Renal Dietitian

PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

Provides nutritional services for the facility’s in-center and home patients as applicable in order to maximize the patient’s nutritional status and improve clinical outcomes.

Functions as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, supporting the FMCNA commitment to the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAI) activities.

Actively participates in process improvement activities that enhance the likelihood that patients will achieve their individualized patient-specific goals as determined by the patient’s physician. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:


* Assesses patient’s knowledge of diet and kidney disease and provides education appropriate to patient’s learning needs regarding the relationship of diet and kidney disease and the impact on the treatment process.


* Provides patient specific detailed education to patient/family/caregiver regarding nutritional status, adequacy measures and results, fluid status, and all nutrition related lab parameters pertaining to their disease process.



* Completes nutritional assessment and participates in the interdisciplinary comprehensive assessments.


* Participates with the interdisciplinary team in the development of a written, individualized comprehensive plan of care that specifies the services necessary to address the patient’s needs, in accordance with established Federal and, where applicable, state licensure guidelines.



* Calculates diet prescription according to standard of practice.


* Completes progress notes on all chronic dialysis patients according to established FMCNA guidelines.

Maintains complete and accurate documentation of all appropriate information in medical record according to established FMCNA policies and Federal and state regulations.


* Provides patient with ongoing nutrition assessment and outcome-oriented nutrition counseling necessary to assist patient in achieving and sustaining an effective nutritional status.


* Identifies malnourished patients as well as patients at risk for malnutrition and works collaboratively with interdisciplinary team to identify appropriate interventions, resources or solutions.

Reviews each patient’s albumin level and body weight at least monthly.

Implements plan of care with involvement of patient/family/caregiver.


* Monitors adherence and response to nutrition therapy, adjusts therapy as needed to achieve and sustain an effective nutritional status, documents why the patient was unable to achieve the goals and implements the plan of care to address issues impacting the patient’s ability to achieve the goals.


* Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team on Urea Kinetic Modeling recommendations to achieve the physician’s prescription of Kt/V.


* Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team on management and recommendations for mineral metabolism and renal bone disease, anemia and iron status, n...