Health Technician (Dietetic)

Job Title

Health Technician (Dietetic)

Job Description

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Handles patient meal service orders, and enters meal orders into Dietetics Software system.
• Provides professional and courteous customer service via telephone, e-mail, and in-person.
• Collaborates with Dietitians regarding Food/Drug Interactions, notifying clinical staff of potential issues with meal service and delivery.
• Interprets and processes diet orders.
• Prints, prepares, and reviews meal tickets.
• Triages calls from inpatient units or outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient meal trays or nourishments.
• Retrieves computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery.
• Provides basic-level education and information on therapeutic diets.
• Correctly interprets diet activity and patient information, to ensure meals trays contain food items adhering to patient requests and preferences, and current therapeutic diet order.
• Communicates patient concerns with registered dietitian or dietetic technician.
• Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements.
• Uses a computer to record, retrieve and print recipes, menus, and inventory reports.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Designated Drug-Testing Position: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Work Schedule: Varies, Full time

Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/ PD99796S

Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. Requires long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone, and writing. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Incumbent is subject to periods continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds.

Work Environment: Work is performed in a hospital and involves some exposure to contagious diseases. The employee must observe ergonomics pertaining to working in an office setting with electrical and stationary equipment. Employee must be alert to wet floors, gas, steam, electrical equipment, and general safety precautions including correct lifting techniques in all potential work areas. Discomfort may exist due to changes in temperature and/or humidity. Standard precautions may necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in situations of potential exposure.

US Department of Veterans Affairs