Duties

Summary

The Clinical Dietitian is the Medical Nutrition Expert Responsible for independently planning, developing and directing routine and non-routine nutrition care activities for assigned Veterans, including those with complex medical and nutritional needs. S/he will also be responsible for using evidence-based approaches to counsel patients and to provide exceptional nutrition care to optimize health, located at the Loch Raven VA Medical Center in Baltimore Maryland.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Serves as an active member of the multidisciplinary treatment team an is independently responsible for managing the total nutritional care to adult Veteran patients of varying ages. The dietitian is independently responsible for all phases of assessment, planning, intervention, education, and evaluation using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP). The incumbent assesses nutritional status, reviews pertinent diagnostic and treatment data, and develops, implements, and monitors the nutritional care plan. The incumbent reviews and calculates modified diets to meet the special dietary needs of those patients requiring nutrition intervention. In the medical records, the incumbent accurately documents the nutritional status, nutrient intake, nutritional education, and other pertinent data. In addition, the incumbent is recognized as the nutrition expert and participates as part of the interdisciplinary treatment team within Home Base Primary Care Program. The incumbent assesses educational needs of a mainly outpatient population, geriatric population within acute care coverage as part of the weekend rotation. The incumbent provides nutrition counseling for individuals and groups and schedules both new and follow-up outpatient visits, provides coverage for leave for other dietitians in other care areas, such as acute care, long term care and outpatient clinics and other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

75% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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:

a. 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. Dietitians must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402 (d).

b. Education and Supervised Practice:
(1) The individual must have earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent and fulfilled each of the following criteria:

(a) Completed a didactic program in dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), formerly known as the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE).

(b) Completed an ACEND accredited or approved supervised practice program. Supervised practice programs are post-baccalaureate degree programs that provide supervised practice experiences which meet the eligibility requirements and accreditation standards of ACEND, formally known as CADE. Completion of a coordinated program in dietetics fulfills the requirements of a supervised practice program. Time spent in a dietetic internship or supervised practice program does not qualify as creditable experience.

(2) Individuals who have earned college and/or university degrees outside the United States and its territories also must have their transcripts evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation service to determine if their degree is equivalent to a degree granted by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Validation of a foreign degree does not eliminate the need for verification of completion of didactic program, dietetic internship, or coordinated program requirements. The completion of ACEND didactic program requirements and at least a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or foreign equivalent are necessary for eligibility to enter an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program.

C. Registration/Certification. All applicants 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). Advanced Level Practice Dietitians must possess a minimum of one advanced practice credential relevant to the area of practice, (e.g. Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC), Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition (CSR), Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG), Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), or Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO)).

Exception. Non-CDR registered applicants (GS-7/9 only) who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements may be appointed, pending CDR registration, as a temporary full-time graduate dietitian under 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(B). In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2), this appointment may not exceed 2 years. Applicants appointed under this exception must provide care under the supervision of a registered dietitian at or above the full performance level.

Preferred Experience:
Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-7 Dietitian (Entry Level) -(a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements, with the exception of completing an accredited dietetic internship and being Registered Dietitian Nutritionist eligible by the time to enter the position (Graduated but have not yet passed a registration exam & have not yet registered with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics).(b) Assignment. Employees at this grade are closely supervised and competency in progressively complex tasks.

GS-9 Dietitian (Developmental Level) -(a) Experience or Education. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or education equivalent to 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, or master's degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field.(b) Assignments. Employees at this grade level serve in clinical dietitian positions. It is expected that they receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members. Employees at this grade are under general supervision. Progressively complex tasks are monitored by supervisor. Employees at this grade level serve in a developmental position

GS-11 Dietitian (Full Performance Level) -(a) Experience or Education. At least 1 year of experience as a registered dietitian equivalent to the next lower grade 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.(b) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as staff dietitians at the full performance level. Registered dietitians are responsible for independently planning, developing and directing all nutrition care activities (e.g., food service and/or clinical nutrition). Registered dietitians serve as important members of the interdisciplinary team of care providers, and focus on offering exceptional nutrition care and guidance to optimize health. Registered dietitians work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, outpatient centers, residential treatment programs and patient homes. They are responsible for using evidence-based approaches to develop menus, counsel patients and provide nutrition care.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G20, Dietitian Qualification Standards GS-0630 and the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0600/dietitian-and-nutritionist-series-0630/ .

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/Work Environment: Most of the work is performed in an adequately lighted and climate controlled setting, however, there be occasional exposure to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces in the kitchen and temperature changes, Light lifting, under 15 pounds, light carrying, under 15 pounds and walking (4 hours), standing (4 hours). Incumbent will be required to travel to drive in either personal or government-owned vehicles to Veterans homes and sites across central Maryland, or to otherwise arrange personal conveyance to such sites. While the interdisciplinary team seeks to optimize the home situation of each Veteran, individual homes may present a variety of environments, including variations in temperature, lighting, space, as well as the presence of other family members, children, and/or pets.

Education

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Current unexpired of CDR
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search . REQUIRED.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• VA 10-2850c
• Current unexpired of CDR
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.