Clinical Dietitian- Per Diem/Day Shift/Weekend Coverage

Watsonville Community Hospital; Watsonville (CA); On-site; USD 66,000 - 84,000; Part time

Job summary

Watsonville Community Hospital is seeking a credentialed Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) to join our inpatient clinical nutrition team on a per-diem basis. You will work in a fast-moving teaching hospital environment, delivering evidence-based nutrition care to adult and pediatric inpatients.

Ideal candidates hold an ACEND-accredited degree, have inpatient experience, and can lead nutrition discussions with physicians and nurses while maintaining thorough notes and complying with regulatory

Qualifications

• Credentialed RD/RDN with current licensure.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nutrition/Dietetics from ACEND-accredited program.
• Experience in inpatient clinical settings preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based nutrition assessments and care plans for inpatients.
• Participate in IDT rounds and discuss nutrition goals with care teams.
• Document timely clinical notes meeting regulatory standards.
• Follow policies for NPO clearance, diet advancement, EN/PN initiation, and IDDSI diets.
• Support census surges and weekend/holiday coverage.

Skills

RD credential

Inpatient clinical experience

Manage high-acuity census

Malnutrition diagnostics

Teaching rounds

ACEND nutrition knowledge

Education

ACEND-accredited program

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Salary Range: $48.00 To $60.72 Hourly

We are seeking a credentialed Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) to join our inpatient clinical nutrition team on a per-diem basis.

This role is ideal for someone who’s confident in their clinical skills, can hit the ground running, and isn’t rattled by a fast-moving teaching hospital environment.

• Current RD/RDN credential(CDR-verified).
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Nutrition/Dieteticsfrom an ACEND-accredited program.
• Recent inpatient clinical experience(acute care preferred).
• Ability to manage a high-acuity, diverse censuswith appropriate prioritization.
• Strong grasp of malnutrition diagnostics(ASPEN/GLIM), enteral/parenteral nutrition, and interdisciplinary care planning.
• Comfortable presenting or participating in teaching roundswith residents and medical teams.

What the Role Involves

• Providing evidence-based nutrition assessments, care plans, monitoring, and follow-up for adult and/or pediatric inpatients.
• Participating in IDT rounds, discussing nutrition goals clearly and concisely with physicians, nursing, pharmacy, and case management.
• Writing timely, thorough clinical notesthat meet regulatory and hospital documentation standards.
• Following hospital policies for NPO clearance, risk scoring, diet advancement, EN/PN initiation, dysphagia diets (IDDSI), and specialty protocols.
• Supporting weekend and holiday coverage, census surges

Preferred Qualities

• Comfortable working independently without hand-holding, but collaborative when the situation calls for it.
• Strong educator mindset for helping residents, interns, and new staff understand nutrition implications.
• Flexible and reliable; shows up when scheduled, communicates clearly, and respects the workflow.

Why Work With Us

• We are a teaching hospital-you will collaborate with sharp interdisciplinary teams and stay current on best practices.
• You will have the chance to work with a wide variety of diagnoses, from critical care to med-surg to specialty services.
• Strong, supportive clinical leadership and a department that values RDs as true clinicians