Registered Dietitian, Inpatient (On Call, Days)

About the role

To assess nutritional needs of patients, develop and implement Medical Nutrition Therapy, provide nutrition consultation to physicians, and evaluate effectiveness of nutrition interventions. Work with Food Service staff to coordinate food with diet orders and establish quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Assess nutrition needs of patients based upon age-specific needs and make nutrition recommendations by analyzing diet history, evaluating for overt signs of malnutrition, interpreting lab values and medications, and calculating nutrient requirements based on disease state and individual needs; results measured by relief of symptoms, changes in lab values, and changes in physical condition.
• Develop nutrition care plans and establish treatment goals based upon age-specific needs of the patients.
• Implement dietary modifications and provide follow-up to monitor adequacy, effectiveness, and tolerance to all forms of nutrition including food, tube feedings, and intravenous nutrition; results measured by meeting treatment goals.
• Communicate nutritional care data and recommendations for modifications based upon age-specific needs through written records, collaboration with physicians, allied health providers, peers, and members; results measured by changes in patient management based on recommendations.
• Counsel, motivate, and teach patients and families the recommended dietary treatment based upon age-specific needs and convince them to alter eating and lifestyle behaviors; results measured by patient compliance with recommended modifications in diet.
• Maintain quality of care by participating in quality improvement activities and programs, responding to patient concerns regarding food and diet restrictions, and reviewing menus for conformance to dietary prescriptions.
• Participate in peer review and quality studies to ensure alignment with standards of practice, scope of practice, and evidence-based medical nutrition therapy.
• Provide medical staff/allied health providers and members with current information on diet therapy, food products, and nutritional supplements and community nutrition programs through evaluation, provision, and development as necessary of appropriate educational material and advice; results measured by satisfying providers and members with the requested information.

Requirements

• Minimum six (6) months as a clinical dietitian or successful completion of a dietetic internship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition or Dietetics.
• Dietitian License (Oregon).
• National Provider Identifier required at hire.
• Registered Dietitian from Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Additional Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of clinical nutrition as related to disease for adult (including geriatric) patients.
• Understanding of and ability to apply Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics standards of practice.
• Effective time management skills, effective communication skills, problem-solving and mathematical skills.
• Ability to evaluate nutrition education materials and make recommendations for changes.
• Ability to modify basic nutrition treatment regimens to individual patient needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum one (1) year or more as a clinical dietitian providing medical nutrition therapy.
• Healthcare experience in clinical dietetics and/or healthcare foodservice.
• Working knowledge of healthcare food and nutrition operations.
• Basic knowledge of system resources available for nutrition care.
• Understanding of and ability to apply The Joint Commission and Medicare Standards for the inpatient setting.
• Basic knowledge of enteral and parenteral nutrition products and treatment practices.
• Thorough knowledge of clinical nutrition as related to disease for pediatric patients.

Schedule

Variable including holidays and weekends.