Diet Tech -Food Services

About the role

The Diet Technician is responsible for performing nutrition screens, diet education, calorie counts, and any other duties related to patient's nutritional care within the scope of the position and as assigned and overseen by the Registered Dietitian.

Responsibilities

• Assists Dietitian in collecting basic nutritionally relevant patient/resident data to perform nutritional screening and preliminary nutritional risk evaluation.
• Interviews patients/residents to obtain food preferences, diet history and related information.
• Discusses patient/resident needs with the health care team as directed by the Dietitian.
• In an acute care setting, determines whether the patient/resident may require a nutritional assessment which is performed by the Dietitian.
• In a skilled nursing setting/long term care unit, determines the immediacy/urgency of a nutritional assessment, care plan, and intervention that is performed by the Dietitian.
• Assists Dietitian in providing nutritional education for patient/resident and their families involving principles of special therapeutic diets; reviews current dietary practices of patient/resident and their families; evaluates patient/resident understanding and expected level of compliance; makes recommendations for follow-up education with guidance of Dietitian.
• Collects pertinent clinical data from patient/resident medical records in order to accurately identify current nutrition problems; utilize approved, institution specific documentation standards to chart pertinent nutritional information into patient/resident medical record to be reviewed and signed off by Dietitian.
• Assists Dietitian in performing nutritional analysis; calculates and analyzes patient/resident food and fluid intake, weight records, menu patterns and enteral nutrition formula orders.
• Assists Dietitian in implementing patient/resident nutritional preferences and monitors care plans; retrieves clinic information; generates reports and performs other duties utilizing computerized systems.
• Assists with orienting and on-boarding new staff to the food and nutrition services department.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Current Food Handlers card as required by County DHHR OR obtained within 30 days of hire through ONE of the following: StateFoodSafety.com, Servsafe, National Restaurant Association, Local County Health Department.

Preferred Qualifications

• Enrolled in a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered course with expected completion within 1 year of hire.
• Experience in hospital food service.

Skills and Abilities

• Work requires the analytical skills to resolve problems that require the use of basic scientific, mathematical, or technical principles.
• Strong math skills are required.
• Work requires the ability to exchange information on factual matters, and respond to simple written or verbal instructions, explain hospital policies, and/or relay messages to appropriate personnel. This type of interaction requires courtesy and tact when dealing with patients, visitors and/or hospital employees. More sensitive situations may be referred to others as appropriate.
• Requires excellent time management skills.
• Must be able to read and write in the medical records.
• Must have excellent communication skills with the ability to teach nurses, patients/residents, family members, interns, food service workers.
• Requires the use of multiple computer skills including EPIC system, e-mail, Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.
• Telephone skills, hospital paging system skills required.
• Must keep up to date on all professional literature in the field of nutrition by reading journals and joining list serves.
• Must have the ability to create and interpret schedules for staff.
• Work requires regularly proofreading and checking documents for accuracy.
• Ability to understand written and oral communication.

Physical Requirements

• Work requires lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 10 pounds and occasionally lifting and carrying objects weighing 11 to 20 pounds.
• Work requires regularly stooping, bending, sitting and standing.
• Work requires frequently reaching and grasping objects below, at and above shoulder level.
• Work requires regularly pushing and/or pulling non-motorized equipment (e.g., stretcher, food cart, mop, etc.) weighing 21 to over 50 pounds.
• Work requires regularly grasping and fine manipulation with hands.

Working Environment

• Majority of work is performed in the nutrition department and patient/resident care areas.
• Most of the work is completed standing/walking.
• Frequent classroom and meeting room work.
• Majority of work is performed under deadline pressure, which is often stressful.
• Potential exposure to blood borne pathogens.
• Job requires performance of tasks that involve potential for exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues.

Schedule

Shift Varied, 40 hours per week.