Dietitian

Job Title

Assists in planning and coordinating clinical dietetics to provide optimal nutritional care and counseling for weight management clients.

Employment Type: Full time

Shift: Day Shift

Position Purpose:

Assists in planning and coordinating clinical dietetics to provide optimal nutritional care and counseling for weight management clients. Assesses patients' nutritional needs, readiness for lifestyle changes, and formulates individualized care plans using evidence-based practices. Provides nutrition education to treat chronic diseases, including diabetes, and participates in individual and group education sessions. Collaborates with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to improve nutrition care.

Essential Functions:

Knows, understands, incorporates, and demonstrates the Trinity Health Mission, Vision, and Values in behaviors, practices, and decisions. Plans, coordinates, and delivers nutrition services for clients enrolled in bariatric, Optifast/Optitrim, and traditional weight reduction programs. Assesses patients' nutritional needs, readiness for change, and formulates individualized care and education plans based on chronic conditions, age, and personal goals. Develops, evaluates, and revises educational materials and conducts both individual and group nutrition education sessions, including evening classes. Provides competent, age-appropriate care across populations including pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric clients. Collaborates with physicians and the interdisciplinary care team to promote nutrition interventions that support chronic disease management and overall wellness. Leads and participates in quality improvement initiatives to meet regulatory standards such as TJC and Bariatric Center of Excellence criteria. Monitors food diaries, identifies food-drug interactions, and provides actionable recommendations and nutrition education accordingly. Mentors and supervises dietetic interns and provides consultation and training to staff, patients, and community groups. Implements and evaluates medical nutrition therapy interventions, documenting care and outcomes accurately in the medical record. Develops and facilitates support groups, cooking classes, shopping trips, and community outreach activities to reinforce nutrition education. Participates in department meetings, training sessions, and professional development activities to maintain current knowledge and skills. Creates marketing materials and promotes nutrition services to internal teams, external providers, and community businesses. Ensures compliance with all hospital, safety, confidentiality, and dress code policies, maintaining a professional and ethical standard. Manages billing, charge entry, and periodic quality review related to nutrition services in alignment with hospital financial procedures. Other duties as needed and assigned by the manager. Maintains a working knowledge of applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, Trinity Health's Organizational Integrity Program, Standards of Conduct, as well as other policies and procedures in order to ensure adherence in a manner that reflects honest, ethical, and professional behavior.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in nutrition, dietetics, food and nutrition, or a related field from a four-year university. Completion of an accredited Coordinated Undergraduate Program, dietetic internship, traineeship, or equivalent experience approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Current registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (Registered Dietitian) required upon hire or within 60 days if eligible. Current licensure as a Dietitian in the state of Iowa required upon hire; must obtain Illinois license within 6 months if applicable. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required. Proof of completion of Mandatory Reporter abuse training specific to population served within 3 months of hire. Certification in Adult Weight Management (or willingness to obtain within 3 years) and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) certification within 2 years is desirable. One to two years of experience in clinical dietetics, preferably including one-on-one nutrition counseling, is recommended. Current membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly ADA) recommended. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, organize educational programs, and build professional relationships with patients and healthcare teams. Strong organizational, management skills, and motivation for continuous professional growth and quality improvement. Ability to work collaboratively with patients, families, vendors, and clinical staff to deliver effective nutrition care. Must be comfortable operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment. Must possess a personal presence that is characterized by a sense of honesty, integrity, and caring with the ability to inspire and motivate others to promote the philosophy, mission, vision, goals, and values of Trinity Health.

Physical and Mental Requirements and Working Conditions:

Must be able to set and organize own work priorities and adapt to them as they change frequently. Must be able to work concurrently on a variety of tasks/projects in an environment that may be stressful with individuals having diverse personalities and work styles. Must possess the ability to comply with Trinity Health policies and procedures.

Must possess critical thinking and patient assessment abilities. Must possess the ability to maintain strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

Physical Activity Requirements:

CONSTANT:

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances.

Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Those activities in

which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately,

loudly, or quickly.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal range. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make fine discriminations in sound, such as when making fine adjustments on machine parts.

FREQUENT:

Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.

Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.

Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.

Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling.

Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

OCCASIONAL:

Kneeling : Bending legs at knee to come to a rest or knee or knees.

Physical Demand Requirements:

Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

If a patient is unable to function independently, a mechanical/assistive device and/or additional personnel must be utilized. If an object requires lifting > 50 lbs., additional equipment/personnel must also be utilized.

Visual Acuity Requirements:

Ability to read pertinent printed materials and distinguish colors.

Ability to include inspection during patient assessment.

Ability to accurately read measurements on patient-related equipment (i.e. thermometers, BP gauges, glucometers, IV pumps, computer monitor displays).

Work requires the accurate use of sharps and other equipment to perform nursing assessment and provide treatment to patients.

Intellectual/Emotional Requirements:

Adaptability to performing a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure.

Adaptability to situations involving the interpretation of feelings, ideas, or facts in terms of personal viewpoint.

Adaptability to influencing people in their opinions, attitudes, or judgments about ideas or things.

Adaptability to making generalizations, evaluations, or decisions based on sensory or judgmental criteria.

Adaptability to making generalizations, evaluations, or decisions based on measurable or verifiable criteria.

Adaptability to dealing with people beyond giving and receiving instructions.

Adaptability to performing under stress when confronted with emergency, critical, unusual, or dangerous situations; or situations in which working speed and sustained attention are make-or-break aspects of the job.

Adaptability to accepting responsibility for the direction, control, or planning of an activity.

Adaptability to maintain both a high standard of courtesy and cooperation in dealing with co-workers, patients and visitors, and satisfactory job performance despite the stress of a medical work environment.

Equipment/Tools:

Standard medical and nursing equipment and special equipment found in the assigned area.

Working Conditions:

Employees in this job classification have been identified as having the likelihood of occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, therefore, are included in OSHA Exposure Control Plan with all its specifications for preventing contact with the above materials. Employees in this job classification have also been identified as having the likelihood of exposure to sharps, glass containers, and hazardous chemicals.