Dietitian (Clinical)

The Dietitian (Clinical) position is located in the Clinical Section of Nutrition and Food Services (N&FS) within the VA Augusta Health Care System. This Dietitian position provides nutrition therapy primarily in the outpatient setting to support veterans' care. The position will cross-cover in other areas as needed. They interpret research and utilize whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes.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.

Registration: (1) All applicants must hold the RDN credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Note: Applicants who hold the RDN credential have met the education requirement (e.g. bachelor's degree or higher) of CDR, as such this occupation is considered professional and scientific with a positive education requirement and the procedures in Part I, Chapter 4 of this Handbook will be followed when applying Veteran's preference.

(2) Exception for Dietitians who do not possess the RDN credential. GS-07 and GS-09 Only: (a) Non-credentialed Dietitians who meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below, but do not possess the RDN credential, may be given a temporary full-time appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2).

i. Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following:

• A. Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college, university or foreign equivalent (refer to ii below). ~AND~
• B. Completed an ACEND accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN. A list of ACEND accredited programs is located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.

ii. Foreign Education .(a) To be creditable, college and/or university degrees earned outside the U.S and its territories must be evaluated by ACEND and meet ACEND's International Dietitian Education standards which are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and competencies to sit for the CDR credentialing exam.(b) Non-credentialed Dietitians may only be appointed at the GS-07 or GS-09 grade level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential.(c) Non-credentialed Dietitians must provide care under the supervision of a RDN at or above the full performance level.(d) Temporary appointments of non-credentialed Dietitian will not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment.

(2) Failure to Obtain Registration. In all cases, Dietitians must actively pursue meeting registration requirements starting from their appointment date. At the time of appointment, servicing Human Resources (HR) staff in collaboration with the supervisor, will provide non-registered Dietitians the written requirement to obtain registration, the date by which they must acquire it and the consequences for not doing so by the deadline. Failure to obtain registration within one year from the date of appointment will result in removal from the Dietitian, GS-0630 occupation and may result in termination of employment.

English Language Proficiency: Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements.

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).

Grade Determinations : All individuals assigned to this occupation must meet all the basic qualification requirements in paragraph 3 a-f and all the requirements defined in the specific assignment.

Dietitian (Clinical), GS-09. (1) Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

OR
(2) Education. Master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college.
(3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of various accrediting and regulatory requirements.
(b) Knowledge of virtual technology to provide nutrition care.
(c) Ability to deliver patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation).
(d) Ability to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes.
(e) Ability to develop patient-centered goals.
(f) Ability to collect data for performance improvement studies.
(g) Ability to collaborate with stakeholders.

Dietitian (Clinical), GS-11.
Experience. At least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to the next lower grade.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Skill in delivering patient care using the NCP (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation).
(b) Skill in interpreting research to apply evidence-based nutrition practices to improve patient outcomes.
(c) Skill in developing patient-centered goals.
(d) Skill in analyzing data for performance improvement studies.
(e) Skill in collaborating with stakeholders.
(f) Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory and agency authorities.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .
VA Handbook 5005/154, Part II Appendix G20.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: .