Nutrition Care Aide Job

: As a patient-focused organization, the University of Utah Health Sciences exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. The Health Sciences Center seeks faculty and staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, diversity, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission.

Position Summary:

This position performs food service work in the areas of pre-meal prep work, assembly, distribution, and clean up for all areas of the hospital including the cafeteria, deli, espresso bar, patient units, and for catered hospital functions. Employees may be responsible for ordering and maintaining proper ingredient stock levels and performing cashier duties.

This position has no responsibility for providing care to patients.

Essential Functions:

- Sets up food assembly areas, including the patient tray line, and performs other prep duties required to ensure well coordinated food production.
- Prepares all types of food according to instructions written in standardized recipes.
- Provides quality food service to patients' rooms and to cafeteria, deli, and espresso bar customers.
- Takes responsibility for assuring that food is prepared and delivered as ordered; returns to pick up trays and other nutrition equipment from patient's rooms or catered events; and follows through on any complaints or problems when necessary.
- Portions and packages food in a timely and sanitary fashion.
- Coordinates activities with Cooks and other Nutrition Services staff as necessary to ensure that the department functions properly.
- Washes dishes and pots using dish equipment; cleans assigned area and equipment daily; mops floors and performs other light cleaning duties.
- Ensures that food trays delivered to patient units contain correct meals in accordance with recognized special patient diets such as low sodium, fluid restricted, etc.
- May perform catering functions such as setting up various types of meal services; assures that food arrives on time and in an aesthetically pleasing manner; and responds to problems or complaints.
- May perform ingredient inventory and storeroom maintenance, ordering and adjusting supplies as necessary.
- Ensures that condiment containers and automatic change dispenser are full and operational.
- Rotates stock to ensure that ingredients and food items are always fresh.
- May check inventory levels and prepare storeroom orders.
- May direct up to ten employees if assigned to a lead position.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities:

- Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.
- Demonstrated knowledge of basic math.
- Demonstrated human relation, customer service, time management, and effective communication skills.
- This position works under general to direct supervision of the Nutrition Care Services Supervisor. Incumbents may also receive instruction from Nutrition Care Technicians. Incumbents may make decisions on matters for which departmental guidelines, policy and/or procedure authorizes them to do so, but must refer all new or unusual situations to their supervisor.
- Major challenges this position faces include proper handling of customer issues or complaints; and performing and/or coordinating the activities of others to ensure proper functioning when operating under conditions of staff shortages. Incumbents deal with special requests made by patients or their families, and must determine when to refer questions to Nutrition Care Supervisors or Technicians. Incumbents also must ensure that stockroom inventory is used by the authorized personnel.
- Incumbents must comply with departmental policies regarding attendance and periodic evaluations in order to perform the