Clinical Dietitian - Lourdes Main Campus

Clinical Dietitian

The Clinical Dietitian provides nutritional expertise to medical and clinical staff, patients and families. Strives to improve patient outcomes and decrease hospital cost and length of stay by adhering to medical nutrition therapy protocols and providing nutritional education to patients, family members and staff. Relies on some experience and judgment to complete job. Works under general supervision. Essential Functions: Assess nutrition status of patients, manages nutritional care plans, educates external customers, patients, and co-workers as needed. Integrates data to provide medical nutrition therapy for patients. Promotes positive nutrition outcomes. Assists in taking food orders based on patients diets. Involved in Performance Improvement Initiatives for the Department and Hospital. Other duties as assigned by Management and/or Director Mostly sedentary environment, however, some potential exposure to toxic/caustic chemicals, latex, hospital approved environmental cleaning products, needles and/or other sharp objects, and communicable diseases. Needs to be tolerable to extreme temperature changes from moist steam heated environment to cold refrigerator/freezer environment. Ability to stand /walking for long periods of time (5 hours or greater) sometimes. Ability to sit for long periods of time (5 hours are greater at times) frequently. Ability to stoop, squat, and/or kneel sometimes. Ability to reach, twist trunk and neck sometimes. Require use of personal protective equipment during tasks/activities including but not limited to, back support belts, gloves, masks, and safety glasses rarely.

Responsibilities

Nutritional Assessment:

• Effectively provides high quality nutrition care with critical thinking to inpatients and outpatients through nutrition assessment, education/consultation, monitoring of nutrient intake and adjusts therapy to meet patient needs.
• Demonstrates critical thinking and knowledge in Anthropometric measures, assessment and education with the following age specific groups: Neonates, infants, pediatrics, children with special needs, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics. Monitors the nutritional status of enterally and parenterally fed patients and participates in the selection of enteral and parenteral feeding formulations.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary health care teams such as ICU, Burn Unit, Inpatient Rehab, etc. to assist in overall plan of care. Serves as nutrition resource person.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current nutrition therapy and research.

Education:

• Conducts nutrition-related Health Promotion programs and in services within the scheduled time frame.

Documentation:

• Completes assignments as directed by the Manager of Nutrition Services. Reports are neat, accurate and on time.
• Documents thoroughly in medical records, meeting the pre-established criteria for charting.
• Completes productivity summary no later than the Friday ending each week.
• Demonstrates consistently in chart documentation the ability to chart documentation according to the pre-established criteria.

Collaboration and Partnership:

• Always strives to make good use of time; seeks out work and projects that need to be done; always uses time to departmental advantage.
• Deals effectively and professionally with patients, physicians, and other professionals.
• Always attempts to understand the needs of others: Fellow employees, patients, and medical staff.
• Assists other employees as needed, assumes additional responsibilities when other employees are sick, on vacation, or not scheduled to work.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Demonstrates creativity in completing work and new projects.
• Continually strives to make the best use of time during the day through careful coordination of daily patient priority.
• Completes all assignments, reports, and special projects by the specified deadlines QA/CQI activities.
• Responds to changes in the work schedules as necessary; continually uses time to departmental advantages.
• Demonstrates a complete understanding of all policies and procedures concerning the Nutrition Services area.
• Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing with professionals, patients, and the general public.
• Always reports changes with the normal workflow to the Clinical Nutrition Manager and/or Director.
• Consistently performs 12 organizational Service Standards focused on Values, Service and Quality

Qualifications

Education - Bachelor's Degree

Training - Travel may be required at times. Certification in Adult Malnutrition will be required.

Special Skills - Working Knowledge of Nutritional Care Process Excellent Customer Service Skills Excellent Verbal Communication Proficient in computerized data entry. Good critical thinking skills. Good time management/prioritization skills

License & Cert - Current Louisiana State License or Provisional License Dietitian/Nutritionist. Louisiana State License must be obtained within six months from hire if have a provisional license. Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Eligible through the Commission of Dietetic Registration.