Dietitian
Class Specifications – C.10
Senior Dietitian – 5424
Dietitian 2 – 5426
Dietitian 1 EX – 7886
Dietitian 1 NEX – 7887
February 1986, Updated July 2027
Series Concept
Dietitians provide nutrition care and education to patients; plan and coordinate the preparation, distribution, and evaluation of patient and staff meals; plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the patient, staff, and public food service operations in a medical center, hospital or health care unit; and perform other related duties as required.
Dietitians assess the nutrition status of individual patients via medical record review, patient interviews, and diet histories; construct, implement, evaluate, and document nutrition care plans; provide nutrition education to patients and their families and provide for follow-up as appropriate; actively consult with physicians and other health team members to coordinate nutrition care of patients; may participate in interdisciplinary research and committees; may develop and implement grant proposals; may write articles for professional journals; provide nutrition education for physicians, other health professionals, students, and the community; may develop, implement, and evaluate a dietetic internship program.
As management, Dietitians develop and direct the implementation of menus; select, train, supervise, and evaluate the performance of food service personnel; develop, implement, and evaluate food service policies, procedures, and standards; supervise the maintenance of sanitary standards; develop, coordinate, and present training classes for food service employees; monitor food production and service to insure conformance to nutritional needs, quality standards, cost, and patient and customer acceptance; develop, implement, and evaluate catering services; analyze and project needs for staffing, equipment, and physical plant.
Class Concepts
Senior Dietitian
Under general direction, in addition to performing the full range of operational level duties, Senior Dietitians supervise subordinate professional Dietitians and paraprofessional dietetic technicians for a large dietary program or food service operation; or are assigned full professional and administrative responsibility for a small dietary program or food service operation.
Senior Dietitians are responsible for the development and evaluation of department-wide operating policies and direct major administrative assignments such as patient care audits, diet manual revision, and cost reimbursement studies.
Individuals at this level may also have responsibility for a highly complex, specialized area requiring advanced education and experience, such as a dietitian internship director, food systems analyst, formula development technologist, or another specialized program characterized by written protocols and separate budgets.
Senior Dietitians with management responsibilities supervise the duties of Dietitians or Food Service Managers managing two or more units in a large medical center or hospital unit, or may have total responsibility for a food service function or dietetics department in a small facility. Incumbents may be assigned the full range of management duties described in the series concept.
Dietitian 2
Under general supervision, Dietitian 2 incumbents typically perform the full range of Dietitian 1 duties in a more specialized area; prepare and conduct formal teaching of physicians, students, other health professionals, and the community; or participate in complex nutrition-related research projects.
Dietitian 2 incumbents are assigned significant administrative, research or resource responsibilities; they may administer with considerable independence a specialized program such as a metabolic unit, renal unit, burn unit, ICU unit, neonatal unit, or total hyperalimentation nutrition support program; conduct grant research or formal teaching; or are the designated specialists in a major area of the nutrition profession achieved by additional formal education or experience.
Under general supervision, those with management responsibilities manage a unit in a large medical center or hospital, or may manage several units in a small facility. Duties may include responsibility for complex administrative areas such as personnel, fiscal, and material management. Incumbents may be assigned the full range of management duties described in the series concept.
Dietitian 1
Under supervision, Dietitian 1 incumbents perform the full range of nutritional care duties in one or more units in a medical center or hospital (e.g., general surgery, cardiac, hemodialysis, or general outpatient clinics), and actively collaborate as part of an interdisciplinary health care team.
Dietitian 1 incumbents typically conduct nutritional assessments which include taking diet histories, instructing and consulting with patients, physicians, and other health professionals; chart on medical records; participate in the development of the total patient care plan; assist in the completion of major administrative assignments such as patient care audits, diet manual revisions, and cost reimbursement studies; and assign, direct, and evaluate the work of dietitian interns and dietetic technicians.
Those with a management component assist in overseeing a unit within a large medical center or hospital, or may manage a unit in a small facility, such as patient trays, cafeteria, sanitation, purchasing, or food production. At this level, incumbents are capable of performing the full range of duties outlined in the series concept.
Minimum Qualifications
Dietitians must possess the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in Foods and Nutrition/Dietetics and have completed an American Dietetic Association internship, and be a registered Dietitian.
Applicants for positions in the Dietitian series are expected to possess the experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Definition of Terms – Dietitian Series
Large Nutrition Services Facility – A dietary program in a medical center or hospital supporting a minimum of 350 acute hospital beds and/or serving an average of 5,000 meals a day.
Small Nutrition Services Facility – A dietary program in a medical center/hospital supporting less than 350 acute hospital beds and/or serving an average of less than 5,000 meals a day.