Nutrition Ambassador - Patient Food - 40 hrs/week (Day Shift)

At Steward Health Care System, we are committed to improving the health of our communities by delivering exceptional, personalized behavioral health care with dignity, compassion and respect. Our continued focus on the patient experience informs our caregivers in how to provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient and family preferences, needs and values. We dedicate ourselves in the communities we serve to delivering affordable health care to all and being responsible partners. No matter what your role, as a member of the Steward family, you are a specialist in the making every patient and family feel right at home, every co-worker a key to our success, and every referring practice, a team of prized colleagues. In support of this, we commit ourselves to the following values: C ompassion A ccountability R espect E xcellence S tewardship If you are seeking a fast-paced, challenging position in an organization committed to achieving and maintaining a standard of excellence in all we do, our organization may be a good fit for you. I. Position Function: Under the direction of the Clinical Nutrition Manager, performs duties related to diet therapy, therapeutic menu correction, customer service, tray assembly and distribution. II. Job Relationships: Supervised and/or reports to the following: Clinical Nutrition Manager (primary)

Operations Manager (secondary)

Collaborates and effectively communicates with peers, dietitians, patients, nurses/nursing staff, nutrition & food service staff and other health care and support staffs.

III. Authority:

Acts as department liaison to patients, nurses/nursing staff, and other health care providers and support staffs.

Provides appropriate menu to patients on regular or therapeutic diets. Assists patients in selecting nutritious, well balanced and therapeutically responsible meal selections.

Corrects patient menus to be consistent with patient's diet prescription utilizing pre-established menu guidelines and basic knowledge of therapeutic menu correction.

Records, updates and processes patient diet information in the Meditech computer system.

Assembles and distributes meals to assigned patients.

IV. A. Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

"Provides superior customer service to internal and external clients, customers,

and patients as referenced in the Service Excellence Standards."

Demonstrates a full understanding of the role of the Nutrition Ambassador as it supports the mission of the department and organization as a whole.

Using the most current diet order, checks in/updates all patient menus, making appropriate additions, deletions and corrections prior to each meal service.

Documents patient meal census and other required data prior to each meal.

Functions as an active and effective member of the clinical and hospitality section in the provision of nutrition care. Maintains effective communications with all clinical staff.

Displays effective time management skills.

Answers the telephone in a courteous manner. Handles messages appropriately.

Utilizes beeper and phone systems to relay issues to managers/supervisors or dietitians.

Documents all patient food preferences, allergies and intolerance in the Meditech computer system patient kardex for assigned patients.

Functions as an active and effective member of the department in the provision of nutrition care and food service. Maintains effective communications with all clinical and foodservice staff to insure effective and efficient operations.

Follows all written and verbal directives from the dietitian/CNM regarding patient’s nutritional care.

Provides feedback to dietitians and nursing staff responsible for assigned patients regarding pertinent patient care issues.

Uses clear, concise, legible writing on all written communications for staff and patients.

Demonstrates accurate therapeutic menu correction for all diet as listed in the hospital approved diet manual.

Reviews diet manual or training and resource manual, or actively seeks assistance from dietitian and or senior nutrition ambassador when needed in the provision of diet therapy/therapeutic menu correction.

Performs functions related to menu selection, tray assembly, tray distribution, snack distribution and maintenance of assigned nourishment stations.

Checks trays against patient name and date of birth on ID band to ensure proper delivery of trays

Updates of patient nourishments and tube feedings.

Follows established sanitation guidelines to ensure a clean and safe work environment.

Adheres to sanitation guidelines to prevent food borne illness and possible spread of infection.

Maintains a "CLEAN AS YOU GO" policy using prescribed methods as demonstrated by a clean and neat work area.

Uses proper hand washing techniques.

Covers, labels and dates food in the appropriate containers.

Utilizes and stores cleaning agents properly.

Performs general kitchen duties as needed and as assigned.

Performs other duties as assigned.

B. Responsibilities/Non-Essential Functions:

Greets all new patients courteously and informs patients and/or family/care givers about the dining process.

Adheres to all department sanitation practices and guidelines to prevent food borne illness, possible spread of infection and to insure a safe and clean work environment.

Attends all staff meetings and in-service programs as scheduled.

Participates in any/all department patient surveys or "meal round" associated activities.

V. Reporting Requirements:

Reports immediately to a manager/supervisor/dietitian any patient complaint.

Reports to the appropriate dietitian suspicions of "wrong" therapeutic diet or "wrong" diet consistency.

Reports to the manager on duty any food service related issues.

VI. Accountability:

Accountable for maintaining the confidentiality and security of patient related information.

Accountable to hospital policies and procedures, as relevant.

Accountable to report all nutrition/food service issues to the appropriate manager/supervisor.

VII. Qualifications:

Minimum Education

High School or GED equivalent

Minimum Experience:

One year hospital food service experience (preferred)

Minimum skills/abilities:

Read, write and speak English Basic mathematics and use of calculator Computer literate Basic Nutrition Education

Certification/Licensure:

None

Training:

Must successfully complete Steward St Elizabeth’s Nutrition Ambassador’s training program

Special Qualifications:

None