Registered Dietitian

Purpose of Your Job Position

The primary purpose of your position is to plan, organize, develop, and direct the overall clinical operation of the Food Services Department in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards guidelines, and regulations, that govern the Facility, and as may be directed by the Administrator, to assure that quality nutritional services are being provided on a daily basis.

Delegation of Authority

As Dietitian you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.

Job Function

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Administrative Functions
• Assume the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability of directing all aspects of the Clinical Nutrition Department.
• Completes and updates dietary assessments as part of the comprehensive resident assessment process. Assessments identify residents' current needs for dietary services and those residents at nutritional risk.
• Plan, develop, organize, implement, evaluate, and direct the Facility's Clinical programs, and activities.
• Coordinates with food service activities and other related departments (i.e., Nursing, Environmental, Activities, Social Services, etc.), as necessary.
• Develop, implement, and maintain written departmental policies that apply to your area. Ensure staff is aware of and follows established policies.
• Be responsible for obtaining, maintaining, and filing material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for hazardous chemicals used or stored in the Food Services Department. Ensure staff is trained in the use of MSDSs.
• Perform administrative duties such as completing necessary forms, reports, evaluations, studies, etc., that may apply to your area.
• Review the department's policies, procedure manuals, diet manual, etc., at least annually for revisions. Make recommendations to the Administrator.
• Make written oral reports and recommendations to the Administrator or Director of Nursing, as necessary or required, concerning the operation of the Clinical Department.
• Review and develop a plan of correction for any clinical deficiencies noted during state and federal surveys and provide a written copy of such plan to the Administrator for his or her approval.
• Submit accident or incident reports to the Human Resources Delegate within twenty-four (24) hours of their occurrence.
• Develop and implement a food service organization structure.
• Develop, implement, and maintain an ongoing quality assurance program for the Food Services Department pertaining to your area.
• Verifies resident information daily regarding new admissions, diet order changes, room changes, and daily census.
• Assist in planning the clinical portion of the resident's discharge plan.
• Participate in the Facility's state and federal surveys (inspections), as directed.
• Assist in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job related dietary functions to ensure that tasks involving potential exposure to blood and body fluids are properly identified and recorded.
• Assist in developing methods for determining quality and quantity of food served.
• Ensure that charted clinical assessments and progress notes are timely, with a descriptive plan for any nutrition interventions.
• Ensure that menus are maintained and filed in accordance with current industry standards of practice as well as established policies and procedures. Sign all extensions and menu changes.
• Maintain an adequate liaison with families and residents.
• Assist in planning regular and special diet menus as prescribed by the attending physician.
• Prepares standard recipes and daily production sheets from each menu cycle for dietary staff.
• Assist the Food Services Director in planning menus, work schedules, etc., as required.
• Review therapeutic and regular diet plans and menus to assure they comply with the physician's orders.
• Review the dietary requirements of each resident admitted to the Facility and assist the attending physician in planning for the resident's prescribed diet plan.
• Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments, in planning food service programs and activities.

Committee Functions

• Serve on, participate in, and attend various committees of the Facility, as required and as appointed by the Administrator.
• Provide written and/or oral reports of the clinical programs and activities, as required or as may be directed by such committee(s).
• Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to Food and Nutrition.

Staff Development

• Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for the Food and Nutrition Services Department.
• Works cooperatively with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement, and evaluate plans of care. Communicates resident concerns and responses to interventions to interdisciplinary team members and direct care staff.
• Attends care conferences.

Safety and Sanitation

• Assist in developing safety standards for the Food Services Department.
• Conducts sanitation compliance rounds in food service preparation areas and storage areas.
• Assist with the Facility's food service policies and procedures identify the safety precautions and equipment to use when performing tasks that could result in bodily injury.
• Assist in the development of the Facility's emergency feeding plan.
• Assists with ensuring that food service work areas are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
• Assist with ensuring that all food storage rooms, preparation areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

Assessment and Care Plan Functions

• Participate in completing, coding, and revising of the Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS) to ensure the resident's dietary needs are met.
• Using the Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS) and other authorized Facility assessments, develop a written dietary plan of care that identifies the dietary problems and needs of the resident and the goals to be accomplished for each dietary problem and need identified. Review goals for modifications, as necessary.
• Conducts regular meal observations, reviews records, and interviews staff and residents to ensure that all residents are receiving food in the amount, type consistency, and frequency to maintain usual weight and nutritional values. If food intake is inadequate or resident's nutritional status is poor, adjust menus to meet caloric and nutrient intake needed of the resident. Works closely with nursing staff to identify and to resolve problems.
• Interview residents, interested family members, legal representatives, and significant others to obtain and update information needed to develop individualized dietary plans of care, to accommodate individual needs and preferences and to protect and promote residents' right. Encourage the resident and family to participate in the development and review of the resident's assessment and plan of care.
• Identifies ways to accommodate resident's choices, preferences, and customary routines in matters of eating and diet. Includes these approaches in plan of care and gives this information to direct care staff.
• Assist in the scheduling of assessments and care plans to be presented and discussed at each care plan committee meeting.
• Ensure that all food service personnel are aware of changes in the resident's care plan when dietary needs are modified or changed.
• Review nurses' notes to determine if the dietary care plan is being followed. Discuss problem areas with the Director of Nursing Services.
• Ensure that care plans identify any special equipment and utensils the resident may need (e.g., plate guard, enlarged silverware handles, etc.) to promote independence in eating.
• Be sure that substitute foods of similar nutritional value are provided to residents who refuse foods served.
• Assist in planning mealtimes appropriate to the resident's needs and wishes.

Budget and Planning Functions

• Assist with Forecast needs of the Food and Nutrition Department.
• Assist in preparing and planning the Food Service Department's budget for Supplement.
• Make departmental adjustments in order to conform to the approved supplement budget.

Resident Rights

• Monitor food services to assure that all residents' dietary needs are being met.
• Ensure that all food service personnel are knowledgeable of the resident's rights, including the right of refusal.
• Review complaints and grievances made by the resident and make a written or oral report to the Administrator indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance.
• Maintain a written record of the resident's complaints and/or grievances that indicates the action taken to resolve the complaint and the current status of the complaint.
• Must adhere to all HIPAA requirements.

Working Conditions

• Works in office areas as well as throughout the facility's food service areas (i.e., dining rooms, resident rooms, activity rooms, etc.).
• Is involved with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies and personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• Communicates with the medical staff, nursing staff, and other department supervisors.

Education

Must possess, as a minimum, a bachelor's degree in Dietetics from an accredited college or university. Is registered with the American Dietetic Association.

Experience

Must have one (1) year clinical experience in an institutional health care setting including identification of clinical needs, planning, and implementation of clinical programs.

Specific Requirements

• Must possess a current, unencumbered active license to practice as a dietitian in this state.
• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
• Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
• Must be knowledgeable of dietary practices and procedures as well as the laws, regulations and guidelines governing dietary functions in the Facility.
• Must possess leadership ability and willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other personnel.
• Must have the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies, procedures, etc., of the Food Services Department.
• Must maintain the care and use of supplies, equipment, etc., and maintain the appearance of food service areas; must perform regular inspections of food service areas for sanitation, order, safety, and proper performance of assigned duties.
• Must possess the ability to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing food service practices.
• Must be able to read and interpret food service cost reports, financial data, etc.

Physical and Sensory Requirements

(With or Without a Reasonable Accommodation)

• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Must possess sight and hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately so that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
• Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the Facility that include a medical and physical examination.
• Based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Guidelines for Nursing Homes Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders and the American Conference Governmental Industrial Hygienists' Threshold Limit Values for Lifting the Facility has identified that this job may require the lifting of residents, equipment, or other objects. Accordingly, this job may require a minimum of 5 pounds and a maximum of 35 pounds lifting, periodically and or as needed.

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