02/27/1992 81440

CLINICAL DIETITIAN MANAGER

DEFINITION: This is professional and administrative work directing clinical dietetic services at a Commonwealth facility.

An employee in this class is responsible for directing the overall nutritional care program of all individuals including those on prescribed therapeutic diets. Work includes planning, organizing and directing the clinical dietetic services and coordinating these services with food production and services. Work includes directing the preparation of diet menus, the evaluation of nutritional care, the maintenance of nutritional care data, and the nutritional education of patients and other individuals at the facility. Important aspects of this work include inter and intra-departmental coordination to insure conformance with the dietary prescription for individuals on prescribed diets. Supervision is exercised over Clinical Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians. Work is performed with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment, and is reviewed by the Director of Dietetic Services through conferences, reports, and evaluation of overall effectiveness.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Plans, organizes, and directs a complete program of patient nutritional care for all individuals including those on prescribed therapeutic diets.

Supervises a subordinate staff involved in nutritional assessments and discharge summaries, diet counseling, chart entries, treatment team participation, and nutritional education programs.

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, responsible for planning therapeutic tray line requirements and 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, professional staff, community groups and families, maintains records, compiles, develops and evaluates educational materials and uses them as aids in current nutritional education.

Develops and documents all policies and procedures related to nutritional care and presents them to the Director of Dietetic Services.

Performs related work as required.

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

Knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques and methods of supervision and training.

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 dietary and food service staff.

Knowledge of the methods, materials and equipment used in facility dietetic and food services operations.

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 and quality of the menu items.

Knowledge of the methods, materials, and equipment used in training and 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 direct the work of clinical dietary personnel and determine proper unit staffing.

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 restriction and needs.

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

Ability to resolve personnel problems, provide employee counseling and prevent minor complaints from resulting in formal grievances.

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Two years experience as a Clinical Dietitian.

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.