Registered Dietician

Purpose of Your Job Position

The primary purpose of your position is to plan, organize, develop, and direct the overall operations of the Food Services Department in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards guidelines, and regulations, that govern the Facility, and as may be directed by the Administrator, to assure that quality nutritional services are being provided on a daily basis and that the Food Services Department is maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

Delegation of Authority

As Dietitian you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.

Job Function

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or is an essential function of the position.

Duties and Responsibilities

Administrative Functions

· Assume the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability of directing the Food Services Department.

· Plan, develop, organize, implement, evaluate, and direct the Facility’s Food Services Department, its programs, and activities.

· Coordinate food service activities with other related departments (i.e., Nursing, Environmental, Activities, Social Services, etc.), as necessary.

· Develop, implement, and maintain written departmental policies for the Food Services Department. Ensure staff is aware of and follows established policies.

· Assist the food services staff in the development and use of departmental procedures governing food service activities, equipment, supplies, etc.

· Assist in developing and maintaining written job descriptions for each level of food service personnel in accordance with current labor laws governing job positions.

· Be responsible for obtaining, maintaining, and filing material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for hazardous chemicals used or stored in the Food Services Department. Ensure staff is trained in the use of MSDSs.

· Interpret the Food Services Department’s policies and procedures to employees, residents, visitors, government agencies, etc., as necessary.

· Perform administrative duties such as completing necessary forms, reports, evaluations, studies, etc., to assure control of equipment and supplies.

· Review the department’s policies, procedure manuals, job descriptions, etc., at least annually for revisions. Make recommendations to the Administrator.

· Keep abreast of economic conditions and situations and recommend to the Administrator adjustments in food services that assure the continued ability to provide daily dietary services.

· Make written oral reports and recommendations to the Administrator, as necessary or required, concerning the operation of the Food Services Department.

· Submit accident or incident reports to the Human Resources Delegate within twenty-four (24) hours of their occurrence.

· Review and develop a plan of correction for any food service deficiencies noted during state and federal surveys and provide a written copy of such plan to the Administrator for his or her approval.

· Delegate a responsible staff member to act in your behalf when absent from the Facility.

· Assist in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job related dietary functions to ensure that tasks involving potential exposure to blood and body fluids are properly identified and recorded.

· Review departmental complaints and grievances from personnel and make written reports to the Administrator of action(s) taken.

· Develop and implement a food service organization structure.

· Assist in developing and implementing plans of action to correct any food service deficiencies.

· Develop, implement, and maintain an ongoing quality assurance program for the Food Services Department.

· Assist in planning the food services portion of the resident’s discharge plan.

· Participate in the Facility’s state and federal surveys (inspections), as directed.

· Assist in developing methods for determining quality and quantity of food served.

· Ensure that charted food service progress notes are informative and descriptive of the services provided and of the resident’s response to the service.

· Ensure that menus are maintained and filed in accordance with current industry standards of practice as well as established policies and procedures.

· Maintain an adequate liaison with families and residents.

· Maintain a reference library of written material, current FDA food code manuals, OBRA regulations, diet manuals, etc., necessary for complying with industry standards of practice and OBRA regulations and that will provide assistance in maintaining quality food service.

· Assist in planning regular and special diet menus as prescribed by the attending physician.

· Assist in developing diet plans for individual residents.

· Assist the Food Services Director in planning menus, work schedules, etc., as required.

· Review therapeutic and regular diet plans and menus to assure they comply with the physician’s orders.

· Review the dietary requirements of each resident admitted to the Facility and assist the attending physician in planning for the resident’s prescribed diet plan.

· Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments, in planning food service programs and activities.

Committee Functions

· Serve on, participate in, and attend various committees of the Facility, as required and as appointed by the Administrator.

· Provide written and/or oral reports of the food service programs and activities, as required or as may be directed by such committee(s).

· Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to food services.

· Meet with food service personnel, on a regularly scheduled basis, and solicit advice from staff concerning the operation of the Food Services Department. Assist in identifying and correcting problem areas, and/or the improvement of services.

· Attend department head meetings, etc., as scheduled or as may be called.

· Schedule and announce departmental meeting times, dates, places, etc.

Personnel Functions

· Assist in the recruitment, interviewing, and selection of Food Services Department’s personnel.

· Make weekly inspections of all food service functions to assure that quality control measures are continually maintained.

· Determine staffing requirements necessary to meet the Food Services Department’s needs and schedule a sufficient number of personnel for each shift.

· Recommend to the Administrator the number and level of food service personnel to employ.

· Assist in scheduling departmental work hours (including vacation and holiday schedules), personnel, work assignments, etc., to expedite work.

· Delegate administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability to other food service personnel, as necessary, to perform their assigned duties (i.e., Team Leader Food Services, Cooks, etc.).

· Counsel and discipline food service personnel, as requested or as necessary.

· Terminate employment of personnel when necessary, documenting, and coordinating such actions with the Human Resources Delegate and/or Administrator.

· Assist in standardizing the methods in which departmental tasks will be performed.

· Review and check competence of food service personnel and make necessary adjustments and corrections, as required or that may become necessary.

· Maintain a productive working relationship with other department supervisors and coordinate food services to assure that daily food services can be performed without interruption.

· Be sure that food service personnel are performing required duties and that appropriate food service procedures are being rendered to meet the needs of the Facility.

· Assist in establishing a food service production line, etc., to assure that meals are prepared on time.

· Monitor absenteeism to ensure that an adequate number of food service personnel are on duty at all times. Report problem areas to the Human Resources Delegate or Administrator.

· Conduct departmental performance evaluations in accordance with the Facility’s policies and procedures. Review with personnel as indicated.

Staff Development

· Develop and participate in the planning, conducting, and scheduling of timely in-service training classes that provide instructions on “how to do the job,” to ensure a well-educated Food Services Department.

· Develop, implement, and maintain an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to the department, its policies, and procedures, and to his/her job position and duties.

· Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for the Food Services Department.

· Encourage departmental staff to attend and participate in outside training programs. Schedule times as appropriate.

· Assist support services in developing, implementing, and conducting in-service training programs that relate to the Food Services Department.

· Ensure that food service personnel attend annual/mandatory in-service training programs (e.g., Hazard Communication, Bloodborne Pathogens, AIDS, TB, Abuse, Safety, Infection Control, HIPAA, etc.).

· Ensure that food service personnel are trained to use labels and MSDSs to recognize hazards and to follow appropriate protective measures.

Safety and Sanitation

· Assist in developing safety standards for the Food Services Department.

· Ensure the Facility’s food service policies and procedures identify the safety precautions and equipment to use when performing tasks that could result in bodily injury.

· Assist in the development of the Facility’s emergency feeding plan.

· Monitor food service personnel to assure that they are following established safety precautions in the use of equipment and supplies.

· Ensure that food service work areas are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.

· Ensure that all food storage rooms, preparation areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

· Ensure that food service personnel performing tasks that may involve exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals participate in appropriate in-service training programs prior to performing such tasks.

· Assist in the development, implementation, and revising of dietary aseptic and infection control guidelines, as necessary.

· Ensure that appropriate protective clothing and devices are readily available for handling infectious waste and/or blood/ and/or body fluids.

· Ensure that all food service personnel follow established departmental policies and procedures, including appropriate dress codes.

· Ensure that food service personnel participate in and conduct all fire safety and disaster preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.

· Develop, implement, and maintain a program for monitoring and reporting communicable and/or infectious diseases among food service personnel.

· Ensure that food service personnel follow established infection control procedures when quarantine or isolation precautions become necessary.

· Ensure that food service personnel are following current hand washing procedures.

Assessment and Care Plan Functions

· Participate in completing, coding, and revising of the Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS) to ensure the resident’s dietary needs are met.

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