Dietitian (Clinical)

Veterans Health Administration • Shreveport, LA

13h • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Dietitian provides Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) through the Clinical Section of NFS and serves as a medical nutrition expert. The position coordinates Veterans’ nutritional care with other health care providers, Veterans, caregivers, and community partners. The dietitian works autonomously and applies evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines, including for patients with complex medical and nutritional needs.

The role includes conducting comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP), developing and monitoring Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), documenting care in the medical record, identifying nutrition-support needs, and providing tailored nutrition education and counseling. The dietitian participates in interdisciplinary care, uses virtual-care technology to improve access, maintains productivity and accurate records, and supports continuous improvement and implementation of new initiatives.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the schedule may change based on facility needs. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. Work is performed in an office/clinic setting and may involve handling several tasks at once in stressful situations. The job requires a registered dietitian credential, subject to the stated limited GS-07 and GS-09 temporary appointment exception for eligible non-credentialed applicants.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD), except for the stated GS-07 and GS-09 temporary-appointment exception.
• For the GS-07/GS-09 non-credentialed temporary-appointment exception: a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent, and completion of an ACEND-accredited experiential or supervised-practice program with a verification statement establishing eligibility to take the CDR registration examination.
• GS-09: at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade, or a master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college; candidates must also demonstrate the listed GS-09 knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• GS-11: at least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade, and demonstration of the listed GS-11 knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• GS-09 knowledge, skills, and abilities include knowledge of accrediting and regulatory requirements and virtual nutrition-care technology; ability to deliver care using the NCP, apply evidence-based nutrition practices, develop patient-centered goals, collect data for performance-improvement studies, and collaborate with stakeholders.
• GS-11 knowledge, skills, and abilities include skill in delivering care using the NCP, interpreting research and applying evidence-based practices, developing patient-centered goals, analyzing performance-improvement data, collaborating with stakeholders, and complying with accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities.
• Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete online onboarding and pre-employment requirements, including acceptable identification and a pre-employment physical examination.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and meet applicable TB screening or testing requirements.
• Independently operate a Government vehicle and provide a clean driving-record report from the DMV during pre-employment processing.
• Serve a one-year or two-year trial period, as determined for the appointment.
• For foreign degrees, obtain evaluation by ACEND and meet its International Dietitian Education standards.
• Physical requirements may include standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing; personal protective equipment may be required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutritional Care Process, including nutrition-focused physical examinations, to establish nutrition diagnoses and determine risk or degree of malnutrition.
• Develop and implement Medical Nutrition Therapy to address nutrition diagnoses; evaluate and monitor intervention effectiveness and outcomes; and modify plans as needed.
• Calculate nutrient requirements and determine diet restrictions and food-drug interactions, tailoring diet prescriptions to individual patients.
• Document Medical Nutrition Therapy in medical records using the Assessment, Diagnosis, Intervention, Monitoring, Evaluation (ADIME) format, and maintain accurate records independently.
• Identify patients who need nutritional support, recommend an appropriate mode of support, and communicate with the health care team.
• Participate in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Assess educational needs and provide nutrition education and counseling tailored to Veterans, individually and in groups.
• Use virtual-care technology to improve access to care.
• Maintain productivity standards, accurately record daily clinical activities, and complete patient encounters using approved systems.
• Support continuous improvement of safe, quality care for Veterans.
• Lead activities to implement new initiatives.
• Use data to develop measures, evaluate data, and initiate corrective actions.
• Independently operate a Government vehicle and provide a clean driving-record report during pre-employment processing.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits and eligibility depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• Selected applicants may request consideration of prior work or military service for credit toward annual leave accrual; approval is required and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level