes annual competency testing and maintains professional growth and development to maintain registration and licensure/certification.
• Performs job based on applicable federal, state, and local regulations, company policies and procedures and evidenced based clinical guidelines.
• Performs job within defined scope of practice.
• Participates in developing and implementing policies and procedures related to nutritional care of the patient.
• Monitors quality assurance in the kitchen by ensuring quality measures are routinely done spot checking logs for accuracy, ensures safe sanitary conditions in the kitchen by completing kitchen safety/sanitation audits and test tray audits per policy.
• Participates in the survey process instructs staff in matters of conduct and disclosure always maintains a presence while surveyors are on site and directs the timely collection of information required by the survey team.
• Services on various committees as required by company standards, regulations, and/or appointment by immediate supervisor.
• Direct Patient Care: Conducts initial and reassessments on all patients admitted to the hospital.
• Ensure proper completion of documentation (assessments, care plans, education, discharge planning.
• Prescribes nutrition therapy to meet estimated needs and monitors tolerance.
• Provides ongoing reassessment to ensure optimal nutrition therapy is provided.
• Participates with Interdisciplinary Team meetings to develop, implement, and monitor nutrition care plans.
• Interviews patients, family members, legal representatives, and/or significant others, and staff to obtain diet history, food preferences, and other pertinent information needed to develop and/or update plan of care.
• Advocates for patients to protect and promote patients’ rights and accommodate individual needs and cultural/religious preferences.
• Involves the patient/family in planning objectives and goals for the patient.
• Conducts nutrition education individually and in classes to patients, families, staff, and community as appropriate.
• Conducts meal rounds to ensure that patients are receiving therapy that meets patient’s needs.
• Coordinates with Culinary Service Manager to resolve patients’ concerns or dissatisfactions with diet or meal service.
• Menu Management (if Culinary Services Manager is not a Registered Dietitian, then RD provides the following oversight) Monitors Culinary Services Manger’s oversight of the menu management process.
• Reviews and approves all patient menus in the facility must approve any substitutions provided to patients.
• Reviews and approves all nutritional data posted in the café.
• Provides oversight for the transcription of diet orders in the department to ensure accuracy.
• Ensures all patient snack orders are checked against the diet order and distributed to patients timely.
• Provides oversight as needed to assure proper ordering of food and supplies to ensure proper execution of diets and snacks.
• Provides training to Manager and staff as needed on therapeutic diets and menus, food allergens, or other related topics.
• Other: Works cooperatively as a team member with co-workers in all departments of the Hospital.
• Communicates issues, concerns, and opportunities for improvement to immediate supervisor routinely.
• Monitors industry trends, new products, current research, and new programs in foodservice and incorporates into his/her work as needed.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age-appropriate care to the patient population served.
• Attends all mandatory in-services and staff meetings.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities/Expectations

• Knowledge of evidenced based clinical nutrition guidelines.
• Ability to be accurate, concise, and detail-oriented Knowledge of quantity food production, safe food preparation and handling techniques.
• Basic computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office, word-processing and spreadsheet software.
• Must read, write and speak fluent English.
• Must have good and regular attendance.
• Approximate percent of time required to travel: 0% Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited program in dietetics, nutrition or related field (Required)

Licenses/Certifications

• REG DIET - Dietitian – Registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Upon Hire (Required)
• Other: State licensure or certification where required Upon Hire (Required)
• SAFE Serve Certification Upon Hire or within facility-specified time frame (Preferred)

Experience

• Prior Experience in acute clinical care, nutrition support, and disease-specific nutrition (Preferred)