Nutrition Care Assistant

WVU Medicine

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Provides direct patient meal service by obtaining meal selections in person or through the hospitality center ordering system, delivering meals, and retrieving meal trays. The role requires knowledge of special diets and allergies, excellent customer service, and attention to patient safety. The assistant also maintains cleanliness in nutrition centers located in patient care areas and works with patients, nursing staff, dietitians, and food-service personnel to meet patient needs. A valid Monongalia County Health Department Food Service Worker Permit (FSWP) is required throughout employment. An employee may start with a temporary permit obtained no later than the first Wednesday of employment, then must obtain a permanent permit within one month of the start date at the next available class. Until a temporary permit is obtained, the employee may not handle exposed food or food-contact surfaces, equipment, or utensils, but may train on tray delivery and complete general department orientation. The shift can vary, but is predominantly 5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The role includes rotating weekends and holidays and is scheduled for 8 hours weekly. Work takes place in a hospital food-service environment and involves patient interaction, including entering isolation rooms with proper protective equipment. The kitchen can be noisy.

Requirements

Obtain and maintain a valid Monongalia County Health Department Food Service Worker Permit (FSWP). A temporary permit must be obtained no later than the first Wednesday of employment, with a permanent permit obtained within one month of the start date at the next available class.
Until a temporary FSWP is obtained, do not handle exposed food or any food-contact surface, equipment, or utensil.
Understand written and oral communication.
Be able to push a fully loaded tray cart weighing approximately 250 pounds.
Be able to stand for most of the working day.
Meet the physical and work-environment demands of patient interaction, including entering isolation rooms with proper protective equipment.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Answer patient phone calls in accordance with customer service standards.
Follow diet restrictions, including allergies and fluid restrictions.
Use EPIC and VST to obtain patient information and process menu requests correctly.
Process between-meal nourishment orders and print them for kitchen staff.
Follow missed-meal reporting procedures, including alerting nursing staff.
Deliver or retrieve meal trays as needed.
Visit patients designated as needing assistance to obtain menu selections and enter them in accordance with diet restrictions.
Deliver meal trays within service timeliness guidelines.
Follow delivery standards, including hand sanitization, infection control requirements, use of two patient identifiers, AIDET, and key phrases; alert nursing if a patient is not properly positioned to eat or appears to need assistance.
Check trays for missing items and correct problems immediately; maintain a supply of condiments on the cart.
Document information required for ordered calorie counts.
Monitor new patients’ understanding of room service, provide menus, and explain the service as needed.
Establish and maintain rapport with nursing staff through effective communication.
Work as a team with Clinical Dietitians, respecting their primary responsibility for patient nutritional care and responding appropriately.
Communicate patient special requests clearly to tray-line and production personnel and follow up on unusual requests.
Maintain clean nutrition centers in accordance with departmental sanitation, safety, quality-control, health-department, and HACCP requirements.
Collect patient trays and return them to the kitchen within a reasonable timeframe.
While waiting for trays, assist the room-service assembly line as needed, including wrapping silverware or helping in the dishroom.
Follow procedures for phone and iPad use.
Complete other assigned duties, which may include duties normally performed by a dietetic assistant.
Meet daily deadlines for menu completion and timely meal delivery.