Summary 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, the veteran, the Veteran's caregiver and the community. Responsibilities Nutritional Care: Conducts a comprehensive nutrition assessment utilizing the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) for assigned patients. Develops and implements an individualized plan for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) in accordance with the patient's medical program goals and objectives. Performs a Nutrition Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) during assessments to determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition. Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food/drug interactions. Evaluates patterns and relationships among data obtained and possible root causes for nutrition problems. Tailors diet prescription to each individual patient according to physical and metabolic needs. Prioritizes the importance of nutrition problems for optimal health, recovery from illness, management of chronic disease or disease prevention. Utilizes evidenced-based nutrition practice guidelines and Whole Health Principles to develop shared goals with the patient and formulates a plan of care that is focused on the etiology of the nutrition problem. Identifies patients in need of nutritional support and recommends the appropriate mode of support. Documents nutrition care plan in the patient's medical record. Evaluates the effectiveness and measures progress toward outcomes of nutrition interventions by comparing current findings with previous goals and/or reference standards. Nutrition Education and Coordination of Care: Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups, incorporating a learning approach that considers the cultural, religious, educational and medical situation of the patient. Identifies drug-nutrient interactions and counsels / communicates with the patient regarding the impact on nutrition status and/or nutrient utilization. Provides follow-up nutrition education/counseling in accordance with the patient's treatment goals and determines when a problem requires consultation or referral to another provider or service. Functions as a clinical preceptor for the dietetic internship program and in a teaching role for other health care professionals, patients and the community. Develops and prepares Healthy Teaching Kitchen presentations. Business Functions: Maintains productivity standards. Monitors completion of consult management tasks by reviewing assigned nutrition consults. Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters utilizing the Event Capture System (ECS). Assists in achieving compliance with The Joint Commission, or other accrediting agency standards to continuously improve the safety and quality of care. Quality Improvement/Research: Supports Performance Improvement activities. Contributes to a culture of safety by entering patient safety concerns in the Joint Patient Safety Reporting System (JPRS). Participates in planning and developing nutrition-related policies, procedures, and goals. Stays abreast of current research in Nutrition related areas. Analyzes and interprets nutrition related research related to patient care. Participation as a Member of the Health Care Team: Serves as the nutrition expert for medical staff on the nutritional management of patients. Communicates and influences treatment interventions determined by the medical team through interdisciplinary meetings, team rounds, medical conferences and nutrition-related in-services. Presents seminars, workshops, and lectures to convey current nutrition information on new and changing concepts. Coordinates care with colleagues in a variety of medical and home settings to ensure appropriate transitions of care are addressed to meet the patient's needs. Performs other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the service and patients to include providing support/ coverage for vacancies and leave. Determines need for home care to assure continuity of care and makes appropriate referrals to HBPC, Social Work Service, Satellite clinics or other community agencies. Professional Development: Maintains dietetic registration and continuing education requirements. Interprets current clinical knowledge, standards of care, and research to improve patient care. Develops and implements an individualized plan for professional growth and development including participation in professional organizations and activities, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs. Participates in departmental and/or interdisciplinary meetinqs, task forces, and projects. Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday-Friday (exact tour of duty will be discussed during interview process) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Registration. (1) 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. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT AND REGISTRATION REQUIRED) 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 (refer to ii below). (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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. ( If applicable - SUPPORTING DOCUMENT REQUIRED) 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: Dietitian (Clinical), GS-07. Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Dietitian (Clinical), 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements. (b) Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care. (c) Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation). (d) Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes. (e) Ability to develop patient-centered goals. (f) Ability to collect data for performance improvement studies. (g) Ability to collaborate with stakeholders. Dietitian (Clinical), GS-11. Experience. At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in delivering patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation). (b) Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes. (c) Skill in developing patient-centered goals. d) Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies. (e) Skill in collaborating with stakeholders. (f) 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/. 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-7 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Light carrying, use of fingers, walking, standing, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), and mental and emotional stability. Environmental factors include working closely with others, and working alone. 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.