Patient Dining Assistant

Primary Responsibilities

• Pass out menus and instruct each patient on the My Dining meal ordering system.
• Speak to each patient or caregiver and verbally take their diet-specific food choices for each meal.
• Accurately process and meticulously follow all physician prescribed diets.
• Reaffirm all patient food requests by reading back the food choices to the patient upon agreement and confirmation.
• Enter all choices into the PDA's iPad.
• Print off all meal tickets, organize, and place on the patient tray line.
• Build, deliver, scan, and remove patient trays at posted times.
• Process and follow all diet requests, serving each patient/guest in a timely, professional, and efficient manner.
• Take ownership of patient concerns, making independent decisions within scope of care and following up to a positive resolution.
• Use two patient identifiers to positively ID each patient and digitally scan each tray ticket before a meal is served.
• Act as a liaison between the patient, Nutritional Services, nursing, and any other department involved, fostering a positive service culture.
• Work independently with minimal supervision, handling variable shifts to care for patients and all areas of nutritional services.
• Serve guests professionally and efficiently, instructing them on the My Dining meal system.
• Deliver and pick up finished patient trays in a timely manner according to established time constraints.
• Inventories, records, checks for out-of-date items, and replaces floor stock at designated par levels on their nursing unit as needed.
• Has knowledge of My Dining processes and all diet restrictions utilized by the patient, family member, or friend.
• Uses an issued Ascom phone, iPad, and scanner while on duty.
• Uses Meditech and views their status board often for updates regarding patient needs and limitations.
• Delivers between meal nourishments (when needed) directly to each guest.
• Responsible for Quality Assurance control points for the My Dining system, ensuring all actions reflect the goal of achieving a "5" on patient satisfaction goals, including active P.I. meal round surveys.
• Anticipate guest/team member needs and be proactive in addressing concerns.
• Demonstrates computer literacy to use an iPad computer and its software and Ascom phones.
• Maintains performance, patient, and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.
• Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Adheres to the DCH Behavioral Standards, creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues, and with self.
• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software, and intranet.
• Adheres to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned, regardless of assigned position for that day, to ensure uninterrupted services.

  Qualifications

  • High school graduate or equivalent preferred.
  • Ability to read, write, and comprehend English.
  • Positive, verbal communication and one-on-one interaction skills, especially with different levels of patients, patient's families, doctors, and staff in the hospital setting.
  • Knowledge and experience working with IPads and PCs is strongly recommended.
  • Strong customer relations, communication, prioritization, time management, and multi-tasking skills.
  • Completes the ServSafe class within six months after hire and scores a minimum of 75% on the written test.

  Working Conditions

  • Interpersonal Relationships: Continually have contact with others; frequently deal with external and internal customers; occasionally deal with unpleasant, irrational, or angry people; frequently work with a group, team, or co-workers.
  • Physical Work Conditions: Works indoors in an environmentally controlled conditions; frequently works in physical proximity to others; occasionally requires using PPE’s to enter patient rooms; very frequently spends time bending or twisting the body; routinely spends time kneeling, crouching, stooping, or crawling; frequently spends time making repetitive motions; continuously fast-paced, high-step count, walking; frequently has hands in water, cleaning solutions, and other chemicals; continuously carries an iPad across a shoulder or in hand.
  • Structural Job Characteristics: High consequences for error; extremely high importance of being exact and accurate; routinely involves the importance of repeating same tasks.
  • Physical Activity Requirements: Communicating; hearing; vision; bending; twisting; physical contact; continuous walking; standing for long periods; kneeling; crouching; stooping; pushing; crawling; lifting; reaching; grasping; holding; repetitive motion; using hands to handle; use of utensils and other pertinent tools; having hands in water, sanitizers, or other cleaning solutions; hand washing and/or hand gel.
  • Physical Presence Onsite is Essential.
  • Other Job Factors: Sensory abilities: finger/hand dexterity to be able to handle equipment, cell phone; computers; hearing and seeing; mathematical reasoning ability to count carbs, calories, fluids, I/O, galley sheets, etc.; and other patient needs.
  • Work Styles: Attention to Detail for all patient requests, needs, and issues; cooperation and being pleasant and even tempered with patients, family members, doctors, and co-workers; integrity; being honest and accountable for your actions.