Nutrition & Dining Services

The Food Service Helper works under the supervision of the Manager. Performs duties involving patient meal service including assembling trays, and nourishments and sanitation functions of the dietary area.

• Assembles patient trays according to the tray tickets using the standards for plate presentation and garnishing.
• Processes all food and operates equipment according to sanitation and safety regulations.
• Accurately portions food for patients. Accurately assembles trays according to the patient’s dietary restrictions.
• Delivers meal to patient room and assists patient with meal set-up as appropriate.
• Follows established timeliness of meal delivery goals set by department and all department meal tray procedures. This includes using the tray monitoring system to document timely delivery of patient meals.
• Assembles and delivers floor stock nourishments as requisitioned by unit or per department standards.
• Timely collection and distribution of accurate enteral nutritional supplements to nursing units per defined department procedure.
• Sets up and operates dish machine and pot and pan area in accordance with sanitation and safety regulations.
• Empties trash; sweeps and mops dietary area. Maintains clean working area to meet sanitation requirements.
• Completes assigned data collection for quality measures (i.e. dish machine temperatures, equipment temperatures).
• Other duties as assigned

• H.S. Diploma - Preferred

• Upon Hire

• Must be able to travel between various system facilities and off-site locations as needed. - Required

Essential Technical/Motor Skills

• Ability to use fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination to portion food selections and place on a moving belt.
• Ability to manipulate various pieces of equipment.
• Ability to enter data into smart phone and /or computer/tablet.

Interpersonal Skills

• Cooperates with fellow caregivers and has good excellent customer skills.
• Ability to interact in a professional manner with patients/caregivers/families/providers.

Essential Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand at long lengths of time on trayline to assemble trays, reach for items; lifts pans of food (20 lbs.); twisting side to side; move from trayline to patient floors and around department; push/pull loaded meal carts (on a tile floor initial push force is 13.2 pounds and sustained is 7 pounds and pulling 20 pounds initial and 7 pounds sustained.
• On carpet, push 22.2 pounds initial and 16 pounds sustained, pulling on carpet 16.4 pounds initial and 12 pounds sustained. ).
• Stands or walks entire shift.
• Ability to walk at a moderate pace extensively during shift, may be upwards of 10,000 steps/day.
• Ability to lift dishware (25 lbs.) and place on dish machine; reach to remove items; crouch to clean carts; push clean carts and lower dishware; operates dish machine, empties trash (40 lbs.), sweeps and mops floors, bend to wash pots and pans.

Essential Mental Abilities

• Ability to comprehend menu selections for restrictive dietary needs.
• Use long term memory to correctly assemble trays.
• Organize workflow process to meet meal service time delivery goals.
• Ability to enter data into meal delivery software programs.

Essential Sensory Requirements

• Ability to visually see in order to read tray tickets, schedules, memos and policy\procedures.
• Ability to visually identify special diet food items; distinguish colors of diet kits and menus; visually inspect patient menu to determine food selection.
• Ability to smell food product to determine proper quality.

Exposure to Hazards

• Chemicals, burns, slips; back injuries; body secretions and blood from patient trays.

Other Skills and Abilities