Summary The Clinical Dietitian is the medical nutrition expert. At this grade level, the clinical dietitian is responsible for independently planning, developing, and directing all nutritional care activities for assigned veterans, including those with complex medical and nutritional needs. The clinical dietitian supports the facility's mission and coordinates nutritional care with other health care providers. Salary Ranges: GS-7: $55,850 - $72,609 GS-9: $68,315 - $88,808 GS-11: $82,655 - $107,447 Responsibilities Provides nutrition consultation, assessment, and education to outpatients using face-to-face or telehealth modalities and to inpatients for nutrition-related problems, preventive health measures, and chronic disease management. He/she works closely with the medical team to ensure that patient nutritional needs are being met when an alternative form of nutrition managements (enteral or parenteral nutrition) is determined to be necessary. Supports the facility's mission and coordinates nutritional care with other health care providers, the patient, the patient's family, and the community. The increasing complexity and specialization in nutrition requires that the clinical dietitian have expertise in a wide range of disease entities, treatment modalities including medical nutrition therapy, and drug/nutrient interactions. Major Duties: Conducts comprehensive nutrition assessments for patients at nutritional risk. Interviews patients to obtain nutrition assessment data, lifestyle/activity/dietary patterns, and ability to understand and comply with a therapeutic diet. Develops and implements an individualized plan for medical nutrition therapy and education in accordance with the patient's input, medical goals, and objectives, and with the patient's health care team which may need to simultaneously address several disease processes. Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition counseling for individuals and groups, incorporating a learning approach that considers the cultural, religious, educational, and medical situation of the patient. As necessary, includes information regarding budgeting, menu planning, food purchasing and preparation, food storage, and sanitation. Maintains productivity standards and practices, effective time management, and prioritization of tasks. Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities, including information for scheduling and billing. Supports Performance Improvement activities by participating in the development of nutritional care indicators and evaluation criteria, collecting continuous quality improvement data, monitoring outcomes, and initiating corrective actions. Serves as the nutrition expert on the interdisciplinary treatment team which includes physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals. Develops and implements an individualized plan for professional growth including participation in professional organizations and activities, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs. Performs other related duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Authorized Functional Statement #: PD99500S 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 trial 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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). Exception for GS-07 and GS-09 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 GS-07 or GS-09 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. Grade Determinations: GS-7 level: None beyond the basic requirements. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of principles and practices of dietetics and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT); Ability to provide nutrition care utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) to patients, family members and/or caregivers considering psycho-social issues and age-appropriate, evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines; Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with patients, family and/or caregiver, and other professional healthcare providers (e.g., tailoring to audience and use of medical terminology); Ability to plan and organize work consisting of multiple tasks and priorities under direct supervision; Basic knowledge of, and ability to use, current information technology operations, software, hardware, terminology, security requirements, and capabilities; Knowledge of basic food production and service for various populations which incorporates principles of sanitation, safety, and menu planning within a healthcare environment; Knowledge of educational concepts, methods, and the ability to execute existing education and training activities for Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) employees. GS-9 level: At least 1 year of experience at the next lower level (GS-7) that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level, or education equivalent to 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, or master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to plan and organize work of considerable difficulty and responsibility, under general supervision; Knowledge of various food preparation and delivery systems within a healthcare environment; Knowledge of educational concepts, methods, training materials, and resources and the ability to develop and conduct education and training programs for NFS employees; Ability to participate in research studies and conduct performance improvement studies and document findings to evaluate staff, food, supplies, equipment, and service, in order to improve the efficiency of the operation; Knowledge of the principles and practices of clinical dietetics including NCP and MNT in order to plan, develop, and coordinate nutrition interventions, including enteral and parenteral nutrition, interdisciplinary care plans, and nutrition education activities that promote Veteran health, wellness and lifestyle management. GS-11 level: At least 1 year of experience at the next lower level (GS-9) that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level, or education equivalent to 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of best practices in the dietetics profession and in scientific literature, including knowledge of research methods, study design, data collection, interpretation of findings, and translation of results into nutrition practice; Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities; Ability to develop and maintain a system of internal reviews and direct quality control and performance improvement studies; Knowledge of computer software programs relative to food service systems. In addition to the KSAs identified in the paragraph above, candidates for clinical nutrition positions must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles and practices of nutrition care and the treatment of complex cases in clinical settings in order to develop, implement and coordinate best practices in the dietetics profession (e.g. assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation); Knowledge of best practices in areas of clinical nutrition and the ability to apply nutrition interventions to patients with multiple co-morbidities; Ability to act as a consultant for health care providers including registered dietetic technicians, dietetic interns, nurses, physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals. Preferred Experience: Specialized experience providing medical nutrition therapy. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary, but requires some walking, standing, bending, the carrying of light items such as books and papers. Education ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. Additional Information 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.
