Travel RDN - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Hardin, KY
Encode INC
5x8 hrs, Days, Evenings, Nights
Referral Bonus

Registered Dietitian – Inpatient

Job Title: Registered Dietitian
Job Family: Hospital – Direct Patient Care / Allied Health
Client: Baptist Health
Location: Hardin, Kentucky
Job Type: Contract / Travel
 

📅 Schedule & Clinical Expectations

• Inpatient hospital experience is required; outpatient-only experience will not be considered.
• Candidate must be comfortable working independently with minimal supervision.
• Expected patient caseload: approximately 10–15 patients per day.
• Unit-based position following the Premier Productivity Program.
• Approximately 70% direct patient care expected once fully acclimated to the role.
• Candidate should be team-oriented and willing to assist beyond their assigned caseload when needed.
• Weekend/on-call coverage is required.
• One weekend per month after the first month.
• Sunday on-call responsibilities may include tube feeding/TPN support, which can be handled remotely between 6:30 AM–9:00 PM.
• No Diet Technician or CNM support is available onsite, so the candidate must be confident working independently.
• First-time travelers are welcome if they have strong inpatient hospital experience.

Position Summary

The Registered Dietitian will provide comprehensive Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to hospitalized patients, employees, and the community while supporting Baptist Health's commitment to quality patient care, regulatory compliance, patient satisfaction, and safe resource utilization.

The Dietitian will assess patients' nutritional needs, develop and implement individualized nutrition care plans, provide nutrition education, monitor therapeutic diets, and collaborate with physicians, nurses, pharmacy, social work, and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
 

Key Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care

• Provide Medical Nutrition Therapy to patients requiring individualized nutritional intervention.
• Establish and implement the standardized Nutrition Care Process.
• Assess nutritional status and identify patients requiring specialized nutrition care.
• Monitor patient tolerance and response to therapeutic diets.
• Develop individualized nutrition care plans based on patient diagnosis, medical condition, and nutritional needs.
• Provide nutrition education and counseling to patients, families, and caregivers.
• Support enteral and parenteral nutrition management, including tube feeding and TPN-related needs.
• Apply current evidence-based nutrition research and clinical practices.

Indirect Patient Care

• Complete comprehensive and timely nutrition assessments.
• Maintain accurate patient nutrition data to support recommendations and modifications to therapeutic diets.
• Recommend, prescribe, or modify therapeutic diets and nutritional supplements as appropriate.
• Write/approve orders for therapeutic nutrition, dietary supplements, and nutritional products according to facility protocols.
• Collaborate with physicians, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and other hospital departments to coordinate patient nutrition care.
• Maintain thorough and accurate clinical documentation, reports, and logs.

Regulatory, Safety & Quality

• Follow infection prevention and control policies and procedures.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with HIPAA requirements.
• Follow hospital, departmental, and regulatory policies and procedures.
• Participate in Quality Assessment/Performance Improvement (QAPI) initiatives.
• Support safe and clean clinical environments.
• Collaborate with the System Clinical Nutrition team regarding nutrition care manuals, patient menus, nutritional supplements, and enteral nutrition products.

Professional Leadership & Development

• Attend weekly Registered Dietitian/Clinical Nutrition meetings.
• Participate in professional development and continuing education activities.
• Accept feedback and continuously improve clinical practice.
• Support implementation of departmental and organizational changes.
• Assist with orientation and training of dietetic interns and staff when needed.
• Serve as a positive clinical role model within the nutrition team.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or a related field.
• Master's Degree in Dietetics required for candidates who graduated after January 2024.
• Degree must be from an accredited institution approved by ACEND or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
• Current Registered Dietitian (RD) status or registry eligible through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
• Current Licensed Dietitian status in the state of practice.
• BLS certification required.
• Strong inpatient hospital/acute-care experience is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong clinical judgment and time-management skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with an interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 1 year of Registered Dietitian experience.
• Previous inpatient acute-care hospital experience.