Dietitian (Clinical)

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - Must be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing branch of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA)
• Exception for GS-07 and GS-09 Only: Dietitians who do not possess the RDN/RD credential
• Non-credentialed Dietitians who otherwise meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below - but do not possess the RDN credential - may be given a full-time temporary appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)
• May only be appointed at the GS-07 or GS-09 level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential
• Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following:
• Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent
• Completed an ACEND accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam
• A list of ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory
• Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements

Requirements

Grade Determinations:

• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Dietitian (Clinical) - GS-07: Experience or Education None beyond the basic requirements
• Dietitian (Clinical) - GS-09: Experience At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level OR Education Master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs
• Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements
• Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care
• Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g. - assessment - diagnosis - intervention - monitoring and evaluation)
• Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes
• Ability to develop patient-centered goals
• Ability to collect data for performance improvement studies
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders
• Dietitian (Clinical) - GS-11: Experience At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs
• Skill in delivering patient care using the NCP (e.g. - assessment - diagnosis - intervention - monitoring and evaluation)
• Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes
• Skill in developing patient-centered goals
• Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies
• Skill in collaborating with stakeholders
• Ability to comply with various accrediting - regulatory and agency authorities

Responsibilities

Duties of this position include - but are not limited to:

• Conducts nutrition assessments for patients with lower acuity using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP) - including nutrition focused physical examinations - to establish a nutrition diagnosis and determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition
• Develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to address the nutrition diagnosis - evaluates and monitors the effectiveness and outcomes of MNT interventions
• Modifies the plan as needed to achieve positive patient outcomes
• Documents MNT in the medical record using the Assessment - Diagnosis - Intervention - Monitoring - Evaluation (ADIME) format
• Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions
• Identifies patients in need of nutritional support and recommends the appropriate mode of support - communicating appropriately with the health care team
• Actively participates in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings
• Completes care plans/Minimum Data Set (MOS) within established time frames
• Affirms educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups that is tailored to the Veteran(s)
• Maintains productivity standards
• Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters using approved systems
• Manages clinic grids to maximize access to nutrition services
• Ensures both virtual and face-to-face modalities of are available to meet the needs of patients
• Participates in service-level strategic planning and implementation of new initiatives - policies - procedures - and goals
• Supports service-level performance improvement activities to include development of measures - data collection - data evaluation - and initiation corrective actions
• Complies with The Joint Commission requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care
• May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment

Pay

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Schedule

Telework: Not available

Benefits

Virtual: This is not a virtual position