Dietitian (Clinical)

Veterans Health Administration • Tucson, AZ

20d • Hybrid

About The Position

Nutrition and Food Service is hiring two Inpatient Clinical Dietitians. The Clinical Dietitian independently plans, implements, and oversees nutritional care for assigned veterans, including those with complex medical and nutritional requirements. The role supports the facility’s mission and coordinates comprehensive nutritional care in collaboration with healthcare professionals, veterans, caregivers, and the community.

The position uses the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) to assess patients, establish nutrition diagnoses, provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), and monitor outcomes. Dietitians document care in the medical record using the ADIME format, identify patients who may need nutritional support, participate in interdisciplinary care, provide tailored nutrition education and counseling, use virtual-care technology to improve access, and maintain productivity standards.

There are two full-time schedules: Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM, and Sunday–Thursday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM. The position is approved for ad-hoc telework as determined by the Service Manager; it is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Registration as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, except for eligible non-credentialed appointments at GS-07 or GS-09 under the stated temporary appointment provisions.
• For GS-09: at least one year of experience equivalent to GS-07 related to the position, or a master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college; applicants must also demonstrate the listed knowledge, skills, and abilities concerning regulatory requirements, virtual nutrition-care technology, the Nutrition Care Process, evidence-based practices, patient-centered goals, performance-improvement data, and stakeholder collaboration.
• For GS-11: at least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to GS-09 related to the position; applicants must also demonstrate the listed skills and abilities concerning the Nutrition Care Process, research interpretation, patient-centered goals, performance-improvement data, stakeholder collaboration, and compliance with accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities.
• For the GS-07 or 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, plus completion of an ACEND-accredited experiential or supervised-practice program and a verification statement establishing eligibility to take the CDR registration examination.
• Foreign education used to meet qualifications must meet the stated evaluation requirements, including ACEND evaluation where applicable and a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation and online onboarding; selected applicants must provide acceptable identification.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one-year or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical Dietitian experience is preferred; recent dietetic internship graduates will also be considered.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutrition Care Process, including nutrition-focused physical examinations, to establish a nutrition diagnosis 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 necessary dietary restrictions or food–drug interactions, tailoring diet prescriptions to individual patients.
• Document Medical Nutrition Therapy in the medical record using the Assessment, Diagnosis, Intervention, Monitoring, Evaluation (ADIME) format, maintaining accurate records independently.
• Identify patients in need of nutritional support, recommend an appropriate mode of support, and communicate recommendations to the healthcare team.
• Participate in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Assess educational needs and provide tailored nutrition education and counseling to individuals and groups.
• Use virtual-care technology to improve access to care.
• Maintain productivity standards.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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