Food & Nutrition Associate Part Time- Day/Evenings

Yale New Haven Health•Greenwich, CT

13d

About The Position

The Food & Nutrition Associate is responsible for patient meal service, including monitoring patients who are NPO, on liquid diets, or require calorie counts, and ensuring meals comply with diet restrictions and clinical diet orders. The associate collects meal selections at patients’ bedsides using a tablet and CBORD software, assembles trays in the kitchen, and delivers them using two patient identifiers. The role includes helping patients prepare meals for consumption, checking that trays are complete and satisfactory, providing coffee or hot water at the bedside when needed, and collecting soiled trays for return to the dishroom. The associate follows infection-control and sanitation procedures, provides attentive customer service, handles diet requests, maintains confidential and accurate patient information, and uses department equipment safely. The role also includes participating in meetings and education sessions, accepting schedule changes as needed, and performing other assigned duties.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Two years of prior cold-food production experience in a healthcare setting or related experience.
Excellent verbal, reading, and writing communication skills to follow written and verbal instructions and interact with others.
Excellent customer service skills.
Proficiency in basic mathematics for simple calculations.
Ability to demonstrate safe handling of a knife and meat slicer.
Ability to stand and walk more than seven hours per day during full-time shifts, or for the entire shift during part-time shifts.
Ability to lift, push, and 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.
Follow basic safety precautions and use provided personal protective equipment when exposed to extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, loud noises, cleaning chemicals, and sharp knives.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED.

Responsibilities

Follow departmental infection-control policies and procedures, including hand washing, personal hygiene, and uniform cleanliness.
Collect patient meal selections at the bedside using CBORD software on a tablet and guide food choices based on diet restrictions.
Provide exemplary customer service to patients, families, and hospital personnel; respond to needs and resolve concerns or seek supervisor assistance.
Maintain a pleasant demeanor when answering phones or interacting with others, and follow guidelines for using, caring for, and charging computer equipment, Spectralink phones, and copy/fax equipment.
Meet quality-of-service benchmarks as measured by internal or external surveys.
Assemble patient trays in the kitchen, verify tray accuracy and appearance, and deliver them using two patient identifiers and established hand-washing practices.
Collect soiled patient trays after meals and return trays and carts to the dishroom.
Assist with stripping trays and preparing them for washing, as needed, and maintain sanitation of meal-service carts.
Maintain accurate and confidential patient information and verify patient-bill charges during end-of-day closing procedures.
Handle diet requests from nursing units promptly according to departmental procedures.
Attend area and departmental meetings, education sessions, and staff development programs as appropriate.
Use and maintain equipment according to department safety procedures.
Accept assignments and schedule changes as necessary.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Assist dietitians in monitoring patients who are NPO, on liquid diets, or require calorie counts.
Assist patients with preparing meals for consumption, including opening packages, inserting straws, and cutting meats.
Revisit patients after meals are served to check for missing items and satisfaction, and pour coffee or hot water at the bedside as required.