Dietitian (Clinical)

US Department of Veterans Affairs; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; USD 68,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Nutrition and Food Services seeks a Dietitian (Clinical) to deliver comprehensive clinical nutrition services to Veterans. Responsibilities include conducting nutrition assessments, developing and implementing Medical Nutrition Therapy, monitoring patient outcomes, and providing nutrition education and counseling to diverse VA patients.

Candidates must be a US citizen with English proficiency and hold the RDN credential (CDR).

Qualifications

• Must be a US citizen.
• English proficiency (spoken and written).
• RDN credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
• Master's degree or equivalent at GS-09 level.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nutrition assessments using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP).
• Develop and implement Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).
• Monitor patient outcomes and adjust care as needed.
• Provide nutrition education and counseling to Veterans.

Skills

NCP knowledge

Evidence-based practice

Virtual care

Record keeping

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree

RDN credential (CDR)

Tools

EMR systems

Job description

The Dietitian (Clinical) serves within Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) and provides comprehensive clinical nutrition services to Veterans. The incumbent conducts nutrition assessments, develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), monitors patient outcomes, and provides nutrition education and counseling.

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:

All applicants must meet the following basic qualifications.

• United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen.
• English Language Proficiency. Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS

In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet one of the following grade requirements for a specific grade level.

• GS-07 Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• GS-09 Experience or Education.
  • Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level. Examples of experience include, but is not limited to work in which you: conduct nutrition assessments for patients with lower acuity using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP), develop skills in accurate record keeping of clinical activities and complete patient encounters using approved systems, comply with The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care, interpret research, apply whole health principles and develop patient-centered goals, collaborate with the Food Operations Section to enhance the patients' dining experience and ensure patient satisfaction; etc. -OR-
  • Education: Master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college.

In addition to the GS-09 experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements
• Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care
• Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation)
• Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes
• Ability to develop patient-centered goals

• GS-11 Dietitian Experience. At least one year of experience as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian (RDN/RD) equivalent to the GS-09 grade level. Examples of experience include, but is not limited to work in which you: conduct nutrition assessments using the NCP; develop skills in applying evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines, interpreting research and utilizing whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes; utilize virtual care technology to improve access to care; maintain accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and patient encounters using approved systems; collaborate with the Food Service Section to enhance the patients' dining experience, support patient satisfaction and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the food service section; etc.

In addition to the GS-11 experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our KSAs, you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the KSAs that are necessary to successfully perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training you possess; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim.

Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to the higher GS-11 grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements.

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 to GS-11.

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

Physical Requirements:

Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation as required by VA Handbook 5019. This evaluation is administered by VA Occupational Health.