Specialty Summary. Performs duties in Nutritional Medicine Service to include procuring, storing, preparing, cooking, baking and serving regular and therapeutic diets and nourishment. Performs clinical dietetics tasks and procures equipment. Maintains established sanitation, safety, and security standards. Accomplishes supply and subsistence management control and other duties as assigned. When no dietitian is assigned, consults command dietitian.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Practices timely, quality fundamentals of food preparation for regular and therapeutic diets, tube feedings, therapeutic-in-flight and box lunches. Prepares and cooks food items included in regular and therapeutic diets to conform with menus, recipes and food production worksheets. Portions and selects nourishment for regular and therapeutic diets. Arranges and garnishes foods using available products and equipment. Assembles and disassembles patient trays on food carts in patient tray assembly area. Delivers and returns food carts from nursing units. Cleans and sanitizes food carts, work area, dining area and equipment. Disassembles and cleans patient tray assembly areas and dining hall serving lines. Standardizes recipes and tests new products. Establishes production controls and standards for quantity and quality of foods. Plans menus according to established patterns. Analyzes reports on baking and cooking activities. Provides field feeding, accountability, sanitation, and layout during disasters or contingencies.
Performs clinical dietetic tasks. Receives and processes diet orders, menus and other directives related to patient care. Assists in writing individual therapeutic diet menus according to established patterns and guidelines. Conducts dietary rounds to interview patients on regular and therapeutic diets to determine satisfaction and food preferences. Completes nutrition screenings and basic level assessments. Weighs patients on initial and follow-up visits, recording the information in the patient’s medical record. Obtains, evaluates and uses dietary history to plan nutritional care. Calculates simple, routine therapeutic diets. Supports community nutrition requirements.
Accomplishes supply and subsistence management control, and other administrative duties. Collects and turns in subsistence and surcharge monies. Completes menu tallies, patient tray service records and workload data. Assists in determining requirements, preparing requisitions and local purchase orders. Receives, verifies, stores and issues foods and supplies from the prime vendor, commissary and medical logistics. Draws supplies and subsistence. Establishes stock controls, periodic inventories and thawing procedures. Assists in implementing cost control procedures. Inspects and evaluates facility and equipment for proper maintenance, operation and use. Monitors quality, quantity, sanitation, safety and security standards. Practices Quality Management ensuring continuous improvements using metrics. Makes recommendations for corrective actions in effectiveness of the Nutritional Medicine Service operation. Directs, inspects and evaluates completed work of personnel. Establishes work schedules, work assignments, job descriptions and resolves technical difficulties. Formulates and follows standard operating instructions. Advises dietitian on equipment status, maintenance and adequacy; personnel training; and operational efficiency and economy. Provides input to the MTF budget. Coordinates nutritional medicine service activities with interrelated or using organizations.
Specialty Qualifications:
Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of: food preparation methods; standardized recipes; the metric system of weights and measures; food chemistry; medical and dietetic abbreviations and terminology relating to food preparation and clinical dietetics; operating special preparation feeding and service equipment; sanitation and aseptic techniques and standards; use of Materiel Safety Data Sheets; medical ethics; professional and patient relationships; psychology of serving patients; the digestive tract anatomy and physiology; feeding in wartime or disaster contingencies; patient feeding in aeromedical evacuation; measures necessary to protect foodstuffs from contamination from radiological, chemical and biological agents; food purchasing, storage, preparing, service, merchandising; and managing Nutritional Medicine Service activities, menu planning, diet therapy, patient tray service and dining hall operations, baking, and cooking.
Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school is desirable with courses in mathematics, chemistry, biology, and food preparation.
Training:
For award of AFSC 4D031, completion of a basic food service course is desirable.
For award of AFSC 4D031, completion of a diet therapy course is mandatory.
Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of AFSC indicated:
4D051. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4D031. Also, experience in menu, diet planning, preparing, cooking, and serving regular and therapeutic diets.
4D071. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4D051. Also, experience supervising nutritional medicine service 3activities, such as scheduling and food service accounting.
4D091. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4D071. Also, experience managing functions such as food production, clinical nutrition, and financial accounting.
