Wallingford

Gaylord Hospital•Wallingford, CT

About The Position

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a medical rehabilitation health system dedicated to helping people recover from illness or injury. The Clinical Dietitian provides clinical nutrition services, including nutrition assessment, modified diet formulation, self-management training, and nutrition interventions for patients and residents. The role supports patient satisfaction, quality care, regulatory compliance, and responsible use of resources. The dietitian assesses nutritional status using medical-record documentation, anthropometric measurements, nutrition-focused physical assessments, and laboratory values. They develop and individualize nutrition care plans using information from patients, families, medical records, and the healthcare team, and incorporate current evidence-based research into practice. The position also contributes to quality improvement, patient and staff education, team communication, and department operations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential through the Commission on Dietetic Registration; the credential must be achieved within four months of hire, except in California, where the period is six months.
State of Connecticut certification and state licensure, as required.
Maintain a Professional Development Portfolio specifying 75 continuing education units per five-year period through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Ability to operate a standard computer and use Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint at a basic level.
Ability to effectively use the hospital’s interpretation system (MAARTI).

Responsibilities

Assess the nutritional status of adolescent, adult, and/or geriatric patients, documenting findings in the medical record and using anthropometric measurements, nutrition-focused physical assessment, and laboratory values.
Develop, revise, and individualize nutrition care plans based on information from patients, medical records, families, and healthcare team members.
Incorporate current evidence-based research into practice.
Participate in processes for obtaining ordering privileges associated with expanded roles and enhanced activities, consistent with hospital policies.
Follow confidentiality, HIPAA, patient-rights, regulatory, and infection-control requirements.
Participate in facility-wide and department Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement programs and teams to improve processes and patient care.
Communicate with team members, patients, and families through conferences, consultations, committees, and in-person, telephone, written, and electronic communication.
Orient, mentor, and train staff and interns, as applicable.
Advise the department on patient-care and food-service issues.
Train patient-services staff on special patient needs related to diet prescriptions.
Visit patients on assigned nursing units and contribute to ensuring that each patient is visited by a management or professional team member at least once during their hospital stay.
Provide a high level of customer service and contribute to patient satisfaction goals through quality service.
Attend departmental meetings, staff development, patient-care rounds, and professional programs, as appropriate.
Stay current on nutrition practices and maintain 75 continuing education units every five years through the required professional development process.
Maintain financial stewardship of the department and hospital.