Diversity Statement VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System (VAEKHCS ) is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans.

Duties

Nutritional Care: 1. Conducts a comprehensive nutrition assessment utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) for assigned patients. 2. Develops and implements an individualized plan for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) in accordance with the patient's medical program goals and objectives. 3. Performs a Nutrition Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) during assessments to determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition. 4. Calculates nutrient requirements (calories, protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, electrolytes and fluids) and necessary diet restrictions or food/drug interactions. 5. Evaluates patterns and relationships among data obtained and possible root causes for nutrition problems. 6. 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. 7. Prioritizes the importance of nutrition problems for optimal health, recovery from illness, management of chronic disease or disease prevention. 8. Utilizes evidenced-based nutrition practice guidelines and Whole Health Principles to develop shared goals with the patient and formulates a plan of care that is focused on the etiology of the nutrition problem. 9. Actively supports veteran centric food service operations with a food forward approach through knowledge of computer software programs related to food service systems and through interfacing with the food service section to ensure patient satisfaction with meals, assisting in implementation of new initiatives, and acting as a liaison between clinical units/wards and the food service section. 10. Works cooperatively with foodservice staff to assure conformance to diet prescriptions. 11. 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 (EN) and/or Parenteral nutrition (PN). Orders EN/PN if Scope of Practice allows. 12. Orders labs, diets, and consults per Scope of Practice / Clinical privileges. 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. 13. 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. Measures outcomes through selecting indicators relevant to the nutrition diagnosis. Evaluates the effectiveness and measures progress toward outcomes of nutrition interventions by comparing current findings with previous goals and/or reference standards. Documentation supports an interdisciplinary approach and continuity of care. 14. Other duties as assigned b. Nutrition Education and Coordination of Care: 1. Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/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. 2. Utilizes motivational interviewing techniques to evaluate patient and/or caregiver's readiness to learn and potential for changing behaviors. 3. 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. 4. Identifies drug-nutrient interactions and drug-drug incompatibilities and counsels / communicates with the patient regarding the impact on nutrition status and/or nutrient utilization. 5. Utilizes virtual care technology such as VA Video Connect (VVC) and Secure Messaging (SM) to improve access to nutrition care. 6. 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. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30pm Telework: Only as needed Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD99529S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

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. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - 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). Exception for GS-07 and GS-09 Only: Dietitians who do not possess the RDN/RD credential. Non-credentialed Dietitians who otherwise meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below, but do not possess the RDN credential, may be given a full-time temporary appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2). May only be appointed at the GS-07 or GS-09 level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential. Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent. 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. ~AND~ Completed an ACEND accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN. A list of ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. (1) GS-7 Dietitian (Entry Level) (a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Assignment. Employees at this grade are closely supervised and competency in progressively complex tasks is monitored by supervisor. Employees at this grade level serve in a developmental position. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume': 1. Basic knowledge of principles and practices of dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). 2. Ability to provide nutrition care utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) to patients, family members and/or caregivers considering psycho-social issues and age-appropriate, evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines. 3. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with patients, family and/or caregiver, and other professional healthcare providers (e.g., tailoring to audience and use of medical terminology). 4. Ability to plan and organize work consisting of multiple tasks and priorities under direct supervision. 5. Basic knowledge of, and ability to use, current information technology operations, software, hardware, terminology, security requirements, and capabilities. 6. Knowledge of basic food production and service for various populations which incorporates principles of sanitation, safety, and menu planning within a healthcare environment. 7. Knowledge of educational concepts, methods, and the ability to execute existing education and training activities (2) GS-9 Dietitian (Developmental Level) (a) Experience or Education. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or 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. (b) Assignments. Employees at this grade level serve in either clinical or food service systems management dietitian positions. Progressively complex tasks are monitored by supervisor. Employees at this grade level serve in a developmental position. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume': 1. Ability to plan and organize work of considerable difficulty and responsibility, under general supervision. 2. Knowledge of various food preparation and delivery systems within a healthcare environment. 3. Knowledge of educational concepts, methods, training materials, and resources and the ability to develop and conduct education and training programs for NFS employees. 4. 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. 5. 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 (3) GS-11 Dietitian (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience or Education. At least 1 year of experience as a registered dietitian equivalent to the next lower grade level, or 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. (b) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as staff dietitians at the full performance level. Registered dietitians are responsible for independently planning, developing and directing all nutrition care activities (e.g., food service and/or clinical nutrition). They are responsible for using evidence-based approaches to develop menus, counsel patients and provide nutrition care. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume': 1. 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. 2. Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities. 3. Ability to develop and maintain a system of internal reviews and direct quality control and performance improvement studies. 4. Knowledge of computer software programs relative to food service systems. 5. Knowledge of the principles and practices of nutrition care and the treatment of complex cases in clinical settings in order to develop, implement and coordinate best practices in the dietetics profession (e.g. assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation). 6. Knowledge of best practices in areas of clinical nutrition and the ability to apply nutrition interventions to patients with multiple co-morbidities. 7. Ability to act as a consultant for health care providers 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 7 to GS 11. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: 1. Requires intermittent walking and standing for up to 50% of the tour 2. Moderate lifting 15-44 lbs. and moderate carrying 15-44 lbs. is routinely done. 3. Intermittent daily use of computer, electronic medical record and video equipment requires rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.

Contacts

• Address VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System 2200 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, KS 66622 US
• Name: Travis Ware
• Phone: (470) 910-4578
• Email: [email protected]