Dietitian (Clinical)

Qualifications 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) 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) 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 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 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) English Language Proficiency Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Grade Determinations: Dietitian (Clinical), GS-07 Experience or Education None beyond the basic requirements Assignment Employees in this assignment serve in a Dietitian (Clinical) entry-level developmental position They work under the guidance of a Dietitian who is at the full performance level or above, performing increasingly complex tasks designed to prepare them for promotion Clinical Dietitians conduct nutrition assessments for patients with lower acuity using the NCP while developing skills to apply evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines Clinical Dietitians learn to interpret research, apply whole health principles and develop patient-centered goals They develop skills in accurate record keeping of clinical activities and complete patient encounters using approved systems Clinical Dietitians comply with The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care Dietitian (Clinical), GS-09 Experience At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level OR Education Master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college Knowledge, Skills and Abilities In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements (b) Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care (c) Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation) (d) Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes (e) Ability to develop patient-centered goals (f) Ability to collect data for performance improvement studies (g) Ability to collaborate with stakeholders Assignment They perform increasingly complex tasks under general supervision Clinical Dietitians conduct nutrition assessments using the NCP They develop skills in applying evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines, interpreting research and utilizing whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes Clinical Dietitians also utilize virtual care technology to improve access to care They maintain accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and patient encounters using approved systems Clinical Dietitians comply with TJC and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care They collect data related to performance improvement activities within Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) and assist in implementing new initiatives Clinical Dietitians collaborate with the Food Service Section to enhance the Veterans' dining experience, support patient satisfaction and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the food service section Dietitian (Clinical), GS-11 Experience At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade Knowledge, Skills and Abilities In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in delivering patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation) (b) Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes (c) Skill in developing patient-centered goals (d) Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies (e) Skill in collaborating with stakeholders (f) Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory and agency authorities Assignment Employees in this assignment serve in a Dietitian (Clinical) full performance level position Clinical Dietitians conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments for Veterans using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation), assuring high-quality nutrition care They apply evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines, interpret research and utilize whole health principles to develop patient- centered goals and improve outcomes Clinical Dietitians also utilize virtual care technology to improve access to care They are accountable for independent and accurate record keeping, autonomous coverage of daily clinical activities and efficiently completing patient encounters using approved systems Clinical Dietitians are knowledgeable of and ensure work accomplishments comply with TJC and other accrediting agency standards and ensure continuous improvement of safe and quality care They collect and analyze data related to performance improvement activities within NFS, lead activities in the implementation of new initiatives and collaborate with stakeholders Clinical Dietitians frequently collaborate with the food service section and leadership staff to enhance the Veteran's dining experience, support patient satisfaction and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the Food Service Section Preferred Experience: Demonstrated understanding of nutrition needs and interventions for inpatient mental health, medical/surgical, and/or critical care At least 1 year of experience in acute care (medicine/surgical and/or critical care), long-term care or long-term acute care hospitals Reference: a25371ca-cde7-4fb6-ba87-2cf40b156c8b