Category:

Support Services

City:

Jackson

State:

Tennessee

Shift:

Job Description Summary:

The Patient Nutritional Care Specialist is directly responsible for explaining to the patients, [all new admits] the nutritional services and menu process that will be provided during their care here at the hospital. The associate must have a professional demeanor, represent the hospital and Food & Nutritional department in a positive manner. Associate are responsible in adhering to privileged and private information that is patient related; protecting the confidentiality must follow HIPPA laws and regulations. Associate must be discrete with all communications related to patient information and their care. The "Patient Nutritional Care Specialist" must practice AIDET techniques and execute proper scripting to ensure quality visits each time the patient is interacted with. Associate is responsible for all regulatory guidelines and for safe food handling practices while maintaining logs to ensure that these are met. Associate is responsible for the nutritional adequacy of up to 46 patients at a time per meal period. Associate is solely responsible for the patient satisfaction as it relates to Food & Nutrition Services. The position will work a 12 hour shift to maintain consistency throughout the day with a positive attitude in the delivery of nutritional needs for the patient. In addition to breakfast, lunch & dinner, the associate will maintain adequate nourishments, tube feedings and formulary stock with feeding tubes as well as specific foods kept on the floors for patient consumption. This position will provide the menus, communication peripherals and be the link between nursing and the nutrition department. Associate will interact with the nursing team on the designated floors as if they themselves were a part of the floor staffing. Employee is subject to call back and overtime as required by the hospital.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Champion the customer service for the patients on any of the patient floors. The associate will have responsibility on one or more floors.  Associate will solicit feedback from the patients and relay messages to the appropriate manager. Associate will follow through to see that the issue was addressed and resolved.
• Must be a great communicator with all team members intra-departmental as well as extra-departmental, maintaining a great can do attitude with a tenacity to follow through to make sure that commitments are completed timely and professionally.
• Responsible for presenting specific daily menu choices to patients adhering to physician diet orders using the selective menu, enabling them to select their choices.
• Responsible for maintaining up-to-date records for each patient assigned throughout the entire shift.  Notifies the dietitian and/or nursing staff of special patient needs or concerns such as consistent refusal to eat within recommended guidelines.
• Uses AIDET to establish and maintain a positive relationship with the patient that will facilitate a favorable impression of Food & Nutrition and the hospital.
• Responsible for maintaining a clean and sanitary environment for all delivery equipment.
• Follows physician, dietitian & nursing guidance for specific nutritional care as it relates to their job duties.
• Must maintain a positive image with a clean, pressed uniform, proper health code coverings and safety shoes.
• Must be able to work closely with each floors nursing team as an integral part of the team and attend periodic floor team meetings.
• Assures all meals are presented in an appetizing and timely manner and at proper temperatures. 
• Prepare accurate diet meal tickets to be used to obtain selection orders from the patients prior to the next day’s meal.
• Highlights and checks menu for accuracy and counts carbohydrate choices per diet order.
• Build customized food trays according to the nutritional requirements by the American Dietetics guidelines based on patient’s food preferences adhering to allergies and likes and dislikes.
• Deliver food tray set-ups to patient rooms and make sure the patient is prepared, ready and able to eat their tray with an encouraging attitude, a genuine smile with a gracious heart that leaves a lasting favorable impression to the patients and family.
• Must be able to keep stock in the nourishment rooms stocked, rotated and nursing aware that it's available.
• Must be able to interact with patient family members in a manner that is professional and diverse to honor their respect for time with their family member.
• Must be able to respect and respond to a patient’s cultural and religious preferences while working with the patient on meal selections.  Report to dietitian and supervisor regarding such activities.
• Must adhere to the hospital grooming standards and wear the appropriate uniform as identified by the hospital and or its management team.
• Must be a self-reliant and self-directed person whom can work without someone constantly managing their time.  They are responsible to meet the time management schedules to complete all assignments as well as manage break times so that it doesn't impede with patient service standards.
• Must be very responsive to phone calls from patients, nursing and other team members via phone or pager.
• Performs related responsibilities as required or directed.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION:

• High School diploma or equivalent preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

• One year of Food Service experience desirable.
• Proven customer service experience desirable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Basic computer skills preferred
• Compassionate for all others with the ability to work in a team and autonomously
• Proactively seeking out opportunities to improve services and demands for patient satisfaction
• A keen sense of detail and accountability for all actions of one’s self
• Must be able to communicate at various levels within the hospitals staff on patient related conversations
• Must be a multi-task orientated individual having the presence to handle more than one responsibility at one time proficiently
• Must be accommodating to all patients, visitors, staff & customers at all times
• Must have the ability to recognize when a patient is in distress and report the situation to the appropriate authorities timely with professionalism
• Must be able to keep up with and be on time with regulatory compliance, in services, and practice daily what is learned
• Must be able to practice AIDET daily
• Must be able to take ownership for patient satisfaction for Food Service outcomes & results on Press Ganey
• Must be able to read, write and follow oral and written directions and make arithmetic calculations.

NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE STATEMENT

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.