Dietetic Technician

California State Personnel Board Specification

SALARY INFORMATION

Definition

Under the direction of a Dietetics Assistant Director, the Dietetic Technician is responsible for assisting Registered Dietitians in the development and implementation of nutritional care plans; monitoring patients'/residents'/clients' tolerance and acceptance of the diet; developing and presenting training programs for food service staff; and do other related work.

Typical Tasks

Incumbents assist the Registered Dietitian in obtaining and utilizing diet history information in planning nutritional care; calculate nutrient intake and diet patterns through personal observation of patients/residents/clients; assist in the identification of nutritional care needs and records response to nutritional treatment; may represent the Registered Dietitian at interdisciplinary team conferences and present nutritional care plans to the health team; monitor therapeutic diets for conformance to quality standards and dietary prescription; assist in the development and presentation of training programs; assist in development of procedures which conform to established policies; and gather data for use in evaluating food service systems.

Minimum Qualifications

Either I

Registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; or

II

Education: Completion of a Dietetic Technician Program approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, with emphasis in nutritional care or food service management, and

Experience: Six months of experience in the practice of dietetics in a health care, school, or residential care setting. (A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent degree approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education under the provisions of the California Education Code Division 10, Part 59, Chapter 8, which meets the academic requirements as approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics may be substituted for the required experience.) (Applicants who have completed 30 course units of the required education will be admitted to the examination, but must complete the education and experience requirements in full before they will be considered eligible for appointment.)

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: Principles, practices and theories of nutrition and dietetics; methods of planning, preparing and serving food to a large number of persons; special dietary requirements of mentally or developmentally disabled persons, and other patient/resident/client groups.

Ability to: Apply the principles and practices of nutrition and dietetics; communicate nutritional data to the health care team and food service employees; keep records and prepare reports; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.

Preferred or Desirable Qualifications

All employees shall have general qualifications as described by California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 172.

Special Personal Characteristics

Sympathetic understanding of and willingness to work with the patient/resident/client population of a State institution.

Class History