Nutrition Assistant

CommonSpirit Health•Lexington, KY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Nutrition Assistant supports healthcare food service operations and works with facility staff to provide optimal nutritional care and excellent customer service to patients, guests, and staff. The role follows diet manuals and diet spreadsheets to ensure therapeutic meals comply with prescribed diet orders; prepares and serves food according to menus and dietary requirements; and maintains knowledge of recipe ingredients to answer food allergy questions. The Nutrition Assistant follows foodservice standards and procedures for food temperatures, prevention of cross-contamination, personal hygiene, labeling, and proper storage of food, equipment, and machinery. The role also supports a high-quality patient and customer experience through accurate meal portioning, appealing presentation, and service recovery, escalating issues to leadership as needed. Depending on assignment, duties may include applying therapeutic diet and allergy guidelines to patient meals, snacks, nourishment, and supplements; using production tools or electronic meal tallies; explaining basic diet orders and menus; collecting and communicating patient food preferences; operating diet-office software and navigating electronic health records to review diet orders and nutritional reports; and cleaning equipment and work areas. Other duties may be assigned by the leader.

Requirements

One year of foodservice experience.
High school diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
If required by applicable state, county, or local health code, obtain a Food Handler Permit within 30 days of hire or within the period required by that health code.

Responsibilities

Follow diet manuals and diet spreadsheets to ensure therapeutic meals comply with prescribed diet orders.
Prepare and serve food according to menu, dietary requirements, and facility guidelines using required kitchen utensils and equipment.
Maintain knowledge of recipe ingredients to respond to food allergy questions or requests.
Monitor and maintain food temperatures during cooking, holding, and storage.
Prevent food cross-contamination and follow personal hygiene requirements.
Label food products properly and store food, equipment, and machinery in accordance with regulations and facility guidelines.
Follow organizational standards and guidelines to provide a high-quality patient and customer experience.
Ensure proper meal portioning and appealing presentation.
Provide service recovery and escalate issues to leadership as needed.
Follow therapeutic diet modifications and allergy restrictions for patient meal trays, nourishment, snacks, and supplements, when assigned.
Use production tools or electronic meal tallies and differentials for food preparation, when assigned.
Explain basic therapeutic diet orders and menus and respond to patient and family questions, when assigned.
Escalate additional patient nutrition questions or needs to appropriate clinical support team members, when assigned.
Collect patient food preferences, ensure compliance with prescribed diet orders, and communicate preferences to the kitchen in a timely manner, when assigned.
Operate electronic diet-office software and tools according to established procedures and protocols, when assigned.
Navigate electronic health records to access patient diet orders and nutritional reports, when assigned.
Clean equipment and work areas, including tray lines, equipment, coolers, and office areas, and empty trash cans.
Perform other duties as assigned by the leader.