Registered Dietician

Purpose and Scope

Provides nutritional services for the facility's in-center and home patients to maximize nutritional status and improve clinical outcomes. Functions as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, supporting the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAI) activities.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Assesses patient's knowledge of diet and kidney disease and provides education appropriate to learning needs.
• Provides patient-specific detailed education to patient/family/caregiver regarding nutritional status, adequacy measures and results, fluid status, and nutrition-related lab parameters.
• Completes nutritional assessment and participates in interdisciplinary comprehensive assessments.
• Participates with the interdisciplinary team in developing a written, individualized comprehensive plan of care in accordance with Federal and state licensure guidelines.
• Calculates diet prescription according to standard of practice.
• Completes progress notes on all chronic dialysis patients and maintains complete and accurate documentation in the medical record.
• Provides ongoing nutrition assessment and outcome-oriented nutrition counseling.
• Identifies malnourished patients and those at risk for malnutrition and works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team on interventions.
• Monitors adherence and response to nutrition therapy and adjusts therapy as needed.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team on Urea Kinetic Modeling recommendations to achieve the physician's prescription of Kt/V.
• Collaborates on management and recommendations for mineral metabolism and renal bone disease, anemia and iron status, nutritional status, psychosocial status, vascular access, modality, rehabilitation status and sodium/volume control.
• Reports on nutrition QAI results and participates in the interdisciplinary QAI program.
• Collaborates and coordinates with team members in provision of Pre-ESRD education as appropriate.
• Reviews nutrition-related lab results, counsels patient/caregiver, and formulates appropriate action.
• Recommends treatment changes to the interdisciplinary team and communicates with physician and facility staff regarding lab results.
• Participates in staff meetings, quality improvement meetings, and care plan meetings.
• Maintains dietetic registration and continuing education hours as specified by the American Dietetic Association and state licensure regulations.

Education and Required Credentials

• Registered Dietitian as per Commission on Dietetic Registration.
• Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition encouraged.
• Current state licensure if applicable.

Experience and Skills

• Minimum of 1-year professional work experience in clinical nutrition as a Registered Dietitian.
• Previous renal experience preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership competencies including ability to teach, strong organizational skills, excellent communication, customer service, relationship development, results orientation, team building and decision making.
• Able to perform responsibilities with minimum supervision.
• Basic computer skills required.