Nutrition Assistant I

Hugh Chatham Health; Oak Lawn (IL); On-site; USD 26,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Educational assistance

Job summary

Advocate Health is seeking a friendly Dietary Aide to assemble patient trays, verify dietary needs, and deliver meals across units. The role emphasizes accuracy, patient interaction, and adherence to safety and sanitation standards.

You will support nourishment delivery, assist with menu selections, and communicate patient needs to nursing and kitchen staff in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Qualifications

• In high school, high school graduate or GED and 6 months in customer service/office.
• Basic computer and communication skills required.
• Detail oriented with strong organizational abilities.

Responsibilities

• Assembles patient trays and ensures diet order accuracy.
• Delivers and picks up meal trays, verifying diet and item accuracy.
• Maintains professional appearance and communicates with patients and staff.
• Assists with nourishment delivery and supports kitchen communication.
• Answers calls, records patient requests, and follows proper etiquette.

Skills

Computer skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Math skills

Written & verbal English

Professional appearance

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Department

11903 Advocate Christ Medical Center - Food and Nutrition

Department

11903 Advocate Christ Medical Center - Food and Nutrition

Status

Full time

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Hours Per Week

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information

Floating position between AM (6:30AM-3:00PM) and PM hours(12:30PM-9:00PM), and every other weekend

Pay Range

$18.85 - $28.30

Major Responsibilities

• Assembles Patient Trays: a) Assembles trays according to patient's menu selections on tray tickets in a timely and accurate manner. b) Complies with dietary restrictions on special, modified diets to ensure optimal food preferences are met within guidelines of diet order limitations. c) Make sure that food allergies are closely monitored.
• Cart and Tray Delivery and Pick Up: a) Delivers meal carts from ground level to assigned nursing areas within designated time frame. b) Distributes patient meals; verifies diet and meal accuracy at point of service.
• Guest Relations: a) Maintains professional image and follows department uniform policy. b) Transports tray carts, delivers trays to patients. c) Assists patients with opening containers, removing lids as needed. d) Demonstrates a caring attitude with patients, family and guests. e) Responds positively to all requests seeking to maximize dining experience. f) Communicates wrong or missing items to the kitchen. g) Communicates patients' needs to nursing. h) Displays commitment to hospital's philosophy mission statement, BOEs and values in all interactions.
• Nourishments: a) Delivers nourishments to assigned patients. b) Delivers floor stock to assigned unit kitchens.

Takes calls from patients and nursing units.

• Takes patient menu selections, confirms patients' needs/requests and discusses patients' needs and tray delivery time with nursing or department associates.
• Exhibits a friendly, caring attitude and follows proper telephone etiquette and procedures with patients, visitors and healthcare professionals.
• Goes to patient rooms where patients are unable to call down their selections.

Complies with dietary restrictions, (based on the diet ordered by the patient's physician) allergies, dislikes, cultural, ethnic and religious preferences.

• Offers alternatives to menu as allowed on prescribed diet when patient inquires or needs additional selections.
• Interacts with nursing to ensure patients' diet orders are accurate and patients' food needs are met.
• Responsive to patient's needs at all times. Resolves patient concerns or complaints immediately and/or reports needed assistance to supervisor as appropriate. Communicates any patient related problems/concerns to appropriate personnel, in a timely manner following departmental procedures.
• Maintains accurate information for each patient. Assists dietician with monitoring of patients who are NPO, on liquid diets or have a calorie count ordered.

Utilizes "Just for You" call system and Care Connection/ CBord information for patient care.

• Delivering patient trays properly following the AIDET script/ communicating properly with our patients: a) Communicates effectively when assisting patients and/or family b) Communicates between nursing, guest service representatives and tray line associates in order to clarify orders and provide prompt service. d) Communicates special patient needs to dieticians and diet clerks.
• Training/In-services/Meetings: a) Assists with training of other associates b) Attends scheduled huddles, in-services and meetings.

Participates in QA/CQI documentation process. Takes Temperatures to ensure proper food temps are achieved.

• Documents temperatures of all steam table items.
• Documents time menu is received and when the tray leaves the department for delivery.
• Receives, fills and delivers patient tray items to satisfy customers' needs.

Participation in area huddles, in-services, training, orientation and meetings.

• Attends huddles, in-services and training sessions to keep current with specific procedures, DNV requirements and changes within the department and/or hospital. Completes annual CBTs.
• Attends orientation and area specific meetings to keep current on area specific changes or concerns and for a communication exchange with peers and management.
• Continue to learn ways to which CQI can be applied to our areas to ensure customer satisfaction.

Education/Experience Required

• In high school, high school graduate or GED * 6 months in customer service field/ office

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Good Computer skills and able to navigate on computer * Good communication skills * Detail and results orientated * Strong organizational skills * Mathematical competence *Ability to communicate effectively; written and verbal * Ability to speak, read and write English clearly and proficiently * Have a neat and professional appearance

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Flexible work hours between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm including weekends and holidays. * Ability to work under stressful/difficult conditions. * Ability to meet time constraints in a fast pace environment. * Ability to work for significant periods of time. * Ability to communicate with various internal/external customers. * Ability to document. * Ability to read patient menus, names and logs. * Ability to spend majority of time standing and sitting. * Position requires constant hearing and seeing. * Position requires frequent bending, keying, reaching, speaking, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, kneeling and smelling. * Position requires occasional climbing and tasting. * Limited exposure to hazardous conditions. * Safety and sanitation when entering patients' rooms or kitchen. * Ability to handle various tasks simultaneously especially during peak hours. * Ability to move 50 pounds.

If position has direct patient care or direct patient contact the following lifting requirement supersedes any previous lifting requirement effective 06/01/2015. Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance. For patient lifts of over 35 pounds, or when patient is unable to assist with the lift, patient handling equipment is expected to be used, with at least one other associate, when available. Unique patient lifting/movement situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.

Our Commitment To You

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Compensation

• Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
• Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
• Incentive pay for select positions
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance

Benefits And More

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.