Registered Dietitian (RD) PRN Day

Kindred Hospital Aurora is an all-private room, 37-bed long-term acute care hospital offering the same in-depth care you would receive in a traditional hospital, but for an extended recovery period. We partner with your physician and offer 24-hour clinical care seven days a week so you can start your journey to wellness. We are located in Aurora on the east side of the Denver metroplex at the junction of I-225 at 6th Avenue; specifically, on the 2nd floor of the Medical Center of Aurora North building. We are best known for our wound care program, successful pulmonary outcomes and ventilator patient management.

Job Summary

• Responsible for the planning and implementation of the nutrition care of the patients in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local standards and regulations, clinical guidelines, and policies and procedures
• Provides oversight in coordination with the Culinary Services Manager to ensure that safe and accurate food service is provided to the patients

Essential Functions

Leadership 

• Completes annual competency testing and maintains professional growth and development to maintain registration and licensure/certification
• Performs job based on applicable federal, state, and local regulations, company policies and procedures and evidenced based clinical guidelines
• Performs job within defined scope of practice
• Participates in the planning of the department budget
• Submits capital budget requests to the Controller/CFO
• Participates in developing and implementing policies and procedures related to nutritional care of the patient
• Participates in the hospital’s Performance Improvement program by conducting aggregating, trending and acting on data for key clinical nutrition indicators
• Annual QAPI department plan is developed with mandatory components. Monthly reports are taken to hospital committees as per facility policy
• Monitors quality assurance in the kitchen by ensuring quality measures are routinely done; spot checking logs for accuracy, ensures safe sanitary conditions in the kitchen by completing kitchen safety/sanitation audits and test tray audits per policy
• Participates in the survey process; instructs staff in matters of conduct and disclosure; always maintains a presence while surveyors are on site and directs the timely collection of information required by the survey team. Undertakes corrective action while survey is in progress if appropriate; works with other hospital departments to develop survey plan of correction as needed
• Services on various committees as required by company standards, regulations, and/or appointment by immediate supervisor

Direct Patient Care 

• Conducts initial and reassessments on all patients admitted to the hospital
• Ensure proper completion of documentation (assessments, care plans, education, discharge planning
• Prescribes nutrition therapy to meet estimated needs and monitors tolerance
• Provides ongoing reassessment to ensure optimal nutrition therapy is provided
• Participates with Interdisciplinary Team meetings to develop, implement, and monitor nutrition care plans
• Interviews patients, family members, legal representatives, and/or significant others, and staff to obtain diet history, food preferences, and other pertinent information needed to develop and/or update plan of care
• Advocates for patients to protect and promote patients’ rights and accommodate individual needs and cultural/religious preferences
• Involves the patient/family in planning objectives and goals for the patient
• Conducts nutrition education individually and in classes to patients, families, staff, and community as appropriate
• Conducts meal rounds to ensure that patients are receiving therapy that meets patient’s needs
• Coordinates with Culinary Service Manager to resolve patients’ concerns or dissatisfactions with diet or meal service

Menu Management (if Culinary Services Manager is not a Registered Dietitian, then RD provides the following oversight)

• Monitors Culinary Services Manger’s oversight of the menu management process
• Reviews and approves all patient menus in the facility; must approve any substitutions provided to patients
• Reviews and approves all nutritional data posted in the café
• Provides oversight for the transcription of diet orders in the department to ensure accuracy
• Ensures all patient snack orders are checked against the diet order and distributed to patients timely
• Provides oversight as needed to assure proper ordering of food and supplies to ensure proper execution of diets and snacks
• Provides training to Manager and staff as needed on therapeutic diets and menus, food allergens, or other related topics

Other 

• Works cooperatively as a team member with co-workers in all departments of the Hospital
• Communicates issues, concerns, and opportunities for improvement to immediate supervisor routinely
• Stays abreast of federal regulations for LTAC’s and food safety, as well as state- regulations for that in which he/she works and incorporates into his/her work as needed
• Monitor’s industry trends, new products, current research, and new programs in foodservice and incorporates into his/her work as needed
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age appropriate
• care to the patient population served
• Attends all mandatory in-services and staff meetings
• Maintains current licensure/certification for position
• Consistently follows departmental and hospital Health, Safety, Security and Hazardous Materials policies and procedures

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities/Expectations 

• Knowledge of evidenced based clinical nutrition guidelines
• Ability to be accurate, concise, and detail-oriented 
• Knowledge of quantity food production, safe food preparation and handling techniques
• Basic computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office, word-processing and spreadsheet software
• Must read, write and speak fluent English
• Must have good and regular attendance
• Approximate percent of time required to travel: 0% 
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Salary Range:  $25.62  - $32.49/Hour

ScionHealth has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit-eligible employees that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or related field 

Licenses/Certifications

• Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration
• License and/or certification from the State Licensing Board for Dietitians 

Experience 

• Two years’ experience in acute care hospital preferred
• Registered dietitians awaiting approval of State licensure/certification may practice under a Provisional Licensure if the State Licensing board allows
• Provision dietitians must have all documentation in a medical record co-signed by a state licensed dietitian
• Experience in acute clinical care, nutrition support, and disease-specific nutrition preferred