Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Key Responsibilities:

• Nutritional Care and Assessment:

  • Conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments for all new and existing residents.

  • Monitor residents with significant weight changes, wounds, pressure injuries, malnutrition, and other high-risk nutritional needs.

  • Assess residents' medical history, lab values, medications, food and fluid intake, and potential swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).

• Care Planning and Intervention:

  • Develop and implement individualized nutrition care plans that address each resident's specific needs, preferences, and medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders).

  • Prescribe therapeutic diets and dietary supplements, as permitted by state law.

  • Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team—including physicians, nurses, speech-language pathologists, and social workers—to coordinate comprehensive patient care.

• Food Service and Operations:

  • Supervise the dietary department and collaborate with the food service director to ensure meals and snacks are nutritionally adequate, palatable, and safe.

  • Participate in menu planning and review for nutritional adequacy and resident preferences.

  • Conduct sanitation audits of the kitchen and provide in-service education to dietary staff on therapeutic diets, food textures, and safety protocols.

• Documentation and Compliance:

  • Maintain accurate and detailed documentation of resident assessments, care plans, and progress in the electronic health record (EHR).

  • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations concerning food and nutrition services in a long-term care setting.

  • Participate in care plan meetings and contribute to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) process, particularly in relation to nutritional and swallowing status.

• Education and Counseling:

  • Provide nutrition education and counseling to residents and their families.

  • Train nursing and dietary staff on nutritional policies, procedures, and best practices for resident feeding.

• Continuous Quality Improvement:

  • Monitor quality indicators related to nutrition, such as weight loss and malnutrition rates, and participate in facility quality improvement initiatives.

  • Stay current with the latest food and nutritional science research and guidelines.

Qualifications:

• Education: A graduate degree in Nutrition or Dietetics from an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited program is required for new RDNs.

• Certification: Must be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in good standing with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

• Licensure: State licensure or certification as a Dietitian, as required by law.

• Experience: Previous experience in a long-term care, skilled nursing, or other clinical setting is highly preferred.

• Skills and Attributes:

  • Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.

  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

  • Compassionate and empathetic approach to patient care.

  • Proficiency with electronic medical records (EMR) and nutrition analysis software.

  • Strong organizational and time-management abilities.