Lead Clinical Dietitian

Job Summary

The Lead Clinical Dietitian serves as a senior representative in the patient care nutritional care activities. This position will provide guidance and be an integral resource to the Clinical Dietitian staff and food delivery systems of the department.

The Lead Clinical Dietitian will also have direct patient care responsibility, providing high quality nutritional care to patients in the hospital, clinics, and related entities (Hospice, clinics, dialysis etc.). This will include, but is not limited to examinations, assessments and/or diet counseling-instructions for patients/families on assigned units. Assessments will be documented electronically in the Medical Record. Other duties include research, teaching, and community service.

• Supervises and provides oversight to the Clinical Dietitian staff.
• Develops standards and monitoring of clinical dietetic performance, including chart audits.
• Reviews departmental workload and assigns work or changes assignments according to patient load and staff availability.
• Provides or arranges for training and skills development of staff.
• Coordinates the work of the Food & Nutrition department with other departments, units, or sections for efficiency and optimal service to patients.
• Orients new Clinical Dietitian staff.
• Maintains professional competency and skills required for professional practice.

• Utilizes the Nutrition Care Process and Evidence Based Practice Guidelines to provide nutrition care to various patient populations.
• Completes nutrition assessments and physician consults and develops nutrition diagnoses.
• Recommends appropriate diet prescriptions and interventions, calculates nutrient intake data and enteral tube feeding and TPN/PPN formulas. Ensures that patients receive the appropriate nutritional support.
• Assesses learning needs and provides nutrition education to patients and families.
• Provides nutrition counseling in the outpatient Family Health Center.
• Monitors the effectiveness of nutrition care provided and revises care plans as needed.
• Liaison between Nursing, Medical Staff, and other support services i.e., speech, OT, case management.
• Relates information on patients to food production staff and Nutrition Aides. Provides in-service education when needed.
• Educate physicians, nurses, and other professionals regarding medical nutrition therapy.
• Documentation of all initial and follow-up assessments, instructions, and counseling in patients’ electronic medical record.
• Functions as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team. Participate in multidisciplinary rounds to communicate interventions and promote collaborative patient care.
• Exhibits positive customer service skills and responds to patient, family, and visitor concerns.
• Participates in nutrition education projects for staff and the community. Serves as a preceptor for Dietetic Students and orients new staff members.
• Attend or perform continuing education to maintain registration.
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

(1) The individual must have earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent and fulfilled each of the following criteria:
(a) Completed a didactic program in dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), formerly known as the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE).
(b) Completed an ACEND accredited or approved supervised practice program. Supervised practice programs are post-baccalaureate degree programs that provide supervised practice experiences which meet the eligibility requirements and accreditation standards of ACEND, formally known as CADE. Completion of a coordinated program in dietetics fulfills the requirements of a supervised practice program. Time spent in a dietetic internship or supervised practice program does not qualify as creditable experience.

1-2 years as a Registered Dietitian Preferred