Job Specification
SENIOR DIETITIAN
DEFINITION:
Under direction, takes the lead over Dietitian(s) involved in the
planning of diets and in the development and implementation of dietary
plans based on nutrition assessment and the special nutrition needs of
patients in a hospital, extended care, or long term care facility, or
other health care facility; does related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The Dietitian is a member of the health care team and is primarily
concerned with therapeutic diets for individuals or groups who are
located in hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facilities.
The Dietitian assesses nutrition needs and the nutrition status of
individuals through dietary histories of individuals, laboratory
values, anthropometric tests, and similar methods. The Dietitian
counsels individuals and families on dietary plans, adapting plans to
the individuals' therapeutic needs and life style.
Dietitians confer with physicians and other members of the health
care team and correlate the patients' nutrition care plan with other
patient care plans. They serve as advisors on nutrition care to all
members of the health care team. They may also counsel individual
patients and their families on the requirements and importance of their
diets and suggest ways to maintain these diets after being discharged
from the institution.
The Senior Dietitian performs duties similar in nature to those
performed by a Dietitian. The main distinction between this position
and the next lower class is that the Senior Dietitian exercises
leadership functions over one (1) or more Dietitians as assigned.
This responsibility generally entails:
1. Distributing and balancing the workload among other
Dietitians.
2. Passing on to the other Dietitians instructions received from
the supervisor.
3. Making necessary adjustments in work procedures or the flow of
work.
4. Demonstrating proper work methods.
5. Sees that needed supplies and equipment are available.
6. Answering the questions of other Dietitians as to procedures,
policies, regulations, and instructions, and instructing them in the
performance of specific tasks and job techniques.
7. Checking on work in progress and completed to see whether the
supervisor's instructions have been carried out properly.
8. Giving on the job training to newly hired Dietitians in
accordance with established procedures and practices.
9. Answering questions of the supervisor regarding overall work
operations and problems.
10. Informing the supervisor as to the progress and training needs
of the other Dietitians, and making suggestions regarding disciplinary
matters, promotions, reassignments, dismissals, and other personnel
problems.
This responsibility is in contrast to that of a Head Dietitian,
the next higher level title in this series, in that the Head Dietitian
has overall supervisory and managerial authority in the management of a
large scale meal planning and/or preparation program.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Takes the lead over other Dietitians and is involved in the
performance of the following duties.
Plans diets and supervises the preparation and serving of regular
and therapeutic diets to patients prescribed by medical staff in order
to meet the nutrition needs of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or
other health care facility.
Confers with physicians and other members of the health team in
order to correlate the patients¿ nutrition care plan with other patient
care plans.
Discusses problems affecting patients food habits and needs for
special diet requirements.
Formulates menus for therapeutic diets based on indicated
physiologic and psychological needs of patients in order to integrate
them with basic institution menus.
Plans special meals for patients 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 the psychological, social, and
economic needs of patients.
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.
Provides dietary counseling to patients and their families while
the patient is in the facility and at the time of discharge in order to
suggest ways to help them stay on their diets.
Assesses the nutrition needs of each patient, prepares an
individual dietary care plan, and reassesses the patient's response to
dietary service in accordance with an alternative schedule which the
Dietitian justifies and documents in the patients' medical record.
Evaluates and follows up on patients' nutrition care program and
records all necessary data on patient's medical charts.
Provides nutrition guidance and consultation to other patient care
personnel.
Reviews medical orders for modified diets required for patients.
Instructs personnel regarding type and quantity of food to be
prepared and any special techniques to be employed.
Interviews patients while making ward rounds in order to obtain
information regarding food habits, preferences, and acceptability of
food served for guidance in planning diets.
Initiates referral of specific patients 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.
Assists in selecting for employment, assigning duties, supervising
and evaluating dietary personnel.
Maintains time records of employees on duty and inspects kitchen,
pantries, and equipment for cleanliness.
Schedules hours of duty and work assignments, orients new
employees, and grants 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 two (2) years of
professional experience in nutrition, or two (2) years 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
may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.
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, development processes, and culturally
acquired attitudes and habits.
Knowledge of physiology to understand the functioning of the
various systems of the human body, such as the digestion of food,
nutrient absorption, transport, and metabolism.
Knowledge of the interrelationships of chemical organic and
inorganic compounds, such as vitamins, enzymes, and hormones,
in bodily functions.
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 | | 06046 | | L | C | | N/A | 27 | | - |
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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