Dietitian (Clinical)

Summary

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System is looking to fill the vacancy for Clinical Dietitian. Clinical Dietitians coordinate nutritional care of Veterans with other health care providers - the Veteran - the Veteran's caregiver and the community. Clinical Dietitians learn to interpret research - apply whole health principles and develop patient-centered goals. They collaborate with the Food Operations Section to enhance the Veterans' dining experience and ensure patient satisfaction.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.) Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Registration
• All applicants must hold the RDN credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Note: Applicants who hold the RDN credential have met the education requirement (e.g
• bachelor's degree or higher) of CDR - as such this occupation is considered professional and scientific with a positive education requirement and the procedures in Part I - Chapter 4 of this Handbook will be followed when applying Veteran's preference
• Exception for Dietitians who do not possess the RDN credential
• Non-credentialed Dietitians who meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below - but do not possess the RDN credential - may be given a temporary full-time appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C.
• 7405(c)(2)
• Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college - university or foreign equivalent (refer to ii below)
• Completed an ACEND® accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN
• A list of ACEND® accredited programs is located on the ACEND® website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - college and/or university degrees earned outside the U.S and its territories must be evaluated by ACEND® and meet ACEND®'s International Dietitian Education standards which are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and competencies to sit for the CDR credentialing exam
• English Language Proficiency
• Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Grade Determinations: All individuals assigned to this occupation must meet all the basic qualification requirements defined in the specific assignment
• Dietitian (Clinical) - GS-11
• (1) Experience
• At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade
• (2) Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Skill in delivering patient care using the NCP (e.g. - assessment - diagnosis - intervention - monitoring and evaluation)
• Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes
• Skill in developing patient-centered goals
• Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies
• Skill in collaborating with stakeholders
• Ability to comply with various accrediting - regulatory and agency authorities
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• This position is being announced for GS-11 only
• Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.
  
  

Duties

• Duties and Responsibilities: Conducts nutrition assessments for patients with lower acuity using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP) - including nutrition focused physical examinations - to establish a nutrition diagnosis and determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition
• Develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to address the nutrition diagnosis - evaluates and monitors the effectiveness and outcomes of MNT interventions
• Modifies the plan as needed to achieve positive patient outcomes
• Documents MNT in the medical record using the Assessment - Diagnosis - Intervention - Monitoring - Evaluation (ADIME) format
• Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions
• 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
• Completes care plans/Minimum Data Set (MOS) within established time frames
• Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups that is tailored to the Veteran(s)
• Maintains productivity standards
• Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters using approved systems
• Manages clinic grids to maximize access to nutrition services
• Ensures both virtual and face-to-face modalities of are available to meet the needs of patients
• Participates in service-level strategic planning and implementation of new initiatives - policies - procedures - and goals
• Supports service-level performance improvement activities to include development of measures - data collection - data evaluation - and initiation corrective actions
• Complies with The Joint Commission requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care
• May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Situational (Ad-Hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 575-99529-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.