NUTRITIONIST, PART-TIME, 52% - 40005373

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**THIS POSITION IS PARTIALLY GRANT-FUNDED. CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT IS CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING. RENEWAL OF FUNDING IS ANTICIPATED, HOWEVER, NOT GUARANTEED**

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition services for pediatric patients and families referred by physicians, other medical providers, and agency clinical staff in clinic and home visit settings. Conducts in-depth consultation to members of patient care team. Reliable transportation a must.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Provides medical nutrition therapy for children, particularly medically fragile infants, and young children with multiple medical and nutrition problems.  Referrals from local physicians and other clinicians. 
• Medical nutrition therapy is provided in a home or treatment area away from direct program supervision. 
• Medical nutrition therapy involves patient/caregiver/guardian consultation to assess the nutritional status and develop a plan of care based on evidence-based nutrition/medical standards.  Uses motivational interviewing to assess readiness and competency for change.
• Independently selects assessment techniques and intervention strategies that meet the needs of patient age, economic, literacy, cultural, religious, and ethnic concerns.
• Initiates collaboration with patient care provider regarding nutritional assessment, intervention and plan of care as needed.
• Independently identifies education needs and intervention method.
• Collaborates with community programs and resources to achieve outcome goals.  (i.e., Care Coordination 4 Children, Infant-Toddler service coordinator, speech, occupational, and physical therapists, school nurse, medical social workers).
• Documents Medical Nutrition Therapy in the medical record per agency standards. 
• Communicates nutrition findings/diagnosis, intervention, and plan of care to the referring physician.
• Completes documentation for billing per department policy.
• Provides expert nutrition assistance, consultation, and trainings to medical staff and other allied health professionals.   
• Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates nutrition education materials..
• Performs related work as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Requires strong clinical nutrition skills.
• Good medical record documentation skills.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work well independently and with a team.
• Working knowledge of human behavior and techniques for effecting behavior change. Considerable knowledge of disease pathophysiology in relation to nutritional theories and practices.
• Considerable knowledge and skill in nutrition and dietary assessment techniques (anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary), and in interpretation of data.
• Thorough knowledge of principles of normal and therapeutic nutrition and drug and nutrient interaction at all stages of life.
• Skill in writing clear, concise entries in clients’ health/medical records.
• Skill in the processes of interviewing and counseling.
• Skill in understanding individual’s socio-economic status and life-styles with respect for individual differences.
• Skill in monitoring and maintaining quality standards of nutrition care using current standards of practice.
• Skill in organization and management of time and resources.
• Skill in oral and written communication.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in dietetics or food and nutrition and one year of nutrition/dietitian work experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Registered Dietitian (RD) by the ADA Commission and a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) by the North Carolina Board of Dietetics and Nutrition.
• Valid North Carolina Drivier's License

Note: Must submit copy of Registered Dietitian card and LDN cards with application.

PREFFERED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working with the adolescent population
• Experience with online learning platforms and tools
• Type of Experience:  Experience in providing medical nutrition therapy in clinical, outpatient settings and home visit settings for a variety of diseases/conditions especially as related to infants and children with special needs (e.g., failure-to-thrive; extreme prematurity, congenital anomalies, genetic issues, developmental delays). 
• Bilingual skills in Spanish
• Candidates with a Master's Degree preferred

To further the mission of the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) to partner with our community to advance health equity, protect the environment, and promote health and wellness for all, DCoDPH is implementing the employee vaccination and tuberculosis screening policies. All DCoDPH employees are considered healthcare personnel (HCP) working in a health care setting with the potential for exposure to patients and/or infectious materials and, therefore, are required to comply and provide documented proof of the following:

• Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccination/immunity 
• Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox) vaccination/immunity 
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
• Tuberculosis (TB) baseline screening within the last twelve (12) months prior to employment
• Hepatitis B vaccination/immunity – only required for DCoDPH employees with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposures.

Identified DCoDPH HCP with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposure have an additional requirement for the Hepatitis B vaccination. Required vaccination, serological testing to determine immunity, and baseline tuberculosis screening are available for all Public Health employees who elect to become DCoDPH patients upon request and at no cost.

Proof of vaccination and tuberculosis screening must be provided to Human Resources within seven (7) business days prior to the date of employment.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management. 

BACKGROUND CHECK STATEMENT:

This position may be subject to a background check, which could include, but is not limited to, criminal history (employment-related and/or SBI fingerprint-based), credit history, motor vehicle records, educational verification, and checks of the sexual offender registry, depending on the specific requirements of the role. A conviction record does not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment consideration, unless otherwise required by applicable state law.