Job Description

The Registered Dietitian I is responsible for providing safe and effective clinical nutrition & dietetic care to Women and Children within Sidra Medicine. The individual works closely with the multidisciplinary team to provide patient care that is integrated and compatible with the patient-focused medical goals and objectives. Primary responsibilities include application of the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) including completion of the nutrition assessment, determination of the nutrition diagnosis, developing and implementing nutrition intervention(s), and monitoring and evaluating of the patient’s progress.

The Registered Dietitian I provides preceptorship and training for Graduate Associates and Registered Diet Technicians and works under the supervision and mentorship of a Registered Dietitian II. The Registered Dietitian I will undertake rotations in various clinical specialties completing competencies in these areas under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian II. S/he is an integral part of the multidisciplinary team as part of this s/he will attend any relevant MDT meetings (discharge planning, case conferences).

The Registered Dietitian I works within the Dietitian Scope Practice governed by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Professions (QCHP) and maintains professional competency and skills required for professional practice and ongoing QCHP licensing. The competency framework includes the following standards; Professional and Ethical Practice, Clinical Practice, Leadership and management, Education, Learning and Development and Research and Improvement.

Nutrition Assessment

• Conducts a nutrition assessment when warranted by a patient’s needs or conditions.
• Performs relevant anthropometric and body composition measurements; may include and not limited to height, length, weight, head circumference, knee height and mid-upper arm circumference.
• Reviews dietary intake for factors that affect health conditions and nutritional risk.
• Supervises dietetic technician’s data collection activities.
• Evaluates health and disease condition for nutrition-related consequences.
• Evaluates psychosocial, functional, and behavioral factors related to food access, selection, and preparation; physical activity; and understanding of health condition.
• Evaluates patient/client/group’s knowledge, readiness to learn, and potential for changing behaviors.
• Calculates estimated nutritional requirements based on approved best practice guidelines by which intake will be compared.
• Identifies possible problem areas for making nutrition diagnoses.
• Observes client/patient for nonverbal and verbal cues that can guide and prompt effective interviewing methods.
• Determines appropriate data to collect.
• Selects assessment tools and procedures (matching the assessment method to the situation) and applies assessment tools in valid and reliable ways.
• Distinguishes relevant from irrelevant data and important from unimportant data, and validates the data.
• Organizes and categorizes the data in a meaningful framework that relates to nutrition problems.
• Determines when a problem requires consultation with or referral to another provider.

Nutrition Diagnosis

• Finds patterns and relationships among the data and possible causes for the nutrition problem.
• Prioritizes the relative importance of problems for patient/client/group safety.
• Documents the nutrition diagnostic statement in PES (problem, etiology, and signs/symptom) or PE format.

Nutrition Intervention

• Formulates and determines a plan of action that is focused on the etiology of the problem and known to be effective based on best current knowledge and evidence from Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines.
• Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition counseling based on individual needs, including nutrient requirements, knowledge and abilities, and medical, economic, and social situation.
• Evaluates achievement of learning objectives by the patient and/or family. Provides appropriate follow-up in accordance with the patient’s treatment goals, referring patients for community or home health services as appropriate.
• As needed, delegates or coordinates nutrition plan of care with other healthcare professionals.
• Confers with patient/client/group, other caregivers or policies, and program standards in developing the intervention(s).
• Defines the intervention plan by writing the nutrition prescription and defining the time and frequency of care including intensity, duration, and follow-up.
• Identifies resources and/or referrals needed.
• Implements the nutrition intervention, including communicating the plan of nutrition care.
• Provides appropriate follow-up in accordance with the patient’s treatment goals, referring patients for outpatient counseling and community or home health services as appropriate.
• Collects data and modifies the plan of care as needed.

Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation

• Utilizes monitoring and evaluation techniques that consider the varied needs of age-specific populations as well as cultural, religious, and ethnic concerns.
• Monitors progress through checking patient/client/group understanding and compliance with plan; determines whether the intervention is being implemented as prescribed; provides evidence that the plan/intervention strategy is or is not changing patient/client/group behavior or status; identifies other positive or negative outcomes; gathers information indicating reasons for lack of progress; and supports conclusions with evidence.
• Measures outcomes through selecting outcome indicators that are relevant to the nutrition diagnosis or signs or symptoms, nutrition goals, medical diagnosis, and outcomes and quality management goals and use of standardized indicators. Evaluates effectiveness and measures progress toward outcomes of nutrition interventions.
• Evaluates outcomes by comparing current findings with previous status, intervention goals, and/or reference standards.

Documentation, Communication, and Continuation of Care

• Documents relevant, accurate, and timely information performed in steps in the Nutrition Care Process in the patient’s medical record or electronic medical record.
• Determines continuation of care based on whether the patient/client/ group has met intervention goals or is not at this time able/ready to make needed changes.
• Communicates and influences treatment interventions determined by the medical team through interdisciplinary meetings, rounds, medical conferences, and nutrition-related in-services.
• Works cooperatively with foodservice staff to ensure conformance to nutrition prescriptions.
• Serves as a resource to medical staff and allied health personnel on nutrition issues.
• Assists in the education of graduate associates, Diet Techs and interns. Plans learning experiences, teaches, and evaluates performance.

Compliance

• Demonstrates accountability for the proper use of patients’ protected health information as per Sidra’s policy.
• Ensures that care delivered to each patient is in accordance with Dietitian Scope Practice governed by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Professions (QCHP).
• Assists in achieving compliance with the Joint Commission International, Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or other accrediting agency standards to continuously improve the safety and quality of care to the public and to the organization’s performance improvement.

Business Functions

• Maintains productivity standards and practices effective time management and prioritizing tasks.
• Maintains accurate record-keeping of daily clinical activities/stats, including information for scheduling and billing.
• Participates in the orientation and training of Graduate Associate, interns and dietetic technicians

Performance Improvement

• Participates in and/or initiates continuous quality improvement activities for Dietetic service.
• Participates in planning and developing nutrition-related policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Conducts in-services and educational presentations to hospital/department staff.
• Assists in developing and revising patient education materials, clinical forms, protocols and pathways
• Supports and promotes the organization’s infection control, safety, risk management, and customer/guest relation programs.

Professional Development

• Participates in nutrition research studies and communicates findings through reports, abstracts, presentations, and publication.
• Maintains QCHP licensure and continuing education requirements.
• Participates in annual and mid-year reviews which include plans for professional growth and developmental goals including participation in professional organizations and activities, workshops, seminars, and staff development programs.
• Participates in regular clinical supervision with supervisor.
• Participates in departmental and interdisciplinary meetings, task forces, and projects.
• Responsible for maintaining up to date mandatory Life Support Training requirements as directed by MoPH and Sidra (e.g. BLS, AED etc).

Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledge of the Nutrition Care Process and ability to apply all steps of the process.
• Comprehensive knowledge and application of nutrition services and medical nutrition therapy.
• Critical thinking to integrate facts, informed opinions, active listening, and observations.
• Decision making, problem solving, and collaboration.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form to patients, public, hospital and medical staff, and physicians
• Ability to function independently on assigned patient care units.
• Ability to counsel and educate others.
• General knowledge of nutrient analysis, word processing, and spreadsheet software.
• Adheres to Sidra’s standards as they appear in the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policies
• Adheres to and promotes Sidra’s Values

In view of the evolving needs and opportunities within Sidra, this position may be required to perform other duties as assigned and reporting relationships may vary.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS – SELECTION CRITERIA

ESSENTIAL

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics or
• Bachelor’s Degree in Science with a postgraduate diploma in Dietetics or
• Bachelor’s Degree in Science and a Masters or postgraduate Degree in Dietetics
• Current Dietetic License from country of origin
• Eligibility to be licensed by QCHP
• Demonstrated ability to apply and integrate knowledge and skills into practice.
• Demonstrated ability to access, critique, and analyze information sources.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data, information and knowledge on patient outcomes and modify interventions to improve health care outcomes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in organizing data and generating thorough, accurate, timely reports.
• Demonstrated experience with Clinical Information Systems (CIS)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Experience

2+ years of relevant clinical experience

Certification and Licensure

• Current Dietetic License from country of origin
• Eligibility to be licensed by QCHP

Job Specific Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to apply and integrate knowledge and skills into practice.
• Demonstrated ability to access, critique, and analyze information sources.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data, information and knowledge on patient outcomes and modify interventions to improve health care outcomes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in organizing data and generating thorough, accurate, timely reports.
• Demonstrated experience with Clinical Information Systems (CIS)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Sidra Medicine a healthy population is essential to a strong, prosperous society, and throughout 2020, Sidra continued to provide uninterrupted comprehensive specialist healthcare services for children and young people; and exceptional maternity, gynecology, and reproductive medical services for women, previously unavailable in Qatar and the region.” – H.H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation
Sidra Medicine represents the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser who serves as its Chairperson. This high-tech facility is home to world-class patient care, scientific expertise, and educational resources.