Clinical Dietetic Technician

Description:

The Clinical Dietetic Technician position, is in Nutrition and Food Services at the Loma Linda VA Health Care System. The Clinical Dietetic Technician, works as a member of the clinical nutrition team providing technical and administrative assistance to the Registered Dietitian staff in the goal of patient and resident nutritional care at the medical center.

Requirements:

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and/or Education:
  • Education. Completion of an associate's or higher degree program in Dietetic Technology , Dietetics or another related field of study that is accredited by ACEND, OR
  • Experience. Completion of one (1) year of clinical experience in dietetics, and the possession of an active Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) certification. The experience must have been received after possession of the CDM certification, OR
  • Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.
• English Language Proficiency. CDT candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grandfathering Provision: Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and licensure/ /registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
3. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
4. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.

Grade Determinations : Clinical Dietetic Technician, GS-7

Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6).
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs

1. Knowledge in Medical Nutrition Therapy pertaining to completing nutrition assessments.
2. Knowledge of food service operations.
3. Skills in conducting nutrition intervention, patient interviewing, and nutrition counseling as part of the nutrition care process.
4. Ability to organize, evaluate, and execute teaching plans to provide nutrition education for selected groups of patients and individuals.
5. Ability to effectively communicate nutrition education and care plans with patients, family members, coworkers, internal customers, and external customers.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. Some lifting of trays, bending down, sitting, and standing for substantial periods of time.