Consultant Dietician

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY:  

• To plan therapeutic diets and implement preparation and service of meals for patients in hospital. Responsible for the provision of high quality, cost effective medical nutrition therapy to patients of all ages through an interdisciplinary health care team approach.

• Responsible for the development of departmental policies and procedures that support the provision of nutritional care.

• Serves as the clinical nutrition resources to patients, physicians and staff.

• Participates in educational activities and committees as needed.

• Maintains effective communication with medical, nursing and administrative personnel concerning nutritional care of patients.

• Directs, coordinates and supervises activities of kitchen supervisors, diet technicians, diet office staff and food service workers.

• Implements the clinical activities such as nutrition assessments/reassessments, screening and nutrition care plans, and patient education and counseling as per department policies and procedures.

• Coordinates the quality improvement activities in the performance of patient care, monitors and evaluates the clinical activities and takes appropriate action to improve care and maintain quality of programs as appropriate.

• Approves the diet manual and all menus and menu changes. 

• Develops and implements the department’s orientation and continuing education program.

• Participates in committee activities concerned with nutritional care.

• Enforces compliance with standards set by regulatory agencies (e.g., AHCA, AOA and JCAHO). 

• In the absence of the Director of Nutritional Services, responsible for the operation of the department. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:  

1. Consults with other health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patients. 

a) Review and revise the diet manual, evaluating diets for appropriateness.

b) Ensures diet manual is approved annually.

c) Updates diet information as needed to comply. 

2. Formulates menus for therapeutic diets based on medical and physical condition of patients and integrates patient menus with basic institutional menus. 

a) Ensure patient menus follow dietary guidelines as set forth in the approved Diet Manual.

b) Annually revises patient menus for variety, layout, food preparation, presentation and cost.

c) Maintains nutritional analysis for all diets to reflect percent of recommended dietary allowances.

3. Keeps abreast of dietetic profession.

a) Maintains current registration with commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association.

b) Maintains current Florida license as Dietician/Nutritionist.

c) Participates in professional organizations.

d) Attends educational seminars, utilizes learning resources and networking.

4. Implements provision of quality nutrition care for patients.

a) Conducts nutrition assessment/reassessment according to established policies and procedures.

b) Performs patient/family education in a timely manner.

c) Documents patient’s nutritional care in the medical records book according to established policies and procedures.

d) Implements appropriate medical nutrition therapy and evaluates and documents the same.

e) Monitors through meal rounds patient’s food acceptance, intake and tolerance.

5. Monitors patient’s meal tray service for compliance to diet prescription, guidelines and quality standards.

a) Performs tray evaluations regularly.

b) Implements portion control guidelines.

c) Implements dietary restrictions for food preparation.

d) Ensures appropriate holding temperatures of food in the tray line.

6. Maintains effective communication with the medical staff to ensure quality nutrition care and services for patients.

a) Communicates effectively with nursing staff through memos, and committees regarding patient’s nutritional status and services.

b) Participates in meetings as needed.

c) Fosters open communication with other departments through positive relationships and interaction.

7. Coordinates a prompt and efficient patient meal service.

a) Ensures diet orders are processed appropriately and in a timely manner.

b) Monitors patient meal service for timeliness and accuracy.

c) Ensures that problems with food preparation, patient’s preferences and complaints, unclear diet order are in timely and efficient manners.

d) Enforces dietary restrictions as set forth in the approved Diet Manual.

e) Monitors late tray orders and delivery.

8. Overseas all patient meal services operations.

a) Ensures all activities of patients tray line services are performed with high standards of sanitation and food safety.

b) Implements departmental policies and procedures for tray line services.

c) Ensures that patient meal services are prepared and served in a wholesome, palatable and attractive manner.

d) Implements corrective actions for problems related to tray line operation or meal service delivery.

e) Ensure that all procedures for food and equipment in the patient tray line follow established policies and procedures.

9. Monitors patient care areas to ensure accurate and timely delivery of floor stock supply, sanitation of pantry equipment and food safety.

a) Ensure staff maintain nursing unit pantries clean (refrigerators, microwaves, open tray carts).

b) Implements accurate and timely delivery of floor stock requests for patient care areas.

10. Responsible for review and development of patient/family and staff nutrition education material.

a) Develops and reviews departmental education materials annually in collaboration with clinical staff.

b) Reviews and updates Enteral Nutrition Formulary cards as needed.

11. Acts as a resource person and liaison between Administration, Nursing, Medical Staff and Patients/Family members.

a) Serves in hospital committees/task forces as needed.

b) Participates in hospital-sponsored functions/events as requested.

12. Efficient Human Resources Management.

a) Follows the hospital's policies and procedures regarding recruitment, retention, transfers and termination of employees.

b) Ensure adequate staffing levels for clinical coverage, diet office, tray line and hostesses.

c) Follows the hospital's policies and procedures regarding employee orientation, evaluations and disciplinary actions.

13. Monitors Departmental Quality Management activities and participates in reporting results and their follow-ups.

Assist the Nutritional Services Director in the development, implementation, and reporting of the department’s Performance Improvement Program.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

- Ability to give and carry out oral and written instructions.

- Have a thorough Knowledge of kitchen equipment.

- Ability to relate cooperatively and constructively with others.

- Ability to act as a consultant and as a negotiator.

- Coordinates, organizes and prioritizes the sequence of operation or process.

- Analyze situations and develop alternatives.

- Applies logical thinking to define problems, analyze data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

- Provides clear direction to others.

- Ability to apply in-depth knowledge of job specific theory and practice.

- Speak clearly and listen carefully.

- Uses personal judgment and special knowledge to give information to people.

- Communicate well with many different kinds of people.

- Uses special record keeping procedures.

- Recognizes errors in recorded information.

- Reports suggestions to the Nutritional Services Director for positive changes.

- Recognizes and performs duties which need to be performed although not directly assigned.

- Uses time efficiently and effectively.

- Maintains a professional appearance at all times.

- Able to comprehend verbal and written instruction in English.

EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

a) Develops and reviews nutrition related educational materials as needed.

b) Attends, participates in, and develops educational materials as needed.

AGE SPECIFIC CRITERIA:

Provides age-specific care to the applicable population as documented.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Sedentary Works: Exerts up to 10lbs. of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, pull or push, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for a brief period of time.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Spends approximately 98% of time in an air conditioned environment. Exposure to heat up to 140 degrees, cold temperatures below zero, fumes, and high levels of noise from operation of food processing equipments may be experienced.

Works in the office, kitchen and patient care environment throughout the day. Exposure to fire, slippery floors, mechanical and electrical food service equipment’s, and institutional grade sanitation equipment’s and chemicals.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

This position involves minimal exposure to infectious waste, which mandates the use of masks, gloves and gown. Protective clothing includes a lab coat. The consultant Dietician must follow protective clothing guidelines when entering patient rooms with specific restrictions.

REASONING DEVELOPMENT: Apply principles of logical or rational thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.  Interpret an extensive variety of instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT:  

Practical application of fractions, percentages, ratio, and proportion, mensuration. 

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:

Reading: Read and understand instruction, scientific and industry related journals, abstracts, and financial reports.  

Writing:

Write reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.  

Speaking: Conversant in the theory, principles, and methods of effective and persuasive speaking, voice and diction, phonetics, and discussion and debate.    

RELATIONSHIPS TO DATA, PEOPLE AND THINGS:

Data:

Determining time, place, and sequence of operations or action to be taken on the basis of analysis of data; executing determination of and/or reporting on events.

People:

Instructing:  Teaching subject matter to others, or training others through explanation, demonstration, and supervised practice; or making recommendations on the basis of technical disciplines.  Supervising: Determining time, place and sequence of operations or actions to be taken on the basis of analysis of data, executing determination of and /or reporting on events.

Things:

Handling:  Using body members, hand tools, and/or special devices to work, move, or carry objects or materials.  Involves little or no latitude for judgment with regard to attainment of standards or in selecting appropriate tools, objects or material.

QUALIFICATION:

To do this job, you must have the following amount of total education and/or experience: Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Foods and Nutrition or Dietetics from an accredited College or University.

Master’s degree in Nutrition or any related field.

Experience:

Three years of general clinical experience and one year of food service/clinical nutrition management.

Other Qualifications:

Registered Dietician with the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association.

Licensed, or eligible for licensure as a Dietitian/Nutritionist in the State of Florida.

Three years of general clinical experience

Documented experience in dietetics.

Knowledge of food and nutrition; familiarity with medical terminology related to nutrition.