Consultant Dietician

POSITION SUMMARY

• To plan therapeutic diets and implement preparation and service of meals for patients in hospital. Responsible for the provision of high quality, cost effective medical nutrition therapy to patients of all ages through an interdisciplinary health care team approach.

• Responsible for the development of departmental policies and procedures that support the provision of nutritional care.

• Serves as the clinical nutrition resources to patients, physicians and staff.

• Participates in educational activities and committees as needed.

• Maintains effective communication with medical, nursing and administrative personnel concerning nutritional care of patients.

• Directs, coordinates and supervises activities of kitchen supervisors, diet technicians, diet office staff and food service workers.

• Implements the clinical activities such as nutrition assessments/reassessments, screening and nutrition care plans, and patient education and counseling as per department policies and procedures.

• Coordinates the quality improvement activities in the performance of patient care, monitors and evaluates the clinical activities and takes appropriate action to improve care and maintain quality of programs as appropriate.

• Approves the diet manual and all menus and menu changes.

• Develops and implements the department’s orientation and continuing education program.

• Participates in committee activities concerned with nutritional care.

• Enforces compliance with standards set by regulatory agencies (e.g., AHCA, AOA and JCAHO).

• In the absence of the Director of Nutritional Services, responsible for the operation of the department.

1. Consults with other health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patients.

• Review and revise the diet manual, evaluating diets for appropriateness.

• Ensures diet manual is approved annually.

• Updates diet information as needed to comply.

2. Formulates menus for therapeutic diets based on medical and physical condition of patients and integrates patient menus with basic institutional menus.

• Ensure patient menus follow dietary guidelines as set forth in the approved Diet Manual.

• Annually revises patient menus for variety, layout, food preparation, presentation and cost.

• Maintains nutritional analysis for all diets to reflect percent of recommended dietary allowances.

3. Keeps abreast of dietetic profession.

• Maintains current registration with Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association.

• Maintains current Florida license as Dietician/Nutritionist.

• Participates in professional organizations.

• Attends educational seminars, utilizes learning resources and networking.

4. Implements provision of quality nutrition care for patients.

• Conducts nutrition assessment/reassessment according to established policies and procedures.

• Performs patient/family education in a timely manner.

• Documents patient’s nutritional care in the medical records book according to established policies and procedures.

• Implements appropriate medical nutrition therapy and evaluates and documents the same.

• Monitors through meal rounds patient’s food acceptance, intake and tolerance.

5. Monitors patient’s meal tray service for compliance to diet prescription, guidelines and quality standards.

• Performs tray evaluations regularly.

• Implements portion control guidelines.

• Implements dietary restrictions for food preparation.

• Ensures appropriate holding temperatures of food in the tray line.

6. Maintains effective communication with the medical staff to ensure quality nutrition care and services for patients.

• Communicates effectively with nursing staff through memos, and committees regarding patient’s nutritional status and services.

• Participates in meetings as needed.

• Fosters open communication with other departments through positive relationships and interaction.

7. Coordinates a prompt and efficient patient meal service.

• Ensures diet orders are processed appropriately and in a timely manner.

• Monitors patient meal service for timeliness and accuracy.

• Ensures that problems with food preparation, patient’s preferences and complaints, unclear diet order are addressed in a timely and…