POSITION SUMMARY:

The Nutrition Assistant reports to the Clinical Nutrition Manager and performs a variety of tasks related to patient service.  Provide a high level of customer service and exhibits appropriate customer service skills to all patients.  Visits and assists inpatients with menu selections on assigned units on a daily basis.  Meets patients’ special diet and/or cultural/religious needs with regard to menu selections.  Collects and processes menus for assigned areas.  Provides appropriate meals based on age/development/condition/food preferences.  Utilizes Meditech computerized system with regard to diet orders, admissions, transfers, discharges, snacks and tube feedings.  Utilizes proper telephone etiquette when dealing with phone calls.  Knowledge and proficiency in all modified diets that are provided to inpatients.  Corrects inpatient menus to be in compliance with diet order prescribed by physician and follows established guidelines.  Communicates patient concerns to the Dietetic Technician, Dietitian or Manager.  Provides care within JCAHO standards to maximize the quality of inpatient care.  Participates in the orientation and training of new employees, students and volunteers.     

 

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION

High school diploma or equivalent (GED).

 

EXPERIENCE

Experience working with Meditech preferred. 

 

COMPETENCIES

Must be able to read, write, speak and comprehend English.  Knowledge of nutritional structure and different classes of peoples needs within that structure.  Utilizes the Meditech computerized system.  Demonstrates excellent communication skills.      

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

Disclaimer: Job descriptions are not intended, nor should they be construed to be, exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job.  They are intended to be accurate reflections of the principal duties and responsibilities of this position.  These responsibilities and competencies listed below may change from time to time.

 

 

          Job-Specific Competency

1.      Assists patients with menu selection as needed, concentrating on special needs, such as evidenced by notes on “Patient Profile”, write-in food items on menus, initiation of snacks and supplements.  Incorporates religious and cultural beliefs into menu selection.  Obtains menus for new admissions as soon as possible.  At end of shift, filled menus are to be in for all inpatients, including those with a diet order of clear and full liquids for breakfast the next day. 

2.      Demonstrates ongoing updating of computerized diet census sheets with neat, legible, accurate and current patient information.

3.      Demonstrates handwriting on menus is legible and menu items are circled neatly.  This includes accurate room number, accurate patient name, accurate diet order and any write-in menu items. 

4.      Demonstrates that entire diet order (as it appears on the computerized diet census sheet) is written legibly and accurately on each of the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.  Correct menu color is utilized according to diet order. Food allergies are written in red at the top of each of the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (allergic to …).  Correct menu for the day of the week is utilized.

5.      Demonstrates that the mandatory fields on the “Patient Profile” (kardex) sheet are filled out for each patient and that the information is current.  The mandatory fields include patient’s name, room number, age, date of admission, dates/diet orders, menu selection – whether patient is able to circle own menu, food allergies (to be written in red), snacks/PO supplements and any pertinent information included in the “nutritional information” section of the sheet.  Handwriting is legible.  Information is current and accurate.

6.      Demonstrates the review/update of menus prior to each meal and organizes “hold trays” and menus of “NPO” patients for retrieval when a patient’s diet order status and PO intake resumes.  Uses the most recent available diet orders, room transfer, and admission and discharge information.

7.      Demonstrates that all snacks/PO supplements ordered have been entered into the Meditech computerized system.   Deletes snacks in Meditech when a patient’s diet order has been changed to NPO.  Re-enters snacks in Meditech when a patient’s diet order is resumed after being NPO.

8.      Completes grill sheet, cold specials sheet and add-on sheet prior to each meal and completes daily meal census.  Counts are accurate based on the most recent available information and are neat and legible.

9.      Corrects and modifies inpatient menus to comply with diet order prescribed by the physician and utilizes established guidelines.  Scores on inpatient menu audits are consistently above 90%.

10.  Implements phone/computer orders for all new admissions, discharges, diet order changes or room changes.  Follows-through with the new information with regard to diet census sheets, menus, patient profile and snacks/PO supplements in Meditech.

11.  Participates in and completes customer service surveys.

12.  Participates in Quality Improvement by tracking/monitoring an NPO indicator.  Documentation daily on the designated form of inpatients whose diet orders should have been NPO will be completed.

13.  Knowledge and application of JCAHO standards and Connecticut State Department of Health regulations.

14.  Participates in clinical monthly inservices.

15.  Attends monthly department meetings.