Clinical Dietitian II - Outpatient Pediatric Specialty

Description

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Summary

The Clinical Dietitian II works closely with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to coordinate evidence-based medical nutrition therapy that is integrated and compatible with the patient-focused medical goals. The Clinical Dietitian II provides professional outpatient nutrition services to patients referred from N.C. Children’s Hospital pediatric subspecialty teams and is dedicated exclusively to caring for children's health care needs with feeding and swallowing disorders, as well as children with complex nutritional needs discharged from the neonatal care unit.

Responsibilities

• Affirms nutritional needs using standardized practice and critical thinking.
• Identifies nutrient requirements according to age, disease, and individual needs for assigned patients.
• Demonstrates clinical and age-specific competency as evidenced by clinical competency tools, forms, chart audits, tests, observation, etc.
• Acts as a resource person for the clinical team assigned and serves as a liaison between other medical specialties and ancillary services.
• Achieves compliance with the Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), or other accrediting agency standards to continuously improve the safety and quality of care to the public and to the organization’s performance improvement.
• Attends medical rounds, patient care conferences, and continuing education/staff meetings.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives and cross-training.
• Develops, implements, and monitors nutrition care plans and participates in the coordination of care and discharging process.
• Provides education using established behavioral change techniques.
• May lead, direct, and manage the work assigned to others within the department.
• Documents all aspects of nutrition care in the medical record.
• Complies with regulatory agency standards as evidenced by timely completion of clinical nutrition workload as evidenced by chart audits and organizational / regulatory agency surveys.
• Creates/updates evidence-based protocols in area of clinical practice and trains others in order to ensure medical nutrition therapy practices are current and meet established guidelines.
• Identifies needs for professional development and mentors others in area of clinical practice.
• Participates in the training of clinical nutrition interns by acting as preceptor throughout the year as assigned.
• Participates in clinical research, on-the-job training, or QI projects as pertains to clinical practice area.
• Serves on cross-functional quality teams.

Other Information

• Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited or approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Master’s in related Dietitian field for new graduates becoming licensed after 1/1/2024. Completion of a Coordinated Program in Dietetics or Dietetic Internship accredited by ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) of no less than 900 hours (1200 hours for graduates of programs beginning 2012).
• Licensure/Certification Requirements: Registered Dietitian (RD) by The Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR). Licensed as a Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) by the North Carolina Board of Dietetics and Nutrition. (Certain positions may allow licensure to be obtained within one (1) month from date of hire). If less than five (5) years of experience, certification in area of clinical specialty (e.g., CDCES, CNSC, CNSD, CSR, CSP, CSSD, CSGN, CLE, BCLE, etc.) or advanced degree or approved to practice in specialized roles where certification does not exist is required. (Certain positions may allow specialty certification to be obtained within six (6) months from date of hire or next offered exam date for those who have obtained educational preparation for certification).
• Professional Experience Requirements: Three (3) years as an RD with two (2) of those years' experience in area of clinical specialty or three (3) years nutrition experience in a tertiary care, teaching hospital and certification in specialty area is required. or Five (5) years of experience as an RD. Must maintain certification until RD has at least 5 years of experience (or longer if required for certain positions i.e. Nutrition Support Team) or have at least five (5) years of experience as an RD.
• Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements: Knowledge of the Nutrition Care Process and ability to apply all steps of the process. Comprehensive knowledge and application of medical nutrition therapy. Understands and can implement Motivational Interviewing. Critical thinking to integrate facts, informed opinion, active listening, and observations. Decision making, problem solving, and collaboration. Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form to patients, public, hospital and medical staff, and physicians. Ability to function independently on assigned patient care units. Ability to counsel and educate others. General knowledge of nutrient analysis, word processing, and spreadsheet software.