Summary This position is located in the Clinical Section of the Nutrition and Food Services Department at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, IL. The Clinical Dietitian coordinates nutritional care of Veterans with other health care providers, the Veteran, the Veteran's caregiver, and the community. The incumbent interprets, researches and utilizes whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes. Responsibilities This employee serves as the Dietitian (Clinical) within the Clinical Section of Nutrition & Food service. This individual will perform increasingly complex tasks as they acquire skills in clinical nutrition to apply evidenced-based nutrition practice guidelines. Clinical Dietitians coordinate nutritional care of Veterans with other health care providers, the Veteran's caregiver and the community. Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: 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 nutritional diagnoses, 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 medical records 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. Leads activities in the implementation of new initiatives. Uses data evaluation and initiatives. Work Schedule: Part-Time, 9:00am-2:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: N/A Position Description Title/PD#: Dietitian (Clinical)/PD000000 Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.) English Language Proficiency: Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Registration/Certification: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - Must be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing branch of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA). 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. COPY OF REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Exception for GS09 Only: Dietitians who do not possess the RDN/RD credential. Non-credentialed Dietitians who otherwise meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below, but do not possess the RDN credential, may be given a full-time temporary appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2). May only be appointed at the GS09 level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential. Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent. 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. ~AND~ 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 are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements. 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). Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian: RDN and Registered Dietitian (RD) credentials are the same and both are qualifying. The difference between RDN and RD is in name only due to a change by the professional academy in 2014. In this standard, the term RDN will be used. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following 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 up must possess at least 1 year of experience as an RDN/RD 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G20 - Dietitian Qualification Standards. Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. Normal safety precautions and practices are required for working in a healthcare environment. For additional guidance, please refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements Education ACEND accredited programs are 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. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
