JOB PURPOSE OR MISSION: The Nutritional Care Ambassador is responsible for communications between nursing units and the Nutritional Care Department regarding patient menus, Clinical Nutrition Service, diet changes and general nutritional care service. The Nutritional Care Ambassador develops menu tallies for food production, NPO patients, supplements, nourishments and nutritional care floor supplies. Performs duties for the age population served, as defined in the company Plan of Care.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

CRITERIA A: Everyday Excellence Values - Employee demonstrates Everyday Excellence values in the day-to-day performance of their job.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Demonstrates courtesy and caring to each other, patients and their families, physicians, and the community.
• Takes initiative in living our Everyday Excellence values and vital signs.
• Takes initiative in identifying customer needs before the customer asks.
• Participates in teamwork willingly and with enthusiasm.
• Demonstrates respect for the dignity and privacy needs of customers through personal action and attention to the environment of care.
• Keeps customers informed, answers customer questions and anticipates information needs of customers.

CRITERIA B: Corporate Compliance - Employee demonstrates commitment to the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Guidelines and the GHS Corporate Compliance Guidelines.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Practices diligence in fulfilling the regulatory and legal requirements of the position and department.
• Maintains accurate and reliable patient/organizational records.
• Maintains professional relationships with appropriate officials; communicates honesty and completely; behaves in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner in all professional contacts.

CRITERIA C: Personal Achievement - Employee demonstrates initiative in achieving work goals and meeting personal objectives.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Uses accepted procedures and practices to complete assignments.
• Uses creative and proactive solutions to achieve objectives even when workload and demands are high.
• Adheres to high moral principles of honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and fairness.
• Upholds the ethical standards of the organization.

CRITERIA D: Performance Improvement - Employee actively participates in Performance Improvement activities and incorporates quality improvement standards in his/her job performance.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Optimizes talents, skills, and abilities in achieving excellence in meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
• Initiates or redesigns to continuously improve work processes.
• Contributes ideas and suggestions to improve approaches to work processes.
• Willingly participates in organization and/or department quality initiatives.

CRITERIA E: Cost Management - Employee demonstrates effective cost management practices.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Effectively manages time and resources
• Makes conscious effort to effectively utilize the resources of the organization — material, human, and financial.
• Consistently looks for and uses resource saving processes.

CRITERIA F: Patient & Employee Safety - Employee actively participates in and demonstrates effective patient and employee safety practices.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Employee effectively communicates, demonstrates, coordinates and emphasizes patient and employee safety.
• Employee proactively reports errors, potential errors, injuries or potential injuries.
• Employee demonstrates departmental specific patient and employee safety standards at all times.
• Employee demonstrates the use of proper safety techniques, equipment and devices and follows safety policies, procedures and plans.

JOB FUNCTIONS

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS include, but are not limited to:

1. Assists patients in completing menus.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Visits all assigned patients for menu selection, and offers accepted alternate food selections requested.
• Reviews patients’ kardex files, and records diet change to assure efficient timing of service.
• Completes patient menu selection assignment within designated time frame.
• Compiles menu information for use by kitchen personnel in food preparation.
• Notifies Clinical Nutritionist of any patient concerns.

2. Monitors and delivers nourishments to assigned nursing unit.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Prepares nourishment orders and restocks as needed.
• Assures that stock level of nourishments is maintained at adequate levels at all times.
• Ensures that nourishments are labeled and reflects expiration date.
• Monitors and records temperature on nourishment refrigerators on assigned nursing units.

3. Sets up tray line and prepares patient trays in accordance with established schedule and procedures.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Sets up tray line according to established procedures, and ensure proper temperatures of food under refrigeration and in steam tables.
• Places appropriate food on trays according to menu and diet requirements 100% of the time.
• Serves food in accordance with established portion control procedures.
• Consistently checks completed trays for appearance and arrangement.

4. Serves meal trays to patients.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Deliveries food carts to the patient floors on a timely basis.
• Serves trays to patients according to rules of etiquette and company policy.
• Picks up trays from each room after meal.
• Records percentage of food eaten by patient on the kardex 100% of the time.
• Returns food carts to the kitchen according to established schedule.

5. Maintains working area according to established infection control/safety policies.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Maintains a safe and sanitary work area at all times.
• Utilizes kitchen equipment appropriately and safely.
• Follows proper procedures and uses aseptic techniques for isolation patients.
• Observes sanitation procedures before handling utensils and food items.

6. Performs all other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Previous food service experience preferred.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

High School Diploma or GED preferred.

SPECIAL SKILL, LICENSE, AND/OR KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

HIPAA REQUIREMENTS:

Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable HIPAA regulations appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Employee health records, patient related complaints, and/or information related to patient location.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:

Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable safety practices appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Incident reporting, handling of wastes, sharps and linen, PPE, exposure control plans, hand washing, environment of care, and patient identification.