FUNCTION OF WORK:
To serve as a specialist in the nutritional care of patients with severe medical and/or nutritional problems.

LEVEL OF WORK:
Advanced journeyman.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
General from a higher level Registered Dietitian or administrative official.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
May exercise direct line over professional, paraprofessional and non-professional dietary personnel.

LOCATION OF WORK:
Twenty-four hour facilities statewide.

JOB DISTINCTIONS:
Differs from Dietitian by the highly specialized nature of work.

Differs from higher level Registered Dietitian jobs by lack of emphasis on supervisory and management responsibilities.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Serves as specialist in hospitals in the care of patients with medically acute and chronic nutritional problems such as the leukemia, renal, oncology, obstetrics and GYN, surgery, medicine, neurology, orthopedics, psychiatric rehabilitation or neo-natal units.

Develops and implements highly specialized diets and nutrition plans for clinics, out-patients, and hospitalized patients.

Calculates, writes, adapts, and modifies diets or menus to meet individual needs.

Visits patients daily and teaches patients and their families the practical and technical aspects of the diet as it relates to the particular patient's health problem.

Develops and implements nutritional assessment care plan for patients with severe nutritional problems.

Calculates, determines and schedules amounts of food and supplies needed to be purchased.
Determines specifications for food, supplies and equipment to meet the needs of the institution, such as teaching hospital.

Serves as an administrative specialist in inventory control and procedures, food cost determinations and allocations and financial reports.

Teaches nutrition classes to medical and dietetic students, interns and residents.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association followed by two years of professional level clinical or administrative dietetic experience.

SUBSTITUTIONS:
A master's degree in foods and nutrition, dietetics or institutional management may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:
Possession of a permanent or provisional Louisiana dietitian/nutritionist license.