The Dietitian is the medical nutrition expert responsible for independently planning, developing and directing all nutritional care activities for assigned clients, including those with medical and nutritional needs. He/she supports the facility's mission and coordinates nutritional care with other health care providers, the client, the client's family and the community. He/she builds and sustains good working relationships, resolves conflicts and develops collaborative relationships.

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. Calculates nutrient requirements (calories, protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, electrolytes and fluids) and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions. Evaluates patterns and relationships among data obtained and possible root causes for nutrition problems. Tailors diet prescription to each individual patient according to physical and metabolic needs. With an understanding of the patient's health condition, designs the nutritional treatment plan with consideration for psychosocial, behavioral, physical activity, ethnic and cultural factors to obtain desirable outcomes and promote long term adherence to a medical nutrition care plan. 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. Provides initial and on-going nutritional assessment of patients receiving enteral and/or parenteral nutrition. Order labs, diets, and consults. Evaluates and monitors the effectiveness and outcome of MNT interventions. Evaluates the patient's response to care based on identified, measurable outcomes and reviews the plan, as appropriate. Document's nutrition care plan in the patient's medical record Nutrition Education and Coordination of Care Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education or counseling for individuals and groups, incorporating a learning approach that considers the cultural, religious, educational and medical situation of the patient. Includes information regarding budgeting, menu planning, food purchasing and preparation, food storage and sanitation. Evaluates achievement of learning objectives by the patient and/or family. Adapts nutrition education materials and counseling techniques to the patient's level of understanding, which frequently involves simplifying complex dietary restrictions. Utilizes virtual care technology such as VA Video Connect (VVC) and Secure Messaging (SM) to improve access to nutrition care. Participates in planning and education of home nutrition support. Develops, prepares and facilitates Healthy Teaching Kitchen presentations. Participates in community projects and education. Serves on Health Education committees and workgroups as needed / assigned. Additional Duties Maintains productivity standards. Practices effective time management and prioritizing of tasks to ensure efficient workflow in assigned area. Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters utilizing the Event Capture System (ECS). Manages resources (time, materials, and staff) in a cost-effective manner. Participates in the orientation and training of new staff (e.g., Food Service Employees, dietetic interns, clinical dietitians, etc.) 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 peer review process. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Dietitian 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. NOTE: This applies to past, current, and upcoming VA Health Professions Trainees (HPT) only. VA HPT is an individual appointed to temporary positions in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or admitted to the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). BASIC REQUIREMENTS. Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. 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. 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 in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Grade Determinations: All individuals assigned to this occupation must meet all the basic qualification requirements above and all the requirements defined in the specific assignment below: GS-11- Dietitian (Clinical) Experience. One year of experience as an RDN/RD equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) is required. Examples of qualifying experience include: Conducting nutrition assessments using the NCP. Developing skills in applying evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines, interpreting research and utilizing whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes. Utilizing virtual care technology to improve access to care. Maintain accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and patient encounters using approved systems. Complying with TJC and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care. Collecting data related to performance improvement activities within Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) and assist in implementing new initiatives. Collaborating with the Food Service Section to enhance the Veterans' dining experience, support patient satisfaction and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the food service section. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Skill in delivering patient care using the Nutrition Care Process (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. References: VA Handbook 5005 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 GS-11

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.

Contacts

• Address Birmingham VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]