02/27/1992 81430

CLINICAL DIETITIAN

DEFINITION: This is professional clinical dietetic work in a food service operation at a Commonwealth facility.

An employee in this class is responsible for planning and organizing the nutritional care of residents and other individuals at the facility including those on prescribed diets. Work involves the preparation and modification of menu plans and nutritional care plans in accordance with physicians' orders and
standards of nutrition, variety, and quality. In addition, employees are responsible for organizing a nutritional care program which includes nutritional assessments, discharge summaries, diet counseling and chart entries. Work may also involve making recommendations which involve the purchasing, finance, and quality assurance of food purchased. Work is performed with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment and is reviewed by a Clinical Dietetic Manager or Director of Dietetic Services through conferences, reports and evaluation of overall effectiveness.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Writes modified diets and compiles recipes, conducts classes in preparation and service of modified diet products.

Organizes a complete program of patient nutritional care including nutritional assessments, discharge summaries, diet counseling, chart entries, treatment team participation, and nutritional education programs.

Recommends ordering and prepare specifications for specialized food products for therapeutic use.

Assists in the preparation of the annual budget by submitting forecasts of program needs.

Coordinates with Food Services Manager to fill client/resident nutritional needs concerning flavor, texture, and general acceptability of therapeutic menus, plans therapeutic tray line requirements and is responsible for accuracy of diets served by food service personnel.

Attends and participates in inter and intra-departmental clinical care of patients, recommends appropriate dietary regime with other clinical modalities.

Presents nutritional audit component of the facility's quality assurance program including, but not limited to, patient acceptance of food, food conformance to quality standards, diet adherence, diet menu review, and annual review and revision of the diet manual.

Plans, schedules, teaches and evaluates nutritional care programs for patients, employees, professional staff, community groups and families, maintains records, compiles, develops and evaluates educational materials and uses them as aids in current nutritional education.

Provides guidance and direction to lower level dietetic staff performing work in the nutritional care for residents.

Develops and documents all policies and procedures related to nutritional care and presents them to a Higher Level Supervisor.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the modern principles, practices, and techniques of teaching dietetics, and nutritional care.

Knowledge of the modern methods, materials, practices and procedures used in a facility therapeutic diet program.

Knowledge of facility food service safety and sanitation standards.

Knowledge of the clinical and food service tasks performed by food service staff.

Knowledge of the methods, materials and equipment used in facility food service.

Knowledge of the proper care and use of food service equipment and its sanitation.

Knowledge of the procedures required in special diet tray assembling and distribution to insure the accuracy in quality of the menu items.

Knowledge of the methods, materials, and equipment used in the classroom instruction.

Ability to integrate the nutritional program into the overall dietetic program.

Ability to conduct formal classroom instruction in the principles of dietetics and nutrition.

Ability to prepare nutrition and dietetic curriculum and course content.

Ability to operate a variety of visual aids in conjunction with lesson presentation.

Ability to select and order proper texts and other required teaching materials according to course content and budgetary allowances.

Ability to plan and modify standard and therapeutic diet menus in accordance with physicians' prescriptions and standards of nutrition, cost, variety and quality.

Ability to provide special instructions to cooks and food service workers in the preparation of special diet food items.

Ability to plan and direct training programs for food service personnel.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with facility personnel, medical staff, and patient and student help.

Ability to consult with patients and families to provide information about diet restrictions and needs.

Ability to prepare and maintain files, records and reports relating to therapeutic diets, menus, orders, requisitions and inventory, and dietary personnel.

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Certification as a Registered Dietitian as defined by the Commission on Registration of the American Dietetic Association; or proof of eligibility for such certification.