Registered Dietitian (RD)

Ciena Healthcare•Westland, MI

About The Position

The Registered Dietitian oversees the Dietary Department’s operations, including staffing, food ordering and preparation, food delivery, and cleanup. The role ensures resident nutritional needs are met in accordance with facility policies, physician orders, resident care plans, clinical assessments, and applicable regulations. The dietitian provides guidance and administrative direction for diet planning, menu development, meal preparation, and food service, while supervising dietary staff and maintaining food-service quality, safety, sanitation, records, budgets, and supplies. The role also works with residents, families, nursing staff, and interdisciplinary teams to review dietary needs and preferences, monitor nutritional progress and weights, and recommend appropriate changes. For a Registered Dietitian serving one location, the position includes completing nutritional documentation such as MDS, CAA, care plans, progress notes, and assessments; responsibilities may vary for dietitians serving multiple locations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or a related field.
Current registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
Meet state licensure requirements for a Dietitian, if applicable.
ServSafe certification, or obtain ServSafe certification within 90 days of employment.
Knowledge of MDS, care planning, and clinical documentation standards.
Knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations governing dietary and nutritional services.

Nice To Haves

At least one year of experience as a dietitian in a healthcare or skilled nursing setting.
One to two years of management or supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

Oversee the dietary department and supervise dietary staff to ensure residents’ nutritional needs are met in accordance with standards of practice and regulatory guidelines.
Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.
Participate in department head meetings, Resident at Risk meetings, and interdisciplinary care plan meetings.
Oversee food and supply purchases within budget and maintain adequate supplies for meals.
Provide technical guidance and administrative direction for diet planning, menu formulation, preparation, and service of regular and therapeutic diets.
Ensure menus meet residents’ nutritional needs and preferences and follow physician orders and regulatory guidelines.
Interview residents or family members as needed to obtain diet histories and maintain records of food likes and dislikes.
Ensure nutritional progress notes accurately describe services provided and residents’ responses.
Visit residents periodically to evaluate meal quality and learn their likes and dislikes.
For a single-location assignment, complete nutritional components of MDS, CAA, resident care planning, progress notes, nutritional assessments, nutritional data cards, diet cards, and other facility-required documentation; responsibilities may vary for multiple-location assignments.
Monitor weekly and monthly weights and collaborate with nursing personnel on recommendations.
Monitor meals for nutritional value, preparation, palatability, timeliness, consistency, and adherence to menus and diet orders.
Verify that residents with special dietary needs receive appropriate meals and snacks.
Monitor food production, standardized recipes and menus, and proper preparation and storage of food and supplies.
Monitor tray lines and meal service to maintain food-service quality and timeliness.
Ensure adequate food and supplies are available for disaster preparedness as required by regulations.
Assist with creating job assignments and setting priorities.
Follow facility policies and state and federal regulations for sanitation and safe food handling.
Conduct monthly sanitation rounds of the kitchen and related areas.
Assist with developing plans of correction after state, federal, and Quality Assurance surveys, as needed.
Maintain records and manage budgets and supplies.
Monitor equipment and work areas for cleanliness, safety, and order; enforce applicable hazardous-material, universal-precautions, infection-control, isolation, fire-safety, and sanitation procedures; and address hazardous conditions and equipment promptly.
Monitor food preparation and storage areas for compliance with health and sanitation regulations.
Review resident diet information and care plans and discuss them with residents, families, and nursing staff as needed to recommend appropriate changes.
Create and implement procedures to ensure department equipment is operated safely and only by trained, authorized personnel.
Participate in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement initiatives.