Dietitian (Clinical) Home Based Primary Care

About the role

Employees in this assignment serve as a full performance Dietitian (Clinical) providing Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) within the Clinical Section of NFS serving as the medical nutrition expert. They are autonomous in their work applying evidence‑based nutrition practice guidelines for all patients, including those with complex medical and nutritional needs, and coordinate nutritional care of Veterans with other health care providers, the Veteran, and the Veteran's caregiver.

Responsibilities

• Conducts comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP), including nutrition‑focused physical examinations, to establish a nutrition diagnosis and determine risk/degree of malnutrition.
• Develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to address the nutrition diagnosis, evaluates and monitors effectiveness and outcomes, and modifies the plan as needed.
• Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions, tailoring the diet prescription to each individual patient.
• Documents MNT in the medical record using the ADIME format (Assessment‑Diagnosis‑Intervention‑Monitoring‑Evaluation).
• Functions independently and accurately when record keeping.
• 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.
• Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups tailored to the Veteran(s).
• Utilizes virtual care technology to improve access to care.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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 the American Dietetic Association).

Current VHA Dietitians that qualify under the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements.

Physical Requirements: The majority of the work is sedentary, but prolonged walking is also involved. Work is performed in a hospital setting with regular and recurring exposure to contagious disease and various hazards from food processing equipment. This position also requires travel for more than 50 percent of the time.

Qualifications

Preferred Experience: Diabetic Education experience with 2‑3 years of outpatient setting.

Schedule

Work Schedule: Monday‑Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.