Cook PRN

Pine Grove Nursing Center•Center, TX

4h•Onsite

About The Position

Pine Grove Nursing Center in Center, Texas, is hiring a Cook to prepare and serve quality meals for residents in accordance with standard menus and recipes, facility procedures, prescribed diets, and dietary and sanitary regulations. The Cook helps ensure meals are produced and served safely, on time, and in appropriate portions, and that food quality, temperature, and presentation are maintained. The role also includes kitchen sanitation, food storage, supporting and supervising meal service, and helping ensure residents receive their meals. In the absence of the Nutrition Services Manager, the Cook may be responsible for departmental operations and compliance and for communicating with the Administrator and/or Director of Nurses. The Cook is part of a multidisciplinary team supporting the facility’s clinical care, rehabilitation, wellness, and resident services.

Requirements

Food handlers’ card, or Food Safety Certification where required by local ordinance.
Fundamental understanding of sanitation, cleanliness, and personal hygiene.
Ability to communicate tactfully with coworkers, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies, and the general public.
Regular, predictable, and dependable attendance.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience as a cook in a hotel, restaurant, hospital, or similar institution is preferred.

Responsibilities

Follow safe food handling and storage guidelines for raw and prepared foods.
Complete the daily Quick Check departmental review when the Nutrition Services Manager is absent or as requested.
Test and record temperatures of hot and cold foods and cold food storage areas; bring negative results to a supervisor’s attention and address them as appropriate.
Discard expired or contaminated food properly.
Follow and enforce hand-washing, glove-use, hair-restraint, infection-control, universal-precaution, and protective-wear requirements.
Follow and enforce methods to control cross-contamination.
Prepare food using standardized recipes, production worksheets, and required quantities, while accommodating special diet requirements.
Use available preparation and production tools to support timely meal production and portion control.
Pull, thaw, and prepare food in advance of production needs.
Ensure food is served within meal service hours and maintain its quality, temperature, and appearance.
Serve meals according to facility methods and portion-control, plating, and presentation guidelines.
Provide a texture-appropriate garnish for entrees.
Perform daily and scheduled cleaning of the kitchen and equipment according to sanitation procedures.
Clean and sanitize the serving line and work area after each use; clean and arrange food storage areas.
Store, chill, and reheat leftovers properly.
Use the three-compartment sink properly and clean cooking pots and pans.
Assist other department staff as needed to ensure timely production, service, and cleanup.
Close the kitchen during the PM shift according to policy and regulatory requirements.
In the absence of the Nutrition Services Manager, oversee departmental function and compliance and communicate with the Administrator and/or Director of Nurses.
Perform other duties as assigned.