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Dietitian
UCI Series Concepts
Class Specifications - C.10
Chief Dietitian - 5421
Principal Dietitian - 5422
Principal Dietitian - Supervisor - 5423
Senior Dietitian - 5424
Senior Dietitian - Supervisor - 5425
Dietitian II - 5426
Dietitian II - Supervisor - 5427
Dietitian I - 7886
Dietitian I - Supervisor - 5429
February, 1986
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SERIES CONCEPT
Dietitians provide nutrition care and education to inpatients and outpatients;
plan and coordinate the preparation, distribution, and evaluation of patient
and staff meals; plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the patient, staff, and
public food service operations in a medical center hospital or other health
care unit; and perform other related duties as required.
Dietitians assess the nutrition status of individual patients via medical
record review, patient interviews, and diet histories; construct, implement,
evaluate, and document nutrition care plans; provide nutrition education to
patients and their families and provide for follow-up as appropriate; actively
consult with physicians and other health team members to coordinate nutrition
care of patients; may participate in interdisciplinary research and
committees; may develop and implement grant proposals; may write articles for
professional journals; provide nutrition education for physicians, other
health professionals, students, and the community; may develop, implement, and
evaluate a dietetic internship program.
As management Dietitians develop and direct the implementation of menus;
select, train, supervise, and evaluate the performance of food service
personnel; develop, implement, and evaluate food service policies, procedures,
and standards; supervise the maintenance of sanitary standards; develop,
coordinate, and present training classes for food service employees; monitor
food production and service to insure conformance to nutritional needs,
quality standards, cost, and patient and customer acceptance; develop,
implement, and evaluate catering services; analyze and project needs for
staffing, equipment, and physical plant.
The Dietitian series specifically recognizes supervisory responsibilities.
Positions allocated to the supervisory titles in this series must meet the
criteria for supervision as defined in the Supplemental Guidelines For
Supervisor classes (SAM 12).
CLASS CONCEPTS
Chief Dietitian
Under general direction, the Chief Dietitian is assigned full professional and
administrative responsibility for a large nutrition service program including
clinical dietetics and food service operations that provide comprehensive
nutrition services through a large staff of clinical and management
dietitians, food service managers, technicians, skilled and semi-skilled
employees.
The Chief Dietitian plans, administers, and evaluates dietetic and food
service policies and procedures; plans major service programs; oversees staff
supervision and development; coordinates nutrition service with other major
hospital and clinic units; determines future program needs; develops,
monitors, and forecasts budgets; represents the nutrition service on related
hospital and medical staff committees; monitors adherence to laws,
regulations, and codes within the nutrition service areas.
Principal Dietitian/Principal Dietitian-Supervisor
Under general direction, the Principal Dietitian is assigned full professional
and administrative responsibility for a large dietary program or professional
food service operation within a medical center/hospital, or has full
responsibility for a small dietary program and food service operation.
Positions with responsibility for food service and distribution programs
require the application of professional knowledge in scientific nutrition. The
Principal Dietitian may also act as first assistant to a Chief Dietitian or
department director or have operational responsibility for patient meal
service and provide overall staff support to the Chief Dietitian or director
in such areas as clinical nutrition, food production, departmental personnel
administration, staffing, purchasing, and budgets; or they may function in an
academic setting, doing teaching and research to enhance clinical nutrition
services.
Principal Dietitians serve as a member of the management team for dietetics
and food services; interview, select, and evaluate the performance of
subordinate staff; recommend and administer the budget for the assigned
service including the selection and purchase of equipment; control staffing
levels and determine stock levels; may confer with physicians, other health
professionals and administrative staff to resolve difficult operational,
management, or clinical problems, and monitor adherence to laws, regulations
and codes.
Senior Dietitian/Senior Dietitian - Supervisor
Under general direction, in addition to performing the full range of
operational level duties, Senior Dietitians supervise subordinate professional
Dietitians and paraprofessional dietetic technicians in a department of a
large dietary program or food service operation; or are assigned full
professional and administrative responsibility for a small dietary program or
food service operation.
Senior Dietitians have responsibility for the development and evaluation of
departmental-wide operating policy and the direction of major administrative
assignments such as patient care audits, diet manual revision, and cost
reimbursement studies.
Individuals at this level may also have responsibility for a highly complex
specialized area requiring advanced education and experience, such as
dietitian internship director, food systems analyst, formula development
technologist, or another specialized program characterized by written
protocols and separate budgets.
Senior Dietitians with a major management component in the position supervise
the duties of Dietitians or Food Service Managers who manage two or more units
in a large medical center/hospital unit or may have total responsibility for a
food service function or dietetics department in a small facility. Incumbents
may be assigned the full range of duties described in the series concept
pertaining to management.
Dietitian II/Dietitian II - Supervisor
Under general supervision, Dietitian II's typically perform the full range of
Dietitian I duties in a more specialized area; prepare and conduct formal
teaching of physicians, students, other health professionals, and the
community; or participate in complex nutrition-related research projects.
Dietitian II's are assigned significant administrative, research or resource
responsibilities; they may administer with considerable independence a
specialized program such as a metabolic unit, renal unit, burn unit, ICU unit,
neonatal unit, or total hyperalimentation nutrition support program; conduct
grant research or formal teaching; or are the designated specialists in a
major area of the nutrition profession achieved by additional formal education
or experience.
Under general supervision, Dietitian II's with a major management component in
the position manage a unit in a large medical center/hospital or may manage
several units in a small facility. Duties may involve the responsibility for
complex administrative areas such as personnel, fiscal, and material
management. Incumbents may be assigned the full range of duties described in
the series concept pertaining to management.
Dietitian I/Dietitian I - Supervisor
Under supervision, Dietitian I's perform the full range of nutritional care
duties in one or more units in a medical center/hospital (e.g., general
surgery, cardiac, hemodialysis, or general outpatient clinics), and
participate as a member of an interdisciplinary health care team.
Dietitian I's typically conduct nutritional assessments which include taking
diet histories, instructing and consulting with patients, physicians, and
other health professionals; chart on medical records; participate as a member
of the interdisciplinary health care team to develop the total patient care
plan; assist in completion of major administrative assignments such as patient
care audits, diet manual revisions, and cost reimbursement studies; and
assign, direct, and evaluate the work of dietitian interns and dietetic
technicians.
Dietitian I's with a management component in the position assist in the
management of a unit in a large medical center/hospital or may manage a unit
in a small facility such as patient trays, cafeteria, sanitation, purchasing
or food production. Incumbents at this level may perform the full range of
duties described in the series concept pertaining to management.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Dietitians must possess the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree in Foods and
Nutrition/Dietetics and have completed an American Dietetic Association
internship; and be a registered Dietitian.
Applicants for positions in the Dietitian series are expected to possess the
experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful
performance of the duties assigned to the position.
NOTE: Specific qualification requirements are approved for positions by the
Personnel Manager in accordance with the provisions of Staff Personnel
Policies 210.8 and 210.9.
Definition of Terms - Dietitian Series
Large Nutrition Services Facility - A dietary program in a medical
center/hospital supporting a minimum of 350 acute hospital beds and/or
serving an average of 5,000 meals or more daily.
Small Nutrition Services Facility - A dietary program in a medical
center/hospital supporting less than 350 acute hospital beds and/or
serving an average of less than 5,000 meals daily.
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