Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice)

Summary

The Long Beach VA Health Care System is recruiting for (1) Advanced Practice Dietitian within the Nutrition and Food Service at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center. The incumbent oversees the medical nutrition therapy of the most complex and/or high-risk patients and works closely with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to ensure that Veterans' nutritional needs are being met, including when an alternative form of nutrition management is necessary.

Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to: Provides consultant services regarding nutrition support, nutritional products, polices, procedures, research and on complex Veteran care problems to VHA staff including physicians, interns, residents, dietitians, pharmacist, nurses, discharger planners, and others within. Conducts a comprehensive nutrition assessment using the Nutrition Care Process Model (NCPM) including nutrition focused physical exam (NFPE). Coordinates the education of medical staff, students, Veterans and families on the medical nutrition therapy inpatient and outpatient plan. Serves as an education resource, instructing physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, interns and residents with VALBHCS on the current research and practice regarding nutrition support issues. Instruction may involve specialty aspects of nutrition such as critical care, drug/nutrient interactions of short bowel rehabilitation, inborn errors of metabolism, meal management or nutrition management of Veterans. Maintains productivity standards and practices, effective time management, and prioritizing of tasks. Maintain accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities, including information for scheduling, coding and billing. Supports Performance Improvement activities by participating in the development of nutritional care indicators, evaluation criteria, collecting continuous quality improvement data, monitoring outcomes and initiating corrective actions. Serves as the nutrition expert on interdisciplinary treatment team which includes physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other allied health professionals. Advises interdisciplinary health care team of nutritional recommendations, goals, and efficacy of nutrition therapy. Discusses pertinent findings and interprets nutritional information which will assist the team in developing comprehensive patient treatment plans. Maintains dietetic registration and continuing education requirements. Develops and implements an individualized plan for professional growth and development including participation in professional organizations and activities, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday. 8:00am-4:30pm, including weekend and holiday rotation, per agency needs. Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Registration. All applicants must hold the RDN credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Note: Applicants who hold the RDN credential have met the education requirement (e.g. bachelor's degree or higher) of CDR, as such this occupation is considered professional and scientific with a positive education requirement and the procedures in Part I, Chapter 4 of this Handbook will be followed when applying Veteran's preference. Exception for Dietitians who do not possess the RDN credential. (a) Non-credentialed Dietitians who meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below, but do not possess the RDN credential, may be given a temporary full-time appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2). i. Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: A. Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college, university or foreign equivalent (refer to ii below). B. Completed an ACEND® accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN. A list of ACEND® accredited programs is located on the ACEND® website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. ii. Foreign Education. To be creditable, college and/or university degrees earned outside the U.S and its territories must be evaluated by ACEND® and meet ACEND®'s International Dietitian Education standards which are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and competencies to sit for the CDR credentialing exam. (b) Non-credentialed Dietitians may only be appointed at the GS-07 or GS-09 grade level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential. (c) Non-credentialed Dietitians must provide care under the supervision of a RDN at or above the full performance level. (d) Temporary appointments of non-credentialed Dietitian will not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment. (d) Temporary appointments of non-credentialed Dietitian will not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment. (e) Failure to Obtain Registration. In all cases, Dietitians must actively pursue meeting registration requirements starting from their appointment date. At the time of appointment, servicing Human Resources (HR) staff in collaboration with the supervisor, will provide non-registered Dietitians the written requirement to obtain registration, the date by which they must acquire it and the consequences for not doing so by the deadline. Failure to obtain registration within one year from the date of appointment will result in removal from the Dietitian, GS-0630 occupation and may result in termination of employment. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification, where applicable. Grade Determinations: Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice), GS-12. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Certification. Must hold an advanced practice certification from a nationally recognized certifying body such as the National Board of Nutrition Certification. The certification must be Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience and certification above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in leading a team in the implementation of nutrition-related activities. (b) Skill in utilizing evidence- based practice guidelines to establish or modify goals and improve patient outcomes. (c) Ability to communicate in writing to develop policies and standard operating procedures. (d) Ability to serve as a nutrition expert, providing technical guidance, direction and staff development. (e) Ability to lead research or performance improvement studies. (f) Ability to present complex nutrition information to a large group of health care providers to persuade and influence provision of care. Assignment. For all assignments above the full perfor