Senior Registered Dietitian RDN

Banner Health•Tucson, AZ

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Registered Dietitian provides leadership in a specialty area of clinical nutrition, establishes practice standards, and mentors and educates colleagues. The role manages a complex patient caseload through comprehensive nutritional assessments and nutrition-focused physical exams, development and management of nutrition care plans, and monitoring of outcomes. It includes patient and family nutrition counseling and education, development of nutrition standards and educational materials with peers, and participation on the interdisciplinary health care team in patient care policies, programs, quality improvement, and in-service education. The dietitian provides nutrition assessment and care for assigned patients, including patients receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition, and writes orders to initiate and manage nutrition care according to protocols. The position evaluates care-plan effectiveness, documents and communicates with the health care team, supports patient education, and leads practice standards and procedures in the specialty area. At least 50% of the caseload must be in the designated specialty area, and the position requires a relevant specialty certification and expertise. This is a full-time, Monday–Friday position, generally 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with flexibility to start earlier or later. Rotating Saturdays are expected approximately once per month. The role is based in Tucson, Arizona.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, or equivalent coursework; effective January 1, 2024, CDR requires a minimum of a master's degree to be eligible to take the registration examination.
Current Registered Dietitian registration through the Commission on Dietetic Registration of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, maintained with annual verification.
Current state licensure as required by law.
Three to five years of clinical experience in a specialty area.
Documented certification and expertise in one of the listed specialty areas; at least 50% of the dietitian's caseload must be in that specialty area.
Ability to work independently, prioritize an assigned patient caseload, and lead and serve as a resource on issues.
Ability to maintain competency in enteral and parenteral nutrition protocols and oral nutrition management standards.

Nice To Haves

Additional related education and/or experience.

Responsibilities

Assess patients' nutritional needs, including nutrition-focused physical exams as appropriate, with at least 50% of the caseload in the designated specialty area.
Obtain, analyze, and interpret patient data using evidence-based standards and established practice guidelines.
Maintain competency in enteral and parenteral clinical practice protocols and oral nutrition management standards.
Write orders to initiate and manage nutrition care for assigned patients, including those receiving parenteral and enteral nutrition, according to protocols.
Evaluate care-plan effectiveness and communicate with other health care team members to support optimal nutrition outcomes.
Document relevant information in medical records, patient care plans, and clinical pathways in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Provide nutrition education to patients, families, staff, and health care professionals; develop teaching materials and in-service programs and evaluate responses to education.
Establish and monitor patient care procedures, policies, and standards in the specialty area, and act as a liaison with nursing areas.
Communicate concerns affecting patient care and support program marketing through effective relationships with internal and external customers.
Mentor new staff and interns where assigned, and develop training and educational materials to build colleagues' specialty skills.
Identify and participate in continuous quality improvement activities, including clinical nutrition CQI, and coordinate projects and programs.
Work independently, prioritize the assigned caseload, and provide guidance to nutrition services staff in developing nutrition plans.
Provide community education as needed.