Advanced Dietitian, Full-Time, Days

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

The Advanced Dietitian reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

A licensed, registered Advanced Dietitian can perform the full range of Clinical Dietitian duties. In addition, the Advanced Dietitian practices in a specialized area such as renal disease, transplant, neonatology, critical care or nutrition support, and demonstrates a specialized knowledge to complete quality patient care. The Advanced Dietitian holds advanced certification in a specialized area of nutrition. They can function autonomously in providing nutrition therapy, and collaborate with other health professionals to provide high quality, evidence- based nutrition care through expert clinical reasoning and judgment. The Advanced Dietitian utilizes clinical assessment skills to implement, initiate, or modify orders for diet or nutrition-related actions in collaboration with patients’ health care teams. They are responsible for administrative activities, including coverage for level 1 manager, dietetic intern development, and program development.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates clinical expertise and expanded knowledge of advanced nutrition and application to the complex patient
• Demonstrates skilled order writing and nutrition prescription abilities for the complex patient
• Develops/revises nutrition care protocols for patient populations/diagnoses groups, and acts as a leader for the health care team in the implementation of nutrition therapies
• Serves as a resource for nutrition staff, medical staff, nursing and students
• Confers and collaborates with health care team in the comprehensive care of patients
• Develops appropriate education systems for patients, families, and staff in areas of expertise
• Mentors staff/students in aspects of advanced nutrition and patient care
• Champions new departmental initiatives and implements appropriate action plans
• Specific Performance Standards/Essential Functions:
• Clinical
  • Specializes in specific clinical area such as renal disease, transplant, neonatology, critical care or nutrition support and maintains advanced practice certifications
  • Clinical assessment of patients, including but not limited to medical diagnosis and history, lab values, diet history, medication, and other medical information to determine patient nutritional status, and appropriate plan of care and nutrition interventions
  • Plan and prescribe appropriate nutrition therapy within scope of expertise and privileging for desired patient outcome
  • Identify and initiate appropriate nutritional interventions:
    • Collaborate with healthcare team to align interventions with goals of care
    • Prescribe and initiate appropriate nutritional therapy in accordance with specified privileges:
      • Therapeutic diet, nutrition related labs, nutritional supplements, enteral support (tube feedings and modulars), parenteral support with common additives, including but not limited to electrolytes, vitamins/minerals, insulin
    • Interprets/discusses data regarding pharmacotherapy
    • Selects appropriate feeding route and enteral/parenteral formula, including additional modulars and additives as listed above
    • Teaches and counsels patients and families on appropriate nutrition therapy for disease state or prevention and wellness, desired outcomes and behavior objectives
    • Evaluates effectiveness/outcomes of intervention/therapies and modifies treatment/interventions as needed. Measures may include anthropometrics, changes in medical condition, and tolerance to therapies
    • Collaborates with home care providers/DMEs for prescribed nutritional support
  • Attends medical rounds in areas of practice
  • Documents in the medical record all care provided
  • Consults with other disciplines as appropriate
  • Directs patients to appropriate follow up care when needed
  • Identifies and documents billable nutrition di