Lead Pediatric Clinical Dietitian

• 1. Oversee milk room daily operations. Responsible for ensuring the milk room follows all polices, procedures, and standards of practice. Responsible for ensuring adequate staffing and timely attendance of milk room staff. Conducts regular audits of milk room processes. Leads and assists milk room monthly meetings. Ensure par levels of milk room supplies are kept. Responsible for ordering supplies as assigned. Distributes competency assessments to milk room staff. Maintains up to date competency assessment documentation on milk room staff. Oversee and assist training of new hires. Works with interdisciplinary staff to meet patient needs. Serves as the point of contact for research studies that involve the milk room. Responsible for maintaining calibration and maintenance records of all equipment in the milk room. Responsible for ensuring temperature logs are maintained. Responsible for placing and following through on work orders. Assists management with policy and SOP updates. Participates in departmental performance improvement initiatives as they relate to quality, safety, and patient satisfaction.
• 2. Demonstrates effective organizational skills and understanding of YNHH performance standards to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of medical nutrition therapy.
  Maintains all clinical documentation in an accurate and timely manner that conforms to HIPAA and section standards of practice.
  Reviews/revises section policies and procedures pertinent to areas of responsibility annually, and reviews recommendations/revisions with supervisor. Monitors patient food quality and conformance to departmental and medical nutrition therapy standards by accurately conducting tray assessments. Makes recommendations for, or writes/revises patient menus as assigned.
  Maintains a continuous state of regulatory readiness. Annually completes pertinent Healthstream and clinical competency training assignments.
• 3. Participates in professional development activities to maintain and advance knowledge base.Maintains registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration and other credentialing bodies, as appropriate.
  Maintains state certification as a dietitian-nutritionist.
  Participates in section/hospital sponsored continuing education activities and identifies pertinent age specific or population specific nutrition issues related to area of interest or specialty as evidenced by documented continuing education (i.e. CDR Professional Development Portfolio) and participation in journal club.
  Assumes responsibility for maintaining professional competence to ensure that services delivered reflect the most up-to-date, evidence based nutrition care
  Possesses a knowledge of departmental policies and procedures and keeps current with all procedural changes; demonstrates knowledge of job priorities, can be used as a resource in area of expertise, as observed by management.
• 4. Directly supervises day to day performance of dietetic intern on rotation. Identifies obstacles to individual learning; discusses solutions with supervisor and implements revised teaching strategies. Assists RDN preceptor staff with the mentoring and teaching of interns. Develops/revises behavioral objectives, including age and/or population specific goals for intern assignments and formal evaluations following the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/Commission for Accreditation of Dietetic Education Competency Statements as the foundation for learning experiences. Reviews educational objectives and formal evaluation tools annually with supervisor.
  Provides informal intern feedback throughout their rotation by reviewing initial drafts of assignments, reviewing and co-signing chart notes, and providing guidance and direction in carrying out planned experiences. Provides timely formal feedback by conducting intern evaluations within two weeks after completion of the rotation, adhering to faculty evaluation guidelines, as monitored by supervisor. Conducts formal and informal intern evaluations in a fair and objective manner as evidenced by intern feedback and management observation. Conducts formal dietetic intern classes, complete with written lesson plans/outlines as assigned by supervisor. Class content will be monitored by management for teaching strategies employed and appropriateness of information taught in terms of delivery time, relevance to clinical practice and intern feedback.
• 5. Leads Pediatric Dietitian staff.
  Responsible for the daily coordination of clinical nutrition patient care according to strict adherence to the section's established clinical nutrition standard of care guidelines.
  Conducts quality assurance and regulatory audits as assigned and consistently meets established deadlines. Develops quarterly peer chart audit schedule and ensures that all audits are accurate and entry is consistently timely.
  Conducts/participates in clinical management functions to support/document the delivery of cost effective, competent nutritional care services.
  Attends or chairs section, departmental and interdisciplinary meetings and in-services as assigned; ensures meeting minutes are completed and distributed in a timely manner; and follows through on section/departmental directives as observed by management. Leads journal club meetings on a quarterly basis.
  Develops/revises nutritional care guidelines and/or patient educational materials as assigned and reviews with Clinical Nutrition Director by established deadlines .Responds to staff time off requests according to department standards in a timely fashion. Completes staff monthly schedule ensuring coverage of clinical responsibilities by dept standards and deadline. Via peer audit process, ensures clinical nutrition care which is timely and conforms to scientific evidence and dept standards of care. Participates in multidisciplinary QAPI.
  Ensures annual professional, regulatory, and clinical competency requirements are met by all team members under purview. Maintains current and thorough personnel files of team members meeting regulatory compliance standards.
• 6. Effectively manages employee relations.
  Role models and promotes YNHHS standards of professional behavior.
  Maintains a high degree of employee job satisfaction through objective, consistent and participative management practices.
  Manages conflict, working effectively with a diverse group of people to achieve YNHHS goals.
  Participates in section and departmental strategic planning efforts as assigned.
  Collaborates with Director of Clinical Nutrition on performance reviews for all assigned staff by established review dates. Assists staff in setting challenging goals aligned with the hospital's mission.
  Accurately completes monthly clinical schedule to ensure all areas of responsibility are covered appropriately and hours scheduled align with budgeted hours with respect to the Payroll Trend Report (PTR). Ensures adherence to HR policies relating to time and attendance. Processes time requests within five business days.
• 7. Provides age and culturally appropriate medical nutrition therapy to patients using evidence-based practice guidelines and the Nutrition Care Process. Conducts timely nutrition assessments that accurately reflect the patient's nutritional risk factors in relation to their medical and/or psychiatric condition and treatment, adhering to section standards of practice. Designs age-appropriate nutrition prescriptions in accordance with the prescribed diet order and adapts it to best meet the individual needs and conform to the patient's educational level. Makes recommendations to patients/families and the healthcare team regarding medical nutrition therapy to ensure optimal nutritional management. Follows through on recommendations made by implementing age-appropriate nutrition care plans as demonstrated by documentation in the medical record. Verifies the appropriateness of all diet orders upon nutrition assessment/reassessment and monitors dietetic technician responsibilities to ensure that clinical operations, including age-appropriate menu corrections and patient satisfaction programs, are conducted according to standards of practice and by established deadlines. Demonstrates effective oral and written communication skills as they relate to assigned responsibilities by keeping pertinent staff (i.e., nursing, professional and technical staff, food service and clinical management staff) apprised of progress, problems, and concerns, including proposed solutions and recommended actions. Participates in departmental performance improvement initiatives as they relate to quality, safety, and patient satisfaction.
• 8. Participates on pertinent patient care rounds, task forces and committees as requested or assigned. Provides oral and/or written feedback to supervisor as directed. Interacts confidently, diplomatically and persuasively with healthcare professionals when making recommendations, presenting proposals, justifying decisions, and other problem solving activities as observed by management. Demonstrates effective teaching skills through patient/family education and presentations to the healthcare team and members of the community. Makes recommendations for referrals to other health care providers/services or follow-up after discharge as appropriate. Documents educational activities, and/or referral recommendations in the medical record and on patient discharge forms according to section standards. Demonstrates written communication skills that are clear, concise, grammatically correct and appropriate for the target audience as evidenced by written correspondence. Provides patient nutrition care and education in a manner that demonstrates fiscal responsibility and sensitivity to hospital/departmental cost containment initiatives as evidenced by developing realistic nutritional care plans, appropriately managing and/or justifying nonstandard or special food and formulary requests, justifying counseling/educational services delivered and through the judicial use of forms, supplies and time, as monitored by management.

EDUCATION

B.S. degree from an accredited college or university with successful completion of an accredited/approved Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics didactic program in dietetics required. Successful completion of a post-baccalaureate certificate program in dietetics/dietetic internship required. Completion of Master's degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE

A minimum of three (3) years practical experience in clinical dietetics required. Clinical practice in an acute care facility preferred. Teaching experience preferred.

LICENSURE

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Commission on Dietetic Registration)
Dietitian-Nutritionist Certification (CT State Department of Public Health)

SPECIAL SKILLS

Must have working knowledge of evidenced-based principles of medical nutrition therapy. Must provide competent nutrition assessment, follow-up, and education to individuals, groups, and members of the healthcare team using sound scientific knowledge, section standards of practice, and the Nutrition Care Process. Must maintain applicable continuing education credits in area of expertise including diabetes and organ transplantation (if applicable) to maintain registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Must be able to gather, review, and synthesize complex medical information to plan scientifically sound, realistic, and fiscally responsible patient care. Must have knowledge of theories and principles of food preparation, menu planning, and nutrient analysis to enable education of patients, families, groups, and other members of the healthcare team. Excellent oral and written communications skills required. Must work well independently to prioritize patient care, and work well as part of the healthcare team. Must demonstrate ability to competently teach and mentor dietetic interns in the practice of medical nutrition therapy. Must be able to use computer software systems including but not limited to word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and nutrient analysis programs, as well as varied electronic medical records systems.

PHYSICAL DEMAND

Must be able to sit and stand for significant lengths of time in completion of work tasks. Must be able to walk significant distances to provide coverage on geographically diverse hospital inpatient units or clinics.