Under the direction of theSystem Director, Nutrition, the Clinical Dietitian is responsible formaintaining a program that assures that the patients are provided with qualityand age appropriate Medical Nutrition Therapy consistent with hospital policyand in accordance with the requirements of The Joint Commission, the DPH andother regulatory agencies.

Job Specific Responsibilities:

• Establishes, maintains, monitors and evaluates appropriate standards of care for Medical Nutrition Therapy.
• Continually evaluates the nutrition program in relationship to established standards of care and offers suggestions for change as needed.
• Prioritizes daily work assignments to ensure monitoring of patients at nutritional risk.
• Provides Medical Nutrition Therapy to patients, determined on admission to be at nutritional risk, including assessment, intervention, determination of plan, goals and educational needs.
• Reviews medical orders for modified diets and assesses appropriateness of orders in conjunction with clinical status, age of patient, religious, ethnic and social-economic status. Interviews patients or others involved in patients care to obtain information regarding food habits and preferences for guidance in planning diets. Communicates regularly with these patients to assess diet acceptance and understanding.
• Documents Nutrition care plan in the medical record or in other appropriate places (i.e. computer, page 2 continuing care/discharge planning referral) within established time period. Maintains monthly productivity logs.
• Instructs patients, relatives and/or responsible party regarding prescribed diet, when determined necessary, during and subsequent to hospitalization. Documents patient's level of understanding and motivation to adhere to diet prescription.
• Uses the nutrition office communication book to identify and make other coworkers aware of pertinent issues.
• Maintains effective multi-disciplinary relationships and communication with medical staff, nursing and other health care professionals, including those outside the NSMC.
• Plans and conducts educational in-service programs for nursing staff, medical staff, nutrition and food service staff and the general public.
• Maintains professional competency, and develop an ongoing program of self-education through continuing education activities. This includes reviewing technical journals and publications, attending professional meetings, conferences and conventions and reporting on these at in-services.
• May serve on hospital committees related to patient care as assigned.
• Participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement Monitoring program established for Food and Nutrition Services Department.
• Conducts daily meal rounds to assess patient's intake, progress and acceptance of food. Communicates patient comments to managers, supervisors and cooks.
• Participates in multi disciplinary team meetings and/or attend medical rounds as appropriate.
• May provide individual or group nutritional counseling to outpatients as part of a hospital program or when referred for instruction by a physician.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required:

• Will be exposed to mental stress associated with dealing with recovering patients and their families. The job will require an ongoing ability to interpret, understand, remember, calculate, integrate and solve nutrition related issues as they pertain to patient care. Must maintain a minimum of 90% on clinical competencies via chard audits utilizing the approved chart audit tool.

• 1+ years of progressive therapeuticexperience with demonstrated competency of nutrition throughout the life-cycle(i.e. age appropriate for patients provided for in this unit).

• A Bachelor's or advanced degree from an accreditedcollege or university with a major in Nutrition. Completion of a dietetic internship,Coordinated Undergraduate Program or AP4 program approved by the AmericanDietetic Association.

• Licensure in the State of Massachusetts as a Dietitian isrequired within 90 days of hire. Also required to be currently registered as a dietitian (RADA) oreligible (must obtain R.D credentials within 12 months of hire in order toremain on staff).

Experience in long-term care is preferred.