Location: Hartford,CT, USA
Assists the dietitian in the nutritional care of pediatric patients, including nutrition screening, implementation of diet orders including infant formulas and coordinates accurate record keeping. Also includes milk technician and formula preparation coverage (see milk technician job description).
SCREENS
* Screens all admitted patients for nutritional risk and charts into medical record.
Provides tracking system for high-risk nutrition patients.
EDUCATES
* Teaches families about special diets. Oversees growth policies.
* Documents education in educational tool and care plan.
* Conducts in-services for PCAs, kitchen staff and cooks related to diets and nutritional care.
* Helps in identifying the need for nutrition education materials and in developing the materials.
* Assists in training new diet technicians and diet assistants.
ASSISTS
* Utilizes electronic menu system for special diet and allergy menu collection and review.
* Check special diet trays before they are delivered to patients.
* Assists the dietitian and health care team in planning, implementing and evaluating nutritional care by collecting data for assessment.
* Participates in meal rounds to assess appropriateness of diet (e.g. texture, ability to swallow, age appropriateness of food).
* Checks on acceptance of supplements. Communicates feeding status to dietitian (RD).
* Completes computer Nutrition analysis for inpatients and outpatients. Documents in medical record.
CQI
* Assists in quality improvement activities, especially as it relates to the quality of the food service and formula recipes.
* Generates quality improvement reports.
* Participates in quality improvement meetings with Food Services.
* Conducts test trays.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
* Maintains professional expertise through involvement in professional organizations and continuing education programs.
Encourage team members to adhere to professional standards and to expand competencies.
* Demonstrates knowledge of the age-related differences and needs of patients in appropriate, specific populations from neonate through adolescence and applies them to practice. Demonstrates cultural sensitivity in all interactions with patients/families.
* Demonstrates support for the mission, values and goals of the organization through behaviors that are consistent with the Connecticut Children's standards.
Education and/or Experience Required:
* B.S. Degree in Nutrition or A.S. Degree in a Dietetic Technology Program Required.
Education and/or Experience Preferred:
* 1 year of experience preferred.
License and/or Certification Required:
* Diet Technician Registered (DTR) with the Council on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the American Dietetic Association is preferred.
* Milk tech certification and food safety training preferred.