Clinical Dietician

Rockaway is Now Hiring for a Clinical Dietician!

Position Statement:

The purpose of your job position is to oversee the dietary department and provide nutritional/clinical care to Residents in accordance with the established facility policy and procedures, Federal and New York State Department of Health guidelines. You will be working in collaboration and through delegation with the Food Service Director to ensure that the overall kitchen operation and kitchen personnel are being directed in accordance with established facility policy and procedures, Federal and State guidelines. Additionally, you will be working in collaboration with members of the health care team to ensure that the Residents maintain acceptable parameters of nutritional status, unless the Resident’s clinical condition demonstrates that this is not possible, or the Resident preferences indicate otherwise.

Qualifications:

• Holds a bachelor’s in nutrition with 1 year of long-term experience.
• Holds a bachelor’s or a higher degree granted by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States (or an equivalent foreign degree) with completion of the academic requirements of a program in nutrition or dietetics accredited by an appropriate national accreditation organization recognized for this purpose.
• Has completed at least 900 hours of supervised dietetics practice under the supervision of a registered dietitian or nutrition professional.
• Must be able to read, write, understand and speak the English Language.
• Must be able to follow oral and written instructions.
• Must be able to use a computer.
• Must be able to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel and the public.
• Must have patience, tact and be able to work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset and possibly hostile residents.
• Must be able to meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility which include a medical and physical examination.
• Must be able to demonstrate competency in carrying out the function of the food and nutrition department by passing competency evaluations conducted upon hire and annually
  
  
  

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, at least 1 hour without interruptions or breaks.
• Must be able to walk/move around the facility with easy.
• Must be able to sit, stand, bend, lift and move intermittently throughout the day.
• Must be able to work in warm environments.
• Must possess sight or hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
• Must be able and willing to help evacuate residents during emergency situations.
  
  
  

Duties and Responsibilities:

(This is not a complete outline of all your responsibilities, as there may be times where changes and additions may be made to

ensure that the department is functioning as needed to meet the residents’ needs.)

I) General Responsibilities for;

• The Kitchen Operation;
• Work with the facility’s Food Service Director/Food Service Supervisor, Diet Aids and other Clinical Dietitian to ensure that the Food and Nutrition department is operating as per established policy and procedures, Federal and State guidelines.
• Ensure that that the menus are developed in accordance with the established national guidelines.
• Conduct annual review of menus to ensure that; they are nutritionally adequate in meeting the therapeutic diet guidelines and that the food is appetizing and culturally appropriate for the resident population.
• Conduct annual review of the Facility’s Diet Manual to ensure that diets are in accordance with guidelines.
• Provide oversite and delegate to the Food Service Director/Food Service Supervisor the daily operations of the kitchen operations including but not limited to; providing educational training to the Dietary staff, ,moverseeing the budget and purchasing of food and supplies, food preparation, service and storage and review and revisions to the dietary policy and procedure manual as indicated.
• Attend and participate in in-service training programs for dietary staff.
• Implement and maintain an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to the department policies, procedures and to his/her job position and duties.
• Review department complaints and grievances from personnel, residents, family members and visitors and make written reports to the Administrative Team regarding actions taken for resolutions.
• Assist in maintaining infection control practices by identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine job related functions that may place personnel and others at risk for exposure and developing infection control procedures.
• Participate in the facility’s Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement programs.
• Develop, implement, and maintain an on-going quality assurance and performance improvement programs for the Food Service Department as required.
• Serve on, participate in, and attend various committees and meetings of the facility as required and appointed by the Administrator.
• Participate in the Facility’s survey process (Inspection Surveys) that are conducted by government agencies.
• Participate in developing and implementing plans of corrections for any Dietary related citations/deficiencies issues by government agencies.
• Conduct annual competency evaluations of Food Service Director and make necessary adjustments/corrections.
• Clinical Nutrition Functions; Determine the nutritional status of Residents through completion of nutritional assessments based on facility established policy and procedures and in accordance with the time frames outlined in the RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) via the facility established assessment tools. Determine the Residents nutritional and hydration risk factors. Assess/calculate the nutritional requirements based on nutritional assessments and risk factors using the established facility criteria. Established individualized nutrition intervention based on the assessed and requested needs of the Residents. Develop and maintain nutrition care plans to maintain or improve the nutritional status of residents. Actively collect, request and review; anthropometric data biochemical parameters and food/fluid intake of residents to ensure ongoing clinical monitoring of Residents’ nutritional status. Actively collaborate with the Residents/family members/legal representatives to established ongoing nutritional needs and plans.
  
  
  

Identify and recommend nutritional supplementation for Residents not meeting nutritional needs via

diet/intake.

Establish appropriate meal and snack times based on Residents’ needs and requests.

Review, assess and respond to monthly and weekly weight changes as indicated.

Attend weekly weigh committee meetings.

Ensure that follow-up monitoring and evaluation of Residents’ needs and risk factors are conducted as per

established policy and procedures.

For Residents in need of Tube Feeding, identify appropriate tube feeding formula product by using the

facility established formulary.

Participate in Residents’ care plan meetings and discussions.

Provide nutrition education to Residents/family members/legal representatives on admission and as

indicated thereafter.

Review therapeutic diets, menus with the Residents/ family members/legal representatives and offer

substitute foods items of similar nutritional value to Residents who wish to have alternatives.

Maintain accurate computer records related to Residents’ diet orders, food preferences, allergies, snacks,

room numbers, unit, meal locations, weight status and other nutrition information.

Monitor Residents during mealtimes to ensure proper meal service, consumption and satisfaction.

Communicate Residents’ nutritional status/needs and recommendations to appropriate team members

via established facility communication policy and procedures.

Perform other related duties and assignments as designated by Administrator.

Create and foster a work atmosphere and environment that promotes cooperation, respect, flexibility

among peers and dietary staff.

Maintain all professional licensure/certifications up to date.

Observe rules, policies and regulations with regards punctuality, appearance and professional attitude.

Attend and participate in facility wide in-service training programs.

II) General Safety and Sanitation Responsibilities;

Assure that FSD/Supervisor is monitoring dietary service personnel to assure that they are following

established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies by requesting weekly updated on safety

issues in the kitchen.

Assure that the FSD/Supervisor is ensuring that the dietary service work areas are maintained in a clean

sanitary manner by conducting random kitchen observations.

Assure that the FSD/Supervisor is ensuring that all food storage and preparation rooms are maintained in

a clean safe and sanitary manner by conducting random observations.

Assure that all dietary staff are in-serviced, by the FSD/Supervisor, on infection control and hazardous

chemical use on hire by reviewing in-service records.

Assure that all dietary personnel follow established departmental job breakdowns by ensuring that same

have been developed by the FSD.

Assure that all dietary service personnel participate in fire safety and disaster preparation drills by

reviewing in-service records.

Assist in implementing and maintaining procedures for reporting hazardous conditions, safe operation of

equipment and overall infection control by reviewing dietary policy and procedure manual annually.

III) General Responsibilities in Maintaining Residents’ Rights;

Maintain all Resident care information confidential.

Do not discuss Residents’ diet/health information in public areas.

Knock before entering a Resident’s room.

Encourage residents and legal representatives to participate in the dietary health care decision making

process.

Honor and assist residents in establishing and implementing their own health care plans.