Dietitian (Clinical)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Atlanta VA Health Care System seeks a Dietitian (Clinical) to coordinate nutritional care with health care providers, clients, families, and the community. The Dietitian plans and directs all nutrition care activities for assigned clients, including those with complex needs.

Registered Dietitians apply evidence-based practices to assess, diagnose, and intervene in nutrition care, and collaborate with other professionals to improve patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Dietetics from a regionally accredited U.S. college or foreign equivalent.
• Completion of ACEND didactic program and supervised practice (or coordinated program).
• Registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) is required.
• Advanced practice credentials may be required for certain areas.

Responsibilities

• Independently plan, develop and direct all nutrition care activities.
• Counsel patients and coordinate care with health care teams.
• Use evidence-based approaches to develop menus and care plans.
• Collaborate with clients, families and community partners.

Skills

Clinical Dietetics

Nutrition Assessment

Care Coordination

Evidence-Based Practice

Education

Bachelor's degree in Dietetics

ACEND didactic program

ACEND supervised practice

Foreign degree evaluation (if applicable)

Job description

The Atlanta VA Health Care System is seeking a Dietitian (Clinical) to support the facility's mission and coordinate nutritional care with other health care providers, the client, the client's family and the community. The Clinical Dietitian is the medical nutrition expert responsible for independently planning, developing and directing all nutritional care activities for assigned clients, including those with complex medical and nutritional needs.

Basic Requirements

a. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

Education and Supervised Practice

(1) The individual 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.

(2) 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.

Registration/Certification

All applicants 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). Advanced Level Practice Dietitians must possess a minimum of one advanced practice credential relevant to the area of practice, (e.g. Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC), Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition (CSR), Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG), Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), or Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO)).

Grade Determinations: GS-11 (Full Performance).

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.

Must demonstrate the following

• 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.
• 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).
• Knowledge of best practices in areas of clinical nutrition and the ability to apply nutrition interventions to patients with multiple comorbidities.
• Ability to act as a consultant for health care providers including registered dietetic technicians, dietetic interns, nurses, physicians, medical students and allied health professionals.

References

VA Handbook 5005/80, Part II, Appendix G20, Dietitian Qualification Standard, dated September 5, 2014. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements

The work is primarily sedentary, although some light physical effort may be required. There may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items including training paperwork or manuals, or small equipment, such as: laptop computers, mobile LCD projectors; or driving an automobile. Work often involves talking for long periods of time and incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer.