This position is for a Dietitian and is part of the PCS Nutrition and Food Service at the Richard L. Roudebush VAMC, Indianapolis, IN. Incumbent will serve as Clinical dietitian for the Indianapolis, IN location. This position coordinates nutritional care with health care providers, the Veteran, and the Veteran's caregiver. Will be responsible for planning, developing and directing all nutritional care activities for assigned veterans.

Duties

Nutritional Care: Conducts a comprehensive nutrition assessment utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) for assigned patients. Develops and implements an individualized plan for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) in accordance with the patient's medical program goals and objectives. Performs a Nutrition Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) during assessments to determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition. Tailors diet prescription to each individual patient according to physical and metabolic needs. Prioritizes the importance of nutrition problems for optimal health, recovery from illness, management of chronic disease or disease prevention. Identifies patients in need of nutritional support and recommends the appropriate mode of support, including suitable route, formula, and rate of administration. Documents nutrition care plan in the patient's medical record, including nutrition assessment data, MNT initiated and recommendations, results of nutrition counseling, patient consents and discharge planning. Nutrition Education and Coordination of Care: Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups. Evaluates achievement of learning objectives by the patient and/or family Provides follow-up nutrition education/counseling in accordance with the patient's treatment goals and determines when a problem requires consultation or referral to another provider or service. Assists in the education and oversight of dietetic students and interns. Assists in planning learning experiences, teaching, and evaluating performance. Business Functions: Ensures completion of consult management tasks by reviewing assigned nutrition consults. Assists in developing and revising patient education materials, clinical forms, and protocols. Participates in the orientation and training of new staff (e.g., Food Service Employees, dietetic interns, clinical dietitians, etc.) Assists in achieving compliance with The Joint Commission, or other accrediting agencies. Quality Improvement/Research: Supports Performance Improvement activities by participating in the development of nutritional care indicators, evaluation criteria, collecting performance improvement data, monitoring outcomes, and initiating corrective actions. Participates in planning and developing nutrition-related policies, procedures, and goals. Stays abreast of current research in Nutrition related areas. Analyzes and interprets nutrition related research related to patient care. Participation as a Member of the Health Care Team: Serves as the nutrition expert for medical staff on the nutritional management of patients. Communicates and influences treatment interventions determined by the medical team through interdisciplinary meetings, team rounds, medical conferences and nutrition-related in-services. Coordinates care with colleagues in a variety of medical and home settings to ensure appropriate transitions of care are addressed to meet the patient's needs Assists in patient discharge planning to ensure provision of appropriate services and equipment for enteral feeding. Professional Development: Interprets current clinical knowledge, standards of care, and research to improve patient care. Develops and implements an individualized plan for professional growth and development including participation in professional organizations and activities, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs. Participates in departmental and/or interdisciplinary meetings, task forces, and projects. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, Holidays as scheduled and rotating weekend coverage Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 99531-S/99530-S/99529-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education and Supervised Practice: You 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. Foreign education: See below under education text box. Registration/Certification: You must be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing branch of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Grandfathering provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Physical Requirements: Outlined below. English Language Proficiency: Dietitians must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, you must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Examples of experience include meeting the above listed GS-07 knowledge, skills and abilities and assignment. OR have education equivalent to 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or master's degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. Note: If you are using education to qualify, please provide copies of transcripts in application packet to be considered. In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to plan and organize work of considerable difficulty and responsibility, under general supervision. Knowledge of various food preparation and delivery systems within a healthcare environment. Knowledge of educational concepts, methods, training materials, and resources and the ability to develop and conduct education and training programs for NFS employees. Ability to participate in research studies and conduct performance improvement studies and document findings to evaluate staff, food, supplies, equipment, and service, in order to improve the efficiency of the operation. Knowledge of the principles and practices of clinical dietetics including NCP and MNT in order to plan, develop, and coordinate nutrition interventions, including enteral and parenteral nutrition, interdisciplinary care plans, and nutrition education activities that promote Veteran health, wellness and lifestyle management. To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, you must have at least 1 year of experience as a registered dietitian equivalent to the next lower grade level. Examples of experience include meeting the above listed GS-09 knowledge, skills and abilities and assignment. OR have education equivalent to 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. Note: If you are using education to qualify, please provide copies of transcripts in application packet to be considered. In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of best practices in the dietetics profession and in scientific literature, including knowledge of research methods, study design, data collection, interpretation of findings, and translation of results into nutrition practice. Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities. Ability to develop and maintain a system of internal reviews and direct quality control and performance improvement studies. Knowledge of computer software programs relative to food service systems. Preferred Experience: None References: VA Handbook 5005/80, Part II, Appendix G20 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 - GS-11 grade level. Physical Efforts: Subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted. Manipulates cumbersome and heavy objects, such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on caster, or operating heavy equipment. Manual dexterity needed to safely operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades. Hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment. Serv Safe Manager Certification preferred. Required within a year of onboarding.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Foreign Education: Individuals who have earned college and/or university degrees outside the United States and its territories also must have their transcripts evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation service to determine if their degree is equivalent to a degree granted by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Validation of a foreign degree does not eliminate the need for verification of completion of didactic program, dietetic internship, or coordinated program requirements. The completion of ACEND didactic program requirements and at least a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or foreign equivalent are necessary for eligibility to enter an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program.

Contacts

• Address Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center 1481 West Tenth Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 US
• Name: Stella Williams
• Phone: 317-263-4821
• Email: [email protected]