Overview

How have you impacted someone’s life today? At Hackensack MeridianHealthour teams are focused on changing the lives of our patients by providing the highest level of care each and every day. From our hospitals, rehab centers and occupational health teams to our long-term care centers and at-home care capabilities, our complete spectrum of services will allow you to apply your skills in multiple settings while building your career, all within New Jersey’s premier healthcare system.

The Nutrition Assistant is responsible for obtaining and processing meal orders in a courteous and professional manner; ensuring diet prescription adherence, and maintaining an accurate dietary record for each patient.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Nutrition Assistant at Hackensack Meridian can be described as follows:

1. Handles all patient / customer interactions in a courteous and professional manner, using standardized script where required.

2. Receives patient meal requests by phone call to the diet office, call backs from the diet office or visitation at the patient bedside. Processes meal orders via computer in allotted time frame.

3. Orders non-select meals for patients who cannot select a meal and for whom no order has been placed, as appropriate.

4. Keeps accurate dietary records for patients in the computer as necessary.

5. Ensures all menu choices made by patients are therapeutically accurate, through suggestions of alternatives when necessary for patient satisfaction.

6. Processes orders for guest trays in a courteous and timely manner.

7. Communicates special requests, important information to appropriate staff in a timely and courteous manner.

8. Prints reports timely.

9. Processes requests for 10 am, 3 pm, and HS nourishments.

10. Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers care that is specific to those needs (i.e., age, culture, language, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, parent, and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).

11. Adheres to the standards identified in the Medical Center’s Organizational Competencies and Standards.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

1. High School diploma or equivalent

2. Knowledge of basic principles of nutrition and modified diets

3. Proficient in computer skills

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

1. Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in foods and nutrition

2. Bilingual, especially Spanish or Korean language

3.One or more years of similar hospital or acute care experience