Food & Nutrition Associate; Part Time; Evenings ( 26.25 HRS/Week-Every other weekend and rotating holidays, 7:00 am - 3:00 pm; 3:45pm-8:15pm; 4:00pm-9:00pm; 4:30pm-9:00pm (Weekdays Eve shift)

Patient Meal Service Representative

To be part of our organization, every employee should understand and share in the YNHHS Vision, support our Mission, and live our Values. These values - integrity, patient-centered, respect, accountability, and compassion - must guide what we do, as individuals and professionals, every day.

Responsible for all aspects of patient meal service: Assist dietitian in monitoring of patients who are NPO, on liquid diets, or require calorie counts. Must be familiar with diet restrictions for special, modified diets and ensure food served is within each patients diet guidelines. Collect patient meal selections, in accordance with clinical diet orders, by using wireless tablets and CBORD software to visit patients at their bedside. After collecting orders, return to kitchen and assemble patient trays, deliver them to each patient using two patient identifiers. Assist each patient with preparing meal for consumption by opening cartons or packages, inserting straws, cutting meats, etc. Re-visit patients after meals are served to assure there are no missing items and patients are satisfied with their trays. Pour coffee/hot water at the bedside as required. Collect soiled meal trays and return them to dishroom to be washed and sanitized.

Responsibilities

1. Follows departmental infection control policies and procedures, particularly hand washing, personal hygiene and uniform cleanliness.

2. Collects patient meal selections at the patient's bedside using CBORD software on the tablet computer. Utilize knowledge of diet restrictions in guiding patients to make food choices.

3. Must exhibit exemplary customer service during interactions with patients, family, other hospital personnel. Maintain good eye contact with each customer, ensuring their experience with the department staff is a positive one during each encounter. Be responsive to patient needs at all times, and resolve concerns or complaints immediately, or seek assistance from supervisor as appropriate.

4. Exhibits a pleasant and cheerful demeanor when answering the telephone and/or interacting with others. Must follow established guidelines for use, care, and charging of computer equipment, Spectralink phones, and copy/fax equipment.

5. Responsible for quality of service, graded by internal and/or external surveys continuously, meeting survey benchmarks for unit of responsibility.

6. Assembles trays in the main kitchen for assigned patients and delivers trays using two patient identifiers for safety and adhering to established hand washing practices with each patient interaction. Responsible for checking each patient's tray for both accuracy and appearance before serving.

7. Responsible for collecting soiled patient trays after mealtimes and returning trays and carts to dish room.

8. Assist in stripping trays and preparing for washing, as needed. Responsible for the maintaining adequate sanitation of the meal service carts.

9. Maintains accurate, confidential patient information, and verifies all charges to the patient 's bill are accurate and timely, during the end-of-day closing procedures.

10. Handles all diet requests sent by nursing units in a timely manner, following established departmental procedures.

11. Participates and attends area and departmental meetings, education sessions and staff development programs as appropriate.

12. Utilizes and maintains equipment in performing job functions according to department safety procedures.

13. Accepts assignments and changes in schedule as necessary.

14. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

EDUCATION

High School Diploma or GED preferred.

EXPERIENCE

2 years prior cold food production in a health care setting or related experience

SPECIAL SKILLS

Excellent communication skills required (verbal, reading and writing) in order to follow written and verbal instructions when interacting with others. Excellent customer service skills expected to be displayed while working. Proficient in basic mathematical skills for simple calculations. Must be able to demonstrate the safe handling of a knife and meat slicer.

PHYSICAL DEMAND

Daily physical activity, required ability to stand and walk more than 7 hours per day for full time shifts and the entire shift for part-time shifts, with the ability to lift, push, pull carts, pallets, food supplies and disposable supplies (occasionally up to 50 pounds, frequently up to 30 pounds and/or continuously up to 10 pounds). Work environment involves moderate exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises which require following basic safety precautions and working with cleaning chemicals and sharp knives requiring personal protective equipment (PPE) provided.