Dietitian

Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St Louis South

JOB SUMMARY:

Responsible for the planning and implementation of the nutrition care of the patients in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local standards and regulations, clinical guidelines, and policies and procedures. Collaborates with Nutritional Services manager to ensure accurate food service is provided to patients.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leadership

• Completes annual competency testing and maintains professional growth and development portfolio to maintain registration and licensure/certification
• Performs job based on applicable federal, state, and local regulations, company policies and procedures, and evidenced based clinical guidelines
• Performs job within defined Scope of Practice
• Participates in the planning of the department budget
• Participates in planning and creating the hospital’s strategic plan to achieve the mission and vision of the hospital
• Participates in implementing policies and procedures related to nutrition care of the patient
• Participates in the hospital’s performance improvement program by conducting, aggregating, trending, and acting on data for key clinical nutrition indicators
• Annual QAPI department plan is developed with mandatory components. Monthly reports are taken to hospital committee as per facility policy
• Participates in quality assurance activities that ensure oral nutrition therapy is safe and accurate from the culinary department
• Participates in the survey process; instructs staff in matters of conduct and disclosure; maintains a presence at all times while surveyors are on-site and directs the timely collection of information required by the survey team. Undertakes corrective action while survey is in progress, if appropriate; works with other hospital departments to develop survey plan of correction, as needed
• Serves on various committees as required by company standards, regulations, and/or appointment by immediate supervisor

Direct Patient Care

• Conducts initial assessments and reassessments on all patients admitted to the hospital.
• Ensure proper completion of documentation (assessments, care plans, education, discharge planning)
• Prescribes nutrition therapy to meet estimated needs and monitors tolerance
• Provides ongoing reassessment to ensure optimal nutrition therapy is provided
• Participates with interdisciplinary team meetings to develop, implement, and monitor the nutrition care plan
• Interviews patients, family members, legal representatives, and/or significant others to obtain diet history, food preferences, and other pertinent information needed to develop and/or update plan of care
• Advocates for patient to protect and promote patients’ rights, and accommodate individual needs and cultural/religious preferences.
• Involves the patient/family in planning objectives and goals for the patient.
• Conducts nutrition education individually and in classes to patients, families, staff, and community as appropriate.
• Conducts meal rounds to ensure patients are receiving therapy that meets patient’s needs
• Coordinates with culinary department to resolve patients’ concerns or dissatisfactions with diet or meal service.

Menu Management (if Nutritonal Services manager is not a Registered Dietitian, then RD provides the following oversight)

• Provides oversight of the menu management process
• Reviews and approves all patient menus in the facility; must approve any substitutions provided to patients
• Provides oversight for the transcription of diet orders in the department to ensure accuracy.
• Provides oversight to patient snack process to ensure compliance with the diet order and distributed to patients timely.
• Provides training to manager and staff as needed on therapeutic diets and menus, food allergens, or other related topics.
• Is proficient in the menu management software system operations.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in dietetics or nutrition related field.
• Registration from the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
• State licensure/certification, if required by state.
• Previous experience in acute care setting, preferred.

Registered dietitians awaiting approval of state licensure/certification may practice under a provisional license if the state licensing board allows. Provisional dietitians must have all documentation in the medical record co-signed by a state licensed dietitian.