Registered Dietitian

Kaweah Delta Health Care District•Visalia, CA

20d

About The Position

Kaweah Health is a publicly owned community healthcare organization serving the greater Visalia area in central California. It has more than 5,000 employees and provides services through an acute care hospital, specialized health centers, and clinics across an eight-campus healthcare district with 613 beds. The Registered Dietitian provides high-quality medical nutrition therapy as an active member of the multidisciplinary team, serves as a nutrition resource to physicians and staff, and represents Food and Nutrition Services throughout Kaweah Health. The position performs assessment and screening for patients at high nutritional risk, develops and monitors nutrition treatment plans, provides patient and caregiver education, and contributes to quality improvement and clinical nutrition standards. Additional duties may depend on the assigned specialty area, including renal nutrition, pediatrics/NICU, diabetes education, or long-term care, rehabilitation, and mental health.

Requirements

Registered Dietitian (RD) license/certification is required.
Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and services appropriate to the population served on the assigned unit or work area.
Knowledge of growth and development and cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific needs of patients and families.

Responsibilities

Assess and screen patients designated as being at high risk for optimal nutrition.
Develop nutritional treatment plans with the interdisciplinary team and, when possible, in collaboration with patients and families.
Follow up with patients to evaluate progress toward nutrition goals.
Create individual Nutrition Care Plans and MDS plans for long-term care patients based on their current nutrition needs.
Provide physicians with timely nutrition information and recommendations regarding patients’ nutritional status.
Document care appropriately and promptly in the patient’s medical record.
Provide or coordinate nutrition education for patients and caregivers, tailoring it to medical needs, cultural preferences, readiness, and other relevant needs; document the education provided.
Participate as a nutrition consultant in Continuum of Care Meetings, Interdisciplinary Meetings, Unit Rounds, and family conferences for assigned floors.
Monitor service levels, plan and implement service improvements, reassess results, provide education, and make changes to support excellent patient care.
Participate in developing clinical nutrition Standards of Care and in continuous quality improvement.
For renal dietitian assignments, gather research materials on renal nutrition and compile patient information, diet handbooks, and educational materials; provide staff in-service education on renal nutrition.
For Peds/NICU assignments, oversee the planning, preparation, storage, and dispensing of pediatric and infant formulas; provide nutrition counseling to a pediatric or infant patient’s parent or guardian.
For diabetic education assignments, coordinate patient scheduling with the RN/CDE and social services in the Diabetes Center; participate in monthly review meetings with the Diabetes Center Medical Director; participate in or lead diabetes educator meetings, support groups, workshops, screenings, and outreach activities; and provide staff education to support competent diabetes education for patients and families.
For long-term care, rehabilitation, or mental health assignments, oversee compliance in foodservice areas.
Maintain knowledge of community resources that can help meet patients’ nutritional needs.
Participate in task forces and committees involving nutrition care or education, and act as a resource or owner to effect change.
Represent clinical nutrition and Kaweah Health at community meetings.
Provide care and services appropriate to the population served, with knowledge of growth and development and patients’ and families’ cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific needs.
Communicate effectively with and provide care to patients and families as reflected in the Plan for Provision of Care.
Perform other duties as assigned.