Registered Dietitian

Job Description

A Registered Dietitian (RD) provides comprehensive and personalized nutrition care and medical nutrition therapy to a variety of oncology/hematology patients served by Tennessee Oncology. RD will be available to provide services via telehealth or in-person sessions to cancer patients across the continuum of the cancer experience, most commonly for cancer patients receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

RD will be operating on a referral basis only for assessing patient’s nutritional status and intervening with appropriate nutrition therapy and/or education to improve, maintain, or optimize nutritional status. The RD is an integral member of a multidisciplinary oncology team.

Essential Functions

• Analyze subjective and objective information to define nutrition problems and goals.
• Provide individualized nutrition assessments, counseling on dietary issues and healthy eating habits, and nutrition recommendations based on patient’s specific therapies, nutrition needs, budget, and tastes.
• Work closely with patient’s family and caregivers.
• Establish short- and long-term goals with each patient.
• Collaborate with other health professionals (RN, Nurses, APPs, MDs) as appropriate and develop nutrition education and resources as needed.
• Educate patients, families and caregivers on all aspects of diet and lifestyle and communicate and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team on patient issues and nutrition health recommendations.
• Assess, implement, and teach enteral and parenteral nutritional support when needed.
• Document clinical assessments, teach nutrition group classes, participate in company-wide and community events, develop nutrition education materials for print, digital, and social media.
• Career Development
• Coordinate care with treatment offices and supportive services including in-home services. Follow-up with patient’s nutritional care throughout the continuum of care as appropriate.
• Evaluate effectiveness of nutritional sessions and impact on client’s health outcomes.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for providers, staff and patients/family requesting nutrition information and resources.
• Participate in continuous quality and performance improvement projects, initiatives and development activities.
• Document patient progress after each nutrition consultation.

Education And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Dietetics or Nutrition required.
• MS/MPH in field related to job requirements preferred.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience as a professional nutritionist in an oncology setting preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Requirements

• Certification as a Registered Dietitian by the Commission of Dietetic Registration required.
• Current Board-Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO) by Commission of Dietetic Registration preferred.
• Member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Physical Activity Required: None
• Amount of time: Less than 1/3 (Occasionally)
• Standing: X
• Walking: X
• Sitting: X
• Fingering or manual dexterity: X
• Repetitive finger motion: X
• Lifting or exerting force: Up to 10 pounds
• Reaching or stretching: X
• Climbing or balancing: X
• Crouching or stooping: X
• Speaking: X
• Hearing: X
• Seeing (with correction): X