Dietitian (Clinical)

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:
a
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)
b
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)(2)
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 (see below) (Foreign Education only) 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
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
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
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
Employees appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, either on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
The following provisions apply to employees who do not meet all the qualification requirements: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in a supervisory or managerial position
Employees must meet the assignment-specific certification/education requirements to be placed in Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice) or Dietitian (Dietetic Internship Director) assignments
Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or registration/certification that meet all the qualification standard's basic or assignment-specific requirements must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation/assignment
Employees retained in this occupation under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re entry in the occupation GRADE DETERMINATIONS: GS-07: Experience or Education
None beyond the basic requirements
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
In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs (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: Experience: At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities): Skill in delivering patient care using the 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
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/80 PART II APPENDIX G20 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS7 to GS11
Preferred Experience: Master's degree in nutrition or other related health field: 3 or more years' experience as a clinical dietitian; 2 or more years outpatient nutrition counseling experience; Experience leading group nutrition classes Physical Requirements
See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

"The duties of this position 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 Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad Hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"