Inpatient Dietitian - Hospice & Palliative Nutrition

VNA Health; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance premiums (dental, vision, AD

Generous PTO

Wellness benefit

403(b) retirement plan

Public transportation reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

VNA Health is seeking an Inpatient Registered Dietitian to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and provide nutritional care for terminally ill patients in our inpatient unit.

You will assess dietary needs, approve menus, support families, and document care while upholding our core values and standards of behavior. Hospice experience is preferred, and strong communication skills are essential. This role offers meaningful work at a nonprofit health system.

Qualifications

• Registered dietitian with experience working with terminally ill and their families.
• Hospice and home care experience preferred.
• Ability to perform nutritional assessments and intervene appropriately.
• Understanding of the nutritional needs of the terminally ill.
• Understanding of the psychosocial issues of food and care giving.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work well individually and in cooperation with an interdisciplinary group.
• Must be able to cope with family, emotional stress and be tolerant of individual lifestyles without judgment.
• Basic working knowledge and skill of computers (email) required.
• Must have ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with professionals and lay group.

Responsibilities

• Assess patient nutritional status affected by disease, treatment and other physiological determinants and recommend appropriate diet.
• Work with interdisciplinary group to identify patients at risk for nutritional problems.
• Approve all menus in the inpatient unit.
• Help assure that patient’s food preferences are adhered to as much as possible and substitutes for all food refused shall be from appropriate food groups.
• Therapeutic diets shall be provided for each patient as prescribed and shall be planned, prepared and served with supervision and/or consultation from the dietitian.
• Interpret and coordinate patient nutritional issues working with the interdisciplinary group to set reasonable nutritional goals to meet each individual patient’s evolving nutritional needs.
• Obtains weight upon admission of each patient and at recertification if possible.
• Provide consultation to interdisciplinary group re patient nutritional issues and resources.
• Provide emotional support to patient and family around food issues and provide guidance for the family in finding non-food ways of care giving and nurturing.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical records.

Skills

Registered dietitian

Hospice experience

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication skills

Medical nutrition support

Tools

Email/Computers

Job description

VNA Health is seeking an Inpatient Registered Dietitian to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and provide nutritional care for terminally ill patients in our inpatient unit.

You will assess dietary needs, approve menus, support families, and document care while upholding our core values and standards of behavior. Hospice experience is preferred, and strong communication skills are essential. This role offers meaningful work at a nonprofit health system.