Registered Dietician Per Diam

About the role

Daily, provides ongoing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) care for entire hospital inpatient census, through screening, prioritizing, assessing, and recommending interventions.

Adapts daily workflow to accommodate fluctuations in patient load due to daily census variations, consults, acuity, staffing challenges.

Develops and implements a plan of care for patients based on an expert assessment of life cycle- and diagnosis-specific nutritional needs.

Assesses patients' nutritional status through medical history and laboratory data, patient interviews, and physical examinations.

Prescribes enteral and parenteral nutrition support orders by assessing the patient and calculating macronutrients and/or micronutrients, fluid, and electrolytes.

Evaluates patient tolerance and effectiveness of formulas and manages initiation or modifications to enteral/parenteral regimen orders.

Demonstrates extensive knowledge of specialized nutrition support (parenteral and enteral) and collaborates with physicians and pharmacy to manage and order Total Parental Nutrition (TPN) infusions for critically ill patients.

Prescribes orders for therapeutic diets, oral nutrition supplements, and nutrition support regimens, including vitamins/minerals, fluid management, and lab work as indicated within the scope of the Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) protocol.

Utilizes order-writing privileges to implement nutrition related orders.

Collaborates with Food and Nutrition patient services team to ensure patient intake aligns with nutrition prescription and interdisciplinary plan of care.

Partners with site patient services team to identify and recommend appropriate clinical nutrition formula and supplement substitutions during supply chain disruptions to reduce and eliminate significant disruptions to patient care.

Partners with physicians, nursing, and nutrition patient services to ensure diet restrictions, allergy restrictions, supplement preferences and tube feedings are consistent with patient needs and personal, religious, and cultural preferences.

Develops patient-specific menus for patients admitted with complex dietary needs (e.g., multiple food allergies, numerous diet restrictions, and/or low-use, high risk diet orders).

Identifies and documents billable nutrition diagnosis with supporting documentation.

Provides medical nutrition therapy education to patients identified with moderate or severe malnutrition to improve patient outcomes and to positively impact inpatient readmission rates.

Routinely documents elements of the Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS) for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Nutrition Electronic Quality Indicators.

Participates in Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) efforts to ensure nutrition care is safe and effective for patients.

Maintains regulatory readiness.

Supports department clinical initiatives to ensure compliance with safety initiatives, policies, and procedures, DNV regulations, and department standards.

Qualifications

Licensure, Registration, And/or Certification Required:

• Dietitian certification issued by the Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR)
• Dietitian (RD) registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Licensure by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IL only)
• Certification by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (WI only)

Education Required:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree (if CDR registration eligibility is obtained prior to January 1, 2024) or Minimum of Graduate Degree (master’s, practice doctorate, or doctoral) (if initial CDR registration is obtained on or after January 1, 2024)
• Successful completion of Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited supervised practice program.

Experience Required:

• Didactic experience in clinical nutrition from an ACEND approved program.

Skills & Abilities

Advanced knowledge in clinical nutrition and Nutrition Focused Physical Exams.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Excellent organization, decision-making, time management, and problem-solving skills.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, reach above shoulders and twist frequently during the work shift.

Will occasionally be required to lift 25 pounds.

Must have functional vision, hearing, speech, and touch.

May need to work remotely and assist other sites as needed.

Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Exposed to a normal office environment.