Diet Technician

Hennepin Healthcare is hiring a 0.5 FTE Diet Technician to work day/evening shifts, every other weekend. Candidates with Food Service Worker experience in a healthcare setting or students in a dietetic program are preferred. 

A $500 sign-on bonus is available for eligible external candidates (current employees and former employees returning to HHS within one year are ineligible).

SUMMARY

Under general supervision; a technical position which assumes responsibility for the nutritional well-being of patients receiving sustenance provided by the Food and Nutrition Services Department, or to coordinate daily operation of tray line service.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Monitoring and maintaining patient orders, admissions, discharges, and transfers using the electronic medical record in combination with the diet office software system
• May complete nutrition screening; determines the level of nutritional risk for patients, able to determine the needs of the age groups served and plan care based on the needs identified, and notifies the dietitian of patients deemed at nutritional risk who require attention
• May complete calorie count calculations and communicate results as appropriate
• Menu correction based on special diet needs
• Direct tray service; checking each tray for accuracy and adherence to diet order
• May prepare and deliver enteral formulas as appropriate
• Answering call center phone calls and problem solving
• May provide nutrition education as required; documents in the electronic medical record, demonstrates knowledge of the age appropriate range of services, treatment or therapies
• Can make a determination of standard and substandard products
• Assures proper food handling and presentation
• Visits all ages of patients daily in assigned area for menu selection and to conduct patient satisfaction surveys
• Enters accurate diet orders, admissions, discharges and transfer of patients into diet office software system and communicates change to tray serving area. Uses computer terminal to communicate with nursing units
• Conducts test trays for quality and accuracy of trays as served to patients
• Prepares menus for serving area in accordance with current diet orders
• Attends all required Safety Training programs and can describe his/her responsibilities related to general safety, department/ service safety, specific job-related hazards
• Follows the Hospital Exposure Control Plans/ Blood borne and Airborne Pathogens
• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitors and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible and courteous environment
• Promotes effective working relations and works effectively as part of a department/ unit team inter and intra departmentally to facilitate the department's/ unit's ability to meet its goals and objectives