Clinical Nutrition Assistant

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

JOB INFORMATION

Effective Date:

12/1/2022

Entity:

Wisconsin

Job Code:

430016

Job Title:

Clinical Nutrition Assistant

FLSA Exemption Status:

Non-Exempt

Management Level:

Individual Contributor

JOB SUMMARY

The Clinical Nutrition Assistant supports the Culinary Call Center and work of the Nutrition Technician Registered (DTR). The Culinary Call Center is a fast-paced work environment where the team takes over 750 calls and processes over 500 medical orders per day on average. The staff are responsible for assisting patients, families, and/or staff with room service meal selections via telephone during call center hours, ensuring patient's select appropriate meal choices in accordance with medically prescribed diet orders, nutrition needs as assessed by the Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN), food allergies, and department procedure while offering appropriate alternative suggestions based on strong knowledge of modified diets and nutrient content of foods.

Clinical Nutrition Assistant is responsible for assisting patients with daily meal and snack selections and monitoring the oral intake of patients during their hospitalization. The incumbent needs to have a basic understanding of the hospital food system, clinical diet orders, various food and beverage items, and preparation/cooking techniques that can impact nutrition-related health conditions. Responsibilities also include providing assistance with nutrition-related programs that support patient care and promoting a healthy environment for patients, families, and employees.

This position has direct patient care responsibilities. The incumbent is expected to participate in daily department huddles to ensure patient care communication is collaborative and patients are best meeting their oral nutrition needs during hospitalization. Knowledge of determinants of health and the ability to integrate knowledge into nutrition care and services is required. Good communication, interpersonal, computer, and collaboration skills are essential to this position. The position also requires the ability to learn multiple information systems.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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Meet with patients and/or families in person or over the phone to assist them in planning their meals.

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Work with patients and families to help them understand their nutrition-related health condition and develop strategies to improve their health and wellbeing using basic nutrition knowledge while collaborating with the DTR, RDN, and other members of the care team for issues that exceed scope of practice.

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Process medical orders related to nutrition care for patients in compliance with their medically prescribed diet order, room service classification, medical orders, and established guidelines.

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Collaborate with RDN to generate orders for enteral tube feeding and oral nutrition supplement orders.

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Deliver health information using informed terms and concepts in the provision of informal counseling, support, and follow up.

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Assist and coordinate oral meal and/or snack selections during patient hospitalization to help best meet the patients’ nutrition needs and draft meal plans to be reviewed by the Nutrition Technician, Registered.

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Assist with nutrition monitoring and input data into computer software programs to ensure accurate ordering and food provision. Analyze food records for macro and micro-nutrient content using current anthropometric data.

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Organize and prioritize daily work schedule to support the work of the Culinary Call Center, Nutrition Technician, Registered and the Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

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Maintain database for monitoring and tracking of food pantry participants.

As needed, additional responsibilities reasonably within the scope of duties and physical requirements may be assigned.  ALL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS MUST BE PERFORMED CONSISTENT WITH THE UW HEALTH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND RESPECT FOR PEOPLE COMMITTMENTS.

X

Clinical

Will provide all patients age and culturally appropriate assessment/screening and interpretation of clinical and laboratory data. Develops and implements age appropriate interventional plans of care including education within the parameters of their position responsibilities and licensure

JOB REQUIREMENTS

High School Diploma

Required

Associate's Degree

in Nutrition, Dietetics, or related field

Preferred

1 year

of administrative, customer service, nutrition or food experience

Required

1 year

of nutrition-related experience (patient interviews, meal planning, diet clerk, call center) in a hospital setting

Preferred

LICENSE, CERTIFICATIONS, AND REGISTRATIONS MUST BE MAINTAINED PER UW HEALTH POLICY. 

•

Knowledge of basic nutrition concepts

•

Ability to work in a team environment

•

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

•

Ability to work with a culturally diverse patient population and other health care team members

•

Strong computer navigation and utilization skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS

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Sedentary: Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Up to 10#

Negligible

Negligible

☐

Light: Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all of these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that they can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

up to 20#

Up to 10# or requires significant walking or standing or requires pushing/pulling of arm/leg controls.

Negligible or constant push/pull of items of negligible weight

☒

Medium: Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. If someone can do medium work, we determine that they can also do sedentary and light work.

20-50#

10-25#

Negligible-10#

☐

Heavy: Heavy work involves lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds. If someone can do heavy work, we determine that they can also do medium, light, and sedentary work.

50-100#

25-50#

10-20#

☐

Very Heavy: Very heavy work involves lifting objects weighing more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing 50 pounds or more. If someone can do very heavy work, we determine that they can also do heavy, medium, light, and sedentary work.

Over 100#

Over 50#

Over 20#

Other - list any other physical requirements or bona fide occupational qualifications not indicated above:

Over 50 lbs.

UW Health does not require, nor does it expect that its employees lift more than 50 lbs unassisted. Objects in excess of 50 lbs should be lifted or moved with mechanical means or through a team lift. Employees in patient care areas are expected to utilize mechanical lifts and adhere to the "Use of Mechanical Lifts (Liko)" policy in the Patient Services Policy and Procedure Manual.

Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.

THE EMPLOYEE MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB WITH OR WITHOUT AN APPROVED ACCOMODATION. Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.