This position serves as a Clinical Dietetic Technician in the Nutrition and Food Services section at the Fargo VA. Responsible for providing technical assistance/support to the Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in providing all steps of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Care Process. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: To meet the basic education requirement, all applicants must have successfully completed a course of study in an accredited college leading to an associate's degree in Dietetic Technology or Nutrition with an emphasis in Nutrition Care or the equivalent post-secondary education. Education must have included instruction in nutrition care/diet therapy, the natural sciences (e.g. anatomy, physiology, biochemistry), social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology), food sciences, medical terminology, communications, and education. In addition, education must have included supervised field experience in a hospital or similar clinical setting. Note: Copies of pertinent transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. ~AND~ ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. ~AND~ MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement and English proficiency, to qualify for this position, you must meet one of the following: GS-05 Grade Level: You must possess at least six (6) months of progressively responsible specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-4) in the field of clinical dietetic technology which demonstrate successful use of the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics: Knowledge of human nutrition requirements in health and disease - Ability to gather data from the medical record and document information pertinent to nutritional care - Ability to monitor and influence the patient's nutritional intake - Ability to provide nutrition education for selected groups of patients - Skill in patient interviewing and nutrition counseling - Ability to interact and communicate orally with people from a variety of backgrounds, and - Ability to function effectively in a support position within a Clinical Dietetic section of a general medical and surgical and/or psychiatric hospital. This experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Performing nutrition screening, assessing meal intakes and adjusting meal plans as appropriate; Providing nutrition education; Communicating with patients and other health care team members regarding patients' nutritional needs; Using nutrition technology applications; and Assessing the effectiveness of nutrition care plans, documenting care plans using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) guidelines. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Must have successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to this position (i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the position (i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. GS-06 grade level: You must possess at least one (1) year of progressively responsible specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-5) in the field of clinical dietetic technology which demonstrate successful use of the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics: Knowledge of human nutrition requirements in health and disease; Ability to gather data from the medical record and document information pertinent to nutritional care; Ability to monitor and influence the patient's nutritional intake; Ability to provide nutrition education for selected groups of patients; Skill in patient interviewing and nutrition counseling; Ability to interact and communicate orally with people from a variety of backgrounds, and; Ability to function effectively in a support position within a Clinical Dietetic section of a general medical and surgical and/or psychiatric hospital. This experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Developing and revising nutrition care plans; Interpreting significance of abnormal laboratory values related to nutritional status; Performing nutrition screening, assessing meal intakes and adjusting meal plans as appropriate; Providing nutrition education; Communicating with patients and other health care team members regarding patients' nutritional needs; Using nutrition technology applications; and Assessing the effectiveness of nutrition care plans, documenting care plans using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) guidelines. There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level. 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. ["Major duties and responsibilities will include but are not limited to: Works collaboratively with the Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Obtains, verifies, and interprets data needed to identify nutrition-related problems, their causes, and their significance. Uses data obtained from the nutrition assessment to identify the chief nutrition problem, its etiology, and the signs and symptoms to support the diagnosis. Develops and implementing the clinical nutrition care plan to address and manage the nutrition diagnosis. Communicates, monitors, and documents (in the medical record) the response to nutrition therapy in accordance with regulatory standards. Provides nutrition care to inpatients and outpatients, which may include completing nutrition screens as well as working with the Registered Dietitian (RD) to develop and carry out nutrition interventions and plans. Writes learning objectives, lesson outlines and evaluation procedures for assigned group classes to provide written, structured guidelines for in-class presentation. May act as clinical preceptor to dietetic students within affiliated programs. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Clinical Dietetic Tech/PD99792S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, such as meal trays, instruction material, books and manuals. Some of the work is sedentary, such as computer activities. Computer entry of electronic progress notes, entailing multiple episodes of keyboard strokes is a daily responsibility. It may be necessary to push electronic equipment and arrange classroom areas in preparation of classes. Work is performed in a hospital, requiring normal safety precautions typical of a Medical Center with critically ill Veterans, psychiatric, Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center, Domiciliary and/or Ambulatory Care Units, and involves some exposure to contagious disease. You must observe normal safety precautions while working in an office setting with electrical and stationary equipment and use correct lifting techniques. Discomfort may exist due to ventilating system and/or humidity changes in various offices. Universal Blood / Body fluid precautions may necessitate protective equipment be work in situations of potential exposure. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level."]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
