This PACT Dietitian position is in Nutrition and Food Services, located at the VA Bedford Healthcare Systems in Bedford, MA. This position is full-time at 40 hours.
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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Dietitians must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). 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. 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). Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college, university or foreign equivalent (refer to Foreign Education below). 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. 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. Non-credentialed Dietitians must provide care under the supervision of a RDN at or above the full performance level. Temporary appointments of non-credentialed Dietitian will not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment. 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. Loss of Credential: In collaboration with HR Office staff, management officials must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain the required registration/certification of duties and responsibilities associated with the occupation and/or assignment, which may also result in separation from employment. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must also meet the below grade requirements. GS-07 Dietitian (Clinical) (Entry Level Developmental) - No additional requirements beyond the basic requirements. GS-09 Dietitian (Clinical) (Developmental) Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09 you must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) OR a master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. Your experience or education must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care. Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation). Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes. Ability to develop patient-centered goals. Ability to collect data for performance improvement studies. Ability to collaborate with stakeholders. GS-11 Dietitian (Clinical) (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 must possess at least 1 year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) which demonstrates the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Skill in delivering patient care using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring, and evaluation). Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes. Skill in developing patient-centered goals. Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies. Skill in collaborating with stakeholders. Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory and agency authorities. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-11. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
The Clinical Dietician is the medical nutrition expert in the Clinical Section of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS). At this grade level, the clinical dietician is responsible for independently planning, developing and directing all nutritional care activities for assigned Veterans, including those with complex medical and nutritional needs.Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Conducts comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP), including nutrition focused physical examinations, to establish a nutrition diagnosis and determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition. Develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to address the nutrition diagnosis, evaluates and monitors the effectiveness and outcomes of MNT interventions. Modifies the plan as needed to achieve positive patient outcomes. Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions tailoring the diet prescription to each individual patient.- Documents MNT in the medical record using the Assessment, Diagnosis, Intervention, Monitoring, Evaluation (ADIME) format. Functions independently and accurately when record keeping. Identifies patients in need of nutritional support and recommends the appropriate mode of support and communicates appropriately with the health care team. Actively participates in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings. Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups that is tailored to the Veteran(s). Utilizes virtual care technology to improve access to care. Maintains productivity standards.- Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters using approved systems. Ensures continuous improvement of safe and quality care of Veterans. Leads activities in the implementation of new initiatives. Uses data in the development of measures, data evaluation, and initiation of corrective actions. Complies with The Joint Commission requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care. Collaborates with the Food Operations Section and department leadership to enhance the Veterans' dining experience, support patient satisfaction, and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the Food Operations Section. May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Dietitian (Clinical)PD995202S, PD99530S, and PD99529S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is not a Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.