Senior Clinical Dietitian

30000810

Basic Function
Plans, directs, supervises, implements and coordinates all clinical nutrition, food services, and quality improvement activities within the Clinical Nutrition and Food Services Unit (CNFSU), under the direction of the supervisor, to maintain optimal nutritional care delivered to inpatients and outpatients, field wide, in addition to nutrition activities for the community.

Scope

1. Works within Johns Hopkins Aramco Health Care Nursing & Clinical Service Department in Dhahran, Al Hasa, Ras Tanura, Udayliyah, and Abqaiq.
2. Responsible, under the general direction of the unit supervisor, for nutrition care and quality improvement activities and provides dietary services to JHAH staff and patients of various nationalities, cultures, ages and medical conditions and outpatients clinics in Dhahran Health Center and districts.
3. Establishes procedures, implements policies, and provides administrative direction related to menus preparation and food services for patients and staff.
4. Ensures that medical kitchen safety, sanitation procedures and feeding practices are performed properly by the set standards of Johns Hopkins Aramco Health Care (JHAH).
5. Evaluates and monitors all aspects of Dhahran Health Center’s food services operations, monitors nutrition care activities that are related to outpatients and inpatients with different nationalities and cultures, as advised by the unit supervisor.
6. Ensures the application of the principles of nutrition care standards and provides direction for preparation and serving of meals in order to meet the nutritional requirements for the patients.
7. Ensures that continuity of service and nutrition instructions are implemented to meet JHAH’s and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations requirements.

Principal Contacts

1. Contacts with the supervisor, nutrition advisor, clinical nutrition leader, food services team leader, other staff of Clinical Nutrition and Food Services Unit (CNFSU) and food services contractor.
2. Contacts with patients, wards clerks, nurses and other members of the health care team to obtain nutrition information, analyzes them, develops nutrition care plans, assists in nutrition education process for patients and staff and coordinate clinical nutrition and food services quality improvement activities.
3. Liaises with food services contractor and investigates and resolves problems in patients and staff food preparation.
4. Contacts with general nursing leaders, JHAH quality improvement coordinator in liaison with CNFSU supervisor and nutrition advisor.

Principal Duties

• Performs all supervisory functions as established by the company, under the direction of the unit supervisor.
• Provides supervision and work direction to dietitians, dietary assistants, nutrition clerks, and food services contractor.
• Recommends standards for diet prescriptions, documentation in medical records, nutrition assessment and reassessment, patients follow-up and patients/families nutrition education and counseling.
• Reviews policies and procedures to reflect Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations regulations and standards as well as current practices in dietetics.
• Serves as a resource person to dietitians, physicians, nursing staff and food service contractor’s staff regarding clinical nutrition and food services guidelines, practices, and operation.
• Analyzes, plans, assigns and directs nutrition care activities and instructs subordinates in nutrition.
• Collaborates with clinical staff in the development and adoption of educational materials.
• Establishes and maintains regular training for the clinical nutrition staff.
• Keeps unit supervisor informed of all activities and obtains required approval for implementation of new clinical nutrition programs.
• Develops hospital menu to meet the recommended dietary allowances and therapeutic diet standards.
• Assists in the development of the business operational plan, short and long- range goals and objectives that are consistent with the unit and JHAH’s plans.
• Interacts with food service contractor by making recommendations on proper food preparation and delivery, sanitation, safety and other related activities of food services in order to assure serving of appropriate meals for patients and their families, staff and visitors.
• Participates and contributes to professional committees of JHAH and participates in multidisciplinary activities.

Principal Duties (cont'd)

• Completes special projects as assigned and coordinates discharge planning process to the healthcare network hospitals.
• Coordinates patients and staff surveys that are related to nutrition care and meals services.
• Interfaces with medical and nursing staff in maintaining public relations and coordinates delivery of the highest quality meals to patients and staff.
• Coordinates orientation and in-services for physicians, nurses, and other personnel as requested as well as providing updated nutrition information to the unit staff and other staff within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
• Reviews infection control policy and safety guidelines that are related to the unit operations.
• Keeps updated with the current practices and trends in the fields of dietetics, nutrition and food services.
• Reviews diets for regular and therapeutics and updates them as necessary.
• Acts as a liaison between JHAH and food services contractor in coordination with the food services team leader in relation to clinical nutrition.
• Administers, directs and prepares comprehensive quality improvement program for CNFSU to meet the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations and JHAH.
• Supports the healthcare network dietitians and food services managers and participates in the educational programs that are directed for them.
• Performs nutrition assessment and re-assessment processes for patients and documents the findings in the medical charts and communicates the outcomes to multidisciplinary care teams.
• Attends dietitians meetings and other meetings, as needed.
• Maintains advanced levels of communication skills, including counselling skills, motivation and behavior change strategies.
• Provides training and supervision for dietary staff, interns and nutrition students of local universities.
• Performs duties on weekdays and weekend/holiday as per the operational need of the unit.

Education
Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, preferable current license with Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.

Experience

1. Minimum 5 years clinical nutrition experience in a JCI accredited hospital.
2. Completed 1 year internship in a JCI accredited hospital.

Certifications/Other requirements as applicable

1. Fluent oral and written English and independently apply problem solving strategies to enhance patients outcomes with effective resolution. Spoken Arabic is desirable, however, not essential.
2. Able to read and comprehend medical charts and clinical references.
3. Has an updated knowledge and practices on dietetics and food services.
4. Has adequate knowledge and understanding of the relevant cultures and religious beliefs pertaining to food and nutrition.
5. Active member in an International Nutrition Association.