Clinical Nutritionist

Job Summary

To conduct all phases of patient nutrition care including nutrition assessment, care planning, monitoring, education and counseling of Inpatients and outpatients in a variety of settings. To implement optimum nutritional care to the patients, assesses nutritional needs of high risk patients, consult with the medical and paramedical team, develops and re-evaluates nutritional care plans & provides nutrition education to patients and families and directs daily activities in the wards. Perform duties in support of and in compliance with performance improvement plans, CBAHI, JCI and other licensing, accrediting, and regulatory agencies.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensures through his actions, either directly or indirectly, that a superior quality of medical treatment, compassion and understanding is given to every patient served at the NMC Hospitals and Clinics.
  • Provide clinical nutrition services and clinical nutrition therapy integrated with the patient's desired medical goals.

• To evaluate, interpret, monitor and document the nutritional status and nutritional needs of Inpatients and outpatients using established high standards of care and professional practice guidelines.

• Screen patients at high nutritional risk and implements needed care plans based on established standards.

• Complete nutritional assessment on high-risk patients within 48 hours of admission to determine nutritional status after the initial screening.

• Assess Low nutritional risk cases.

• Individualize patient meal patterns and menus to comply with the diet prescriptions and patient preferences in conjunction with the dietary department.

• Communicate pertinent nutrition data in patients’ file by filling adequately Nutrition and Dietetics Progress Notes and/or Patient’s Record Card and updating them as needed.

• Maintain accurate and clear nutritional care records for follow-up for both in and out patients.

• Provide recommendations and advice concerning Enteral feedings (NGT and oral food supplements).

• Participate in health team activities including medical rounds, grand rounds and departmental meetings.

• Discuss with members of the health care team patients’ needs and problems during their daily rounds. This includes discussing dietary problems with diet technician, suggesting new distribution of nutrients, recommending and/or updating diet requests.

• Instruct high-risk patients and their relatives regarding diet therapy to be followed during and after hospitalization.

• Provide group education to patients when appropriate

• To identify and provide age-specific nutrition counseling to meet the cultural needs of the patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, food selection, and preparation in accordance with the required treatment outcomes.

• To develop, review, update and implement educational materials to meet the needs of patients and health care professionals.

• To write order for diet, supplements, enteral/parenteral nutrition and laboratory data for inpatients & outpatients per hospital policy with collaboration of treating physicians.

• To formulate menus for therapeutic diets based on medical and physical condition of patients and integrate patient's menus with basic institutional menus.

• Refer to head of department for decision making when complicated problems arise in the wards or with the food service.

• Provide nutrition education to patients as well as other hospital staff (nurses, medical students)

• Responsible to educate patients /families as per their needs and to implement their whole role regarding patient / family education process as mention in patient & family education policy and procedure (NSP-GEN-014) including documentation in patient medical record.

• They are knowledgeable about their essential role in patient and family education.

• Involves the patient/families in plan of care and respects patients/families regarding their goals and choices of patient care.

• Provides health promotion and health teaching thru methods appropriate to a patients’ developmental level, learning needs, readiness and ability to learn, language preference, culture and situations.
• Allots time necessary to assess, plan implement and evaluate patient education provided to patients/families with appropriate documentation.
• Collaborate with dietary department to improve the level of food preparation and service.
• To ensure compliance of Clinical nutrition department with performance improvement plans, CBAHI, JCI and other licensing, accrediting, and regulatory bodies.

• Performs additional task/duties assigned by HOD.

Reporting to:

• Head of Clinical Nutrition Department

Qualifications:

Minimum of:

• Bachelor degree in Clinical Nutrition or Equivalent from a recognized University.
• Registered as Clinical Nutritionist or Clinical Dietician in the Saudi council of Health Specialty.

Desirable:

• Master degree in Clinical Nutrition or equivalent.

Experience:

Minimum of:

• 1-2 years of experience after obtaining the degree in a recognized hospital.

Desirable:

• 3-5 years of experience after obtaining the degree in a recognized hospital.

Competencies & skills:.

• Fluent in verbal and written English.
• Exhibits professionalism and excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Knowledge of current proficiency testing and quality control.
• Knowledge of computer application.