Job Specification
DIETITIAN
DEFINITION:
Under direction, plans diets and develops and implements dietary
plans based on nutritional assessment and the special nutritional
needs of individuals; does related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The Dietitian is primarily, although not exclusively, concerned
with therapeutic diets for individuals or groups. The Dietitian
assesses nutritional needs and the nutritional status of individuals
through dietary histories of individuals, laboratory values,
anthropometric tests, and similar methods. The Dietitian counsels
individuals and families on dietary plans, and adapting plans to the
individual's therapeutic needs and life style.
Dietitians confer with physicians and other members of a health
care team and correlate the individual's nutritional care plan with
other care plans. They serve as advisors on nutritional care to all
members of the health care team. They may also counsel individuals
and their families on the requirements and importance of their diets
and suggest ways to maintain these diets after being discharged
from the institution.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Plans diets and supervises the preparation and serving of regular
and therapeutic diets to individuals prescribed by medical staff in
order to meet the nutritional needs of such individuals.
Confers with physicians and other members of the health team in
order to correlate the individual's nutritional care plan with other
care plans.
Discusses problems affecting individual's food habits and needs
for special diet requirements.
Formulates menus for therapeutic diets based on indicated
physiologic and psychological needs of individuals in order to
integrate them with basic institution menus.
Plans special meals for individuals placed on modified diets by
taking into consideration the nutritional value of foods, including
vitamin and mineral content, and human requirements.
Gives individual or group instruction to persons on restricted
diets, taking into consideration their psychological, social, and
economic needs.
Inspects meals assembly in order to ascertain that each tray
conforms to a prescribed diet and meets standards as to quality,
quantity, temperature, and appearance.
Observes and monitors the temperatures, food handling practices,
sanitation, and portioning of meals.
Provides dietary counseling to individuals and their families while
the individual is in the facility and at the time of discharge in order
to suggest ways to help them stay on their diets.
Assesses the nutritional needs of each person, prepares an
individual dietary service in accordance with an alternative
schedule which the Dietitian justifies, and documents in the
individual's medical charts.
Evaluates and follows up on individual's nutritional care program
and records all necessary data on individual's medical charts.
Provides nutritional guidance and consultation to other patient
care personnel.
Reviews medical orders for required modified diets.
Instructs personnel regarding type and quantity of food to be
prepared and any special techniques to be employed.
Trains staff to gather and chart necessary patient information to
assist with ascertaining and meeting the dietary needs of patients.
Interviews individuals while making rounds in order to obtain
information regarding food habits, preferences, and acceptability
of food served for guidance in planning diets.
Initiates referral of specific individuals to community agencies for
follow up with physician's approval.
Keeps records and compiles reports concerning technical and
administrative operations such as number of meals served, analysis
of diets, supplies issued, repairs to dietary equipment, and personnel
attendance records.
May assist in selecting for employment, assigning duties, supervising,
and evaluating dietary personnel.
May maintain time records of employees on duty and inspect kitchen,
pantries, and equipment for cleanliness.
May schedule hours of duty and work assignments, orient new
employees, and grant leave authorizations.
Requisitions supplies and equipment required by diet kitchen.
Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or
manual recording and computerized information systems used by
the agency, office, or related units.
REQUIREMENTS:
EDUCATION:
Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree
with a major concentration in Dietetics, Nutrition, Food, Food Science,
or Food Service Management.
EXPERIENCE:
Completion of a dietetic internship and professional experience in
nutrition when combined totals one (1) year, or one (1) year of full-time
professional experience in nutrition.
NOTE: A current and valid Certification as a Registered Dietitian
issued by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics may be substituted
for education and one (1) year of experience.
OR
Graduation from an accredited college with a Master's degree
in Dietetics, Nutrition, Food, Food Science, or Food Service
Management.
LICENSE:
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid
in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than
employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties
of the position.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of the principles and practices of dietetics and diet
management including food costs and cost fluctuations and similar
matters.
Knowledge of modern diet and food preparation methods, and
materials used in a large and/or small food service unit.
Knowledge of health and safety requirements for kitchen personnel,
machinery, and equipment.
Knowledge of sociology or psychology to understand the
individual's basic social needs, developmental processes,
and culturally acquired attitudes and habits.
Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret dietary problems.
Ability to develop normal and therapeutic diets.
Ability to adapt normal and therapeutic diets to the group's and
to the individual's cultural, religious, economic needs, and
preferences.
Ability to apply the professional sciences of food, nutrition, and
management.
Ability to organize assigned dietary and supervisory work and
develop effective work methods.
Ability to design dietary plans for meeting the physiological
needs of individuals and groups based on a knowledge of food
composition and nutrient requirements of individuals.
Ability to integrate nutrition services into the health delivery
system.
Ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to staff.
Ability to develop suitable work schedules for assigned employees.
Ability to work harmoniously with associates.
Ability to use effective oral communication techniques in
persuading and informing individuals and groups.
Ability to establish and maintain suitable records and files.
Ability to organize and write technical reports, procedures,
pamphlets, and similar documents.
Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or
manual recording and information systems used by the
agency, office, or related units.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in
English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position.
American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered
as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as
long as they can perform the essential functions of the job
after reasonable accommodation is made to their known
limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because
it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons
may not be eligible.
This job specification is applicable to the following title code: | | Job
Spec
Code | Variant | State,
Local or
Common | Class of
Service | Work
Week | State
Class
Code | Local
Class
Code | Salary
Range | Note | | 01534 | | L | C | | N/A | 23 | | - |
This job specification is for local government use only.
Salary range is only applicable to state government.
Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions.
3/8/2012 |
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