Job Description

This position is responsible for the provision of optimal nutritional care to assigned adult hospitalized patients, including assessing nutritional status, developing care plans with team and monitoring and revising these as needed throughout the hospitalization.  Coordinates discharge planning with home care liaisons or chronic care facility.  Functions as the nutrition expert and nutrition advocate on the health care team.

 PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Screens each hospitalized patient to determine the level of nutritional risk by reviewing the diet order data sheet, BMI, reason for visit, diet order.
• Assesses patients’ nutritional status based on clinical data including detailed nutritional history, past medical history, as well as laboratory data, and medications.
• Develops nutrition care plans, based on nutritional assessment and data from multidisciplinary rounds, for oral, enteral and parenteral regimens in conjunction with the care team. Designs specialized enteral and parenteral solutions with modified macro and micronutrients in order to provide optimal nutritional support for the patient’s age, weight and medical condition.
• Documents assessment and care plan in medical record according to standards of care
• Facilitates transition of enterally or parenterally fed patients to discharge regimen.
• Monitors patient’s response to care plan by reviewing and monitoring laboratory data, flowsheets, medical record, nutrient intake record.
• Educates patients and families regarding modified diets or other feeding modalities to meet the individual nutritional needs of the patient and documents patient/family education in the medical record.
• Maintains patient data records and daily productivity reports.
• Provides nutritional consultations to medical and nursing staff.
• Communicates nutrition information to the Food Service Department to ensure optimal delivery of medical nutrition therapy.
• Interacts with other members of patient’s health care team to ensure optimal nutritional care for each patient including discharge planning.  Prepares nutritional care patient referrals for nursing homes, community hospitals and home care parenteral/enteral programs as integral part of discharge planning process
• Precepts the FSNC nutrition interns (graduate students) during their acute care affiliations.  Supervises their progress in assessing patients, developing care plans and counseling patients and families.
• Provides formal classroom instruction in area of expertise to students including medical students, house staff and graduate students as requested.
• Assists in the training of new personnel.
• Participates in the review, update and implementation of departmental policies and procedures as assigned.
• Participates in departmental quality improvement programs as assigned.
• Participates, as required, in nutrition-related studies and projects.
• Maintains competencies in nutrition.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Reports to the Division Chief and Division Administrator

Qualifications

JOB KNOWEDGE AND SKILLS:

• CNSC desirable.
• Analytical and math for assessing patients and developing care plans.
• Interpersonal skills for interacting effectively with patients and their families, students and members of the health care team.

EDUCATION:

•  Master's degree in Nutrition, Public Health, or Education is preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE, WHICH PROVIDES PROFICIENCY IN THE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY LISTED ABOVE, MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR THE ABOVE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS.

LICENSES, ETC.:

•  Registered Dietitian credential and Massachusetts Dietitian/Nutritionist licensure is required.

AGE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:

Possesses and applies the skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process. This includes:

• Knowledge of growth and development
• Ability to interpret age specific data and response to care
• Provide age specific communication

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Inpatient and outpatient clinic patient care areas. Occasional exposure to sick patients and bodily substances.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES STATEMENT:

Must be able to perform all essential functions of this position with reasonable accommodation if disabled.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed, as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Tufts Medical Center reserves the right to modify position duties at any time, to reflect process improvements and business necessity.

COVID-19 POLICY:

Please note that effective October 1, 2021, as a condition of employment at Tufts Medical Center, all employees and new hires must have received their complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, unless they have been granted an exemption.