Registered Dietitian

Fresenius Medical Care•University City, MO

19d

About The Position

The Registered Dietitian provides nutritional services to in-center and home patients, as applicable, to maximize nutritional status and improve clinical outcomes. As a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, the dietitian supports the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAI) activities, and participates in process improvement to help patients achieve individualized goals established by their physicians. The role includes assessing patients’ understanding of diet and kidney disease; providing patient-specific education and counseling to patients and their families or caregivers; completing nutritional assessments and contributing to comprehensive care plans; calculating diet prescriptions; and maintaining progress notes and accurate medical-record documentation. The dietitian monitors nutritional status, laboratory results, albumin levels, and body weight, identifies malnutrition or risk of malnutrition, and works with patients and the interdisciplinary team to implement or adjust nutrition therapy. The dietitian collaborates with the interdisciplinary team on dialysis adequacy, mineral metabolism, renal bone disease, anemia and iron status, psychosocial and rehabilitation status, vascular access, modality, and sodium and volume control. The position also includes reporting nutrition QAI results, coordinating pre-ESRD education and nutrition-related care, communicating laboratory results and recommendations to care providers, attending relevant meetings, consulting with the FMS Corporate Dietitian as needed, and maintaining professional knowledge, registration, and continuing education. The work environment is a healthcare facility with temperature control and moderate noise. The employee may be exposed to infectious or contagious diseases or materials. Day-to-day work includes desk and personal-computer work and interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians. Travel between assigned facilities and community locations is required; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. There is no supervision responsibility.

Requirements

Registered Dietitian credential through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Current state licensure, if applicable.
At least 1 year of professional work experience in clinical nutrition as a Registered Dietitian.
Demonstrated leadership competencies and skills, including teaching, organizational, communication, customer service, relationship development, results orientation, team-building, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to perform responsibilities with minimal supervision.
Basic computer skills.

Nice To Haves

Previous renal experience preferred.
Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition encouraged.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ knowledge of diet and kidney disease and provide education suited to their learning needs.
Educate patients and their families or caregivers about nutritional status, adequacy measures and results, fluid status, and nutrition-related laboratory parameters.
Complete nutritional assessments and participate in interdisciplinary comprehensive assessments.
Participate in developing written, individualized comprehensive plans of care in accordance with applicable federal and state requirements.
Calculate diet prescriptions according to standard practice.
Complete progress notes for chronic dialysis patients and maintain accurate medical-record documentation in accordance with company policies and applicable regulations.
Provide ongoing nutrition assessment and outcome-oriented counseling to support effective nutritional status.
Identify patients who are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team on interventions and resources.
Review each patient’s albumin level and body weight at least monthly.
Implement and monitor the plan of care with patient and family or caregiver involvement; adjust nutrition therapy as needed and document barriers to achieving goals.
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team on Urea Kinetic Modeling recommendations to achieve the physician’s Kt/V prescription.
Collaborate on management and recommendations related to mineral metabolism, renal bone disease, anemia and iron status, nutritional and psychosocial status, vascular access, modality, rehabilitation status, and sodium and volume control.
Follow FMCNA algorithms and medical-record policies.
Report nutrition QAI results and participate in the interdisciplinary QAI program.
Coordinate with team members to provide pre-ESRD education when appropriate.
Work with the Case Manager on patient education plans and identify candidates for physician referral for nutritional supplements, as appropriate under disease management agreements.
Review nutrition-related laboratory results, counsel patients or caregivers, formulate appropriate actions, recommend treatment changes, and communicate results and recommendations to physicians, facility staff, and other care providers.
Participate in applicable staff, quality improvement, and care-plan meetings.
Consult with the FMS Corporate Dietitian regarding nutrition concerns as needed.
Maintain and improve professional knowledge and skills, dietetic registration, and required continuing education.
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to help ensure work areas are safe and clean.
Perform other assigned nutrition management and related duties.