Dietetic Technician

Class Specification – C10 Registered Dietetic Technician-

-Supervisor 5420 Registered Dietetic Technician

– 5419 Dietetic Assistant 5430

October 1990

Series Concept

Registered Dietetic Technicians and Dietetic Assistants serve in an adjunct capacity to the Dietitian series. In a supporting capacity, Registered Dietetic Technicians/Assistants provide a wide range of nutritional services including nutritional screening, charting and calculation of nutrient intake, monitoring of NPO (nothing by mouth) patients, menu modification, processing of diet orders, providing for quality assurance, participation as a health team member in such duties as the communication of basic diet principals and general nutrition education to the patient and performance of other related duties as assigned.

Incumbents perform nutritional screening on patients which may include interviews with patients to collect and document information as well as the transcribing of information from medical records pertaining to diet, appetite status, allergies, weight history; calculate patients’ ideal body weight; plot and interpret growth percentile for pediatric patients; and record data on patient profile card.

Incumbents modify patient menus; plan between meal feedings for patients according to physician’s diet prescriptions, and calculate physician’s prescription for enteral feeding products. Incumbents collect and process diet orders to insure that Food Service Workers correctly serve the meals; identify and document food service problems; tally patient census by diet category and assist in evaluation of food products.

Positions at supervisory level must meet the criteria for supervision as defined in the Supplemental Guidelines for Supervisor Classes.

Class Concept

Registered Dietetic Technician–Supervisor

Under direction, Registered Dietetic Technician Supervisors perform the full range of supervisory duties over Registered Dietetic Technicians/Assistants andjor other food service employees. Incumbents develop, implement and evaluate policies, procedures and standards; analyze and project needs for staffing and equipment; generate reports concerning productivity, fiscal data; and monitor transportation and delivery of meals. Incumbents serve in a liaison capacity between Registered Dietetic Technicians/Assistants and Clinical Dietitians, between the Dietary/Nutrition Department and the Nursing staff to facilitate resolution of problems such as with meal service, and between patients and the Food Service/Dietary Department regarding patient acceptance of food and service.

Registered Dietetic Technician

Registered Dietetic Technicians perform their duties under general supervision. In addition to the full range of duties outlined in the Series Concept, incumbents are typically assigned the more difficult patient care cases andjor to patients who are at a moderate to serious degree of nutritional risk. Examples of difficult patient populations include, but are not limited to, adult or pediatric critical care, the neonatal, burn and metabolic units. Incumbents participate more extensively in the training and teaching of students and newly hired Dietetic Assistants. Incumbents may serve as lead worker over subordinate employees.

Dietetic Assistant

Under Supervision, incumbents perform the full range of duties outlined in the Series Concept. Dietetic Assistants are typically assigned less difficult patient care cases andjor patients who are at a lower degree of nutritional risk than those assigned to the Registered Dietetic Technician.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants and incumbents are expected to possess the skills, knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Registered Dietetic Technician Supervisor

Incumbents must be registered with the American Dietetic Association as a Registered Dietetic Technician or Dietitian and meet the criteria for supervison referred to in the Series Concept.

Registered Dietetic Technician

Incumbents must be registered with the American Dietetic Association as a Registered Dietetic Technician or Dietitian.

Dietetic Assistant

Incumbents must be registered as a Dietetic Technician or eligibility for registration as a Registered Dietetic Technician or equivalent combination of education and experience. Applicants and incumbents are expected to possess the skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful performance of 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.