Competencies for Food and Nutrition Services Employees
The following checklists are intended to verify that individual employees have met the competencies and skill sets listed to carry out the functions of the facility’s Food and Nutrition Services department. Tasks and competencies should be reviewed to ensure that the facility’s specific protocols and operational procedures are addressed.
Each line item should be verified by a staff member knowledgeable and/or responsible for the competency. Information must be reflective of the facility’s resident population as appropriate.
GENERAL/ALL STAFF FOODSERVICE PRACTICES
Department: Food and Nutrition Services
Employee’s signature:
Date:
The employee referenced above has completed the critical skills successfully.
Reviewer’s signature/title:
Date:
§483.60(a) Staffing The facility must employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition services department, taking into consideration resident assessments, individual plans of care and the number, acuity and diagnoses of the facility’s resident population.
Infection Control Practices/Employee Hygiene
___ Practices appropriate hand hygiene and glove use when necessary during food preparation activities, such as between handling raw meat and other foods, to prevent cross-contamination
___ Employs hygienic practices (e.g., not touching hair or face without hand washing) before and during food handling
___ Properly washes hands with soap and water to prevent cross-contamination (i.e., between handling raw meat and other foods)
___ Properly washes hands before serving food to residents after collecting soiled plates and food waste
___ Uses hair restraints and beard guards properly
___ Follows facility practice for dealing with employees who come to work with symptoms of contagious illness (e.g., coughing, sneezing, nausea, fever, vomiting) or open wounds
___ Covers open sores, cuts, or splint/bandages completely when handling food
___ Knows the causes of foodborne illnesses and infections, their characteristics, and the most commonly infected items
___ Prevents eating surfaces of dishware from coming in contact with staff clothing
___ Handles cups/glasses on the outside of the container; and knives, forks, and spoons by the handles
___ Practices appropriate hand hygiene after direct contact with resident’s skin or secretions
___ Demonstrates understanding of infection control precautions per facility’s policy/Infection Preventionist
GENERAL/ALL STAFF FOODSERVICE PRACTICES
Department: Food and Nutrition Services
Safety and Disaster Preparedness
___ Knows and enforces the facility’s written policy regarding food brought in by family or visitors
___ Demonstrates principles of creating and maintaining a safe work environment
___ Knows procedures for the use of fire extinguishers and/or fire-extinguishing systems appropriate for each type of fire
___ Understands the safety standards for using equipment and maintaining facilities
___ Knows procedures for reporting accidents and injuries
___ Knows procedures when handling utensils to prevent cuts and burns
___ Ensures safety of facility floors, aisles, and walkways by eliminating factors that can cause trips and falls
___ Demonstrates procedures for lifting and moving objects to prevent muscle and back injuries
___ Maintains a system for labeling and storing all chemicals and other hazardous materials in compliance with all local and state laws
___ Follows all manufacturers’ instructions for the proper use and care of equipment to prevent injuries, such as burns, cuts, etc.
___ Ensures that procedures for all facility-wide drills are followed per disaster planning protocols
___ Understands and demonstrates knowledge of action in case of a tornado, fire, internal disaster, evacuation, bomb threat, security incident, chemical spill, or utility failure
Abuse and Resident Rights
___ Knows and follows facility’s abuse reporting for all types of abuse situations (resident to resident, staff to resident, verbal and physical)
___ Respects and appreciates individual differences and the residents’ rights to refuse treatment/cares
___ Speaks with residents politely, respectfully, and communicates personal information in a waythat maintains confidentiality
___ Honors resident’s preferences when providing drinks and other fluids
Compliance and Ethics
___ Understands, supports, and demonstrates commitment to facility’s mission statement
___ Promotes an atmosphere for cooperation between the kitchen staff and other departments within the facility’s organizational framework
___ Understands and supports facility’s compliance and ethics programs
___ Takes personal responsibility for interacting with coworkers and customers in an honest, ethical, and fair manner
NUTRITION AND MENU PLANNING
Department: Food and Nutrition Services
Employee’s signature:
Date:
The employee referenced above has completed the critical skills successfully.
Reviewer’s signature/title:
Date:
§483.60 Food and Nutrition Services The facility must provide each resident with a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets his/her other daily nutritional and special dietary needs, taking into consideration the preferences of each resident.
§483.60 (c) Menus and Nutritional Adequacy
___ Understands that menus are developed and is prepared to meet resident choices including nutritional, religious, cultural, and ethnic needs while using established national guidelines and approved by an RDN
___ Communicates with RDN/CDM about any menu inconsistencies and modifications needing documentation
___ Understands and follows prescribed diet orders, menu spreadsheets and corresponding recipes
___ Appropriately interprets the portion sizes and serving utensils for all diets on the menu spreadsheet
___ Understands menu substitutions and use of nutritionally equivalent foods
___ Understands therapeutic diets and fluid restrictions and is able to follow menu spreadsheets, recipes and written orders for corresponding diet/restrictions
___ Prepares appropriate quantity of food based on menu spreadsheets
___ Monitors portion sizes of meal components served to patients to ensure that meals are nutritionally adequate
___ Provides required substitutions or modifications in meals for patients whose special needs restrict their diets
___ Understands importance of providing adaptive equipment to residents as required
FOOD PREPARATION
Department: Food and Nutrition Services
Employee’s signature:
Date:
The employee referenced above has completed the critical skills successfully.
Reviewer’s signature/title:
Date:
§483.60 (i) Food Safety Requirements
(1)Food prepared by methods that conserve nutritive value, flavor, and appearance,
(2)Food and drink that is palatable, attractive and at a safe temperature.
___ Implements rules of safe practice for handling and discarding of leftover foods
___ Keeps daily temperature records of the equipment and food as dictated by the supervisor, noting deficiencies and corrections
___ Ensures process for maintaining food at the proper temperature at all times during freezing, thawing, preparation, holding, and serving
___ Ensures preparation of food combinations that add visual appeal and variety to a menu (e.g. garnishes)
___ Works with supervisors to plan menus for or around special occasions and holidays
___ Demonstrates ability to recognize food quality, palatability and appearance
___ Demonstrates thickening of drinks to these consistencies: nectar, honey and pudding
___ Appropriately identifies menu portion sizes and serving utensils
___ Cooks food adequately to required internal temperatures for potentially hazardous foods
___ Uses thermometers correctly to check food temperatures and sanitizes appropriately after use
___ Checks and records temperatures prior to service
___ Demonstrates knowledge of proper cooking temperatures for foods i.e. DANGER ZONE range and implements corrective action as needed
___ Assures that hot foods are held at 135° F or higher, after they are heated to a minimum internal temperature
___ Checks to make sure cold foods are held below 41° F
___ Ensure that leftovers are reheated rapidly to 165° F in 2 hours
___ Uses rapid cooling methods to achieve 135° F to 70° F in 2 hours, and 70° F to 41° F in 4 additional hours
___ Knows time and temperature relationships associated with microbiological safety, appearance, and palatability of food
___ Labels, dates, and stores all food items correctly and in a timely manner
___ Demonstrates procedure for preparing modified consistency diets (e.g. pureed, mechanical soft) and correct portion sizes
___ Honors resident preferences making a reasonable effort to meet those needs
___ Ensures service is on time with minimum waiting and without food shortages
FOOD SANITATION AND SAFETY
Department: Food and Nutrition Services
Employee’s signature:
Date:
The employee referenced above has completed the critical skills successfully.
Reviewer’s signature/title:
Date:
§483.60(i)(1) Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory by federal, state or local authorities.
§483.60(i)(2) Store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards for food service safety.
___ Stores raw and cooked foods separately
___ Practices the first-in, first-out method of inventory rotation
___ Keeps the refrigerator/freezer clean
___ Wraps, dates, and labels all foods properly
___ Takes and records temperatures daily, and takes corrective action, as appropriate
___ Assures that thermometers are visible and accurate
___ Stores food 6” off the floor and 18” from the ceiling
___ Stores chemicals away from food and other food-related supplies
___ Keeps food stored in proper containers
___ Assures that dry storage temperatures are between 50° F and 70° F
___ Clears area of debris, and keeps area clean
___ Uses three-compartment sink appropriately
___ Uses appropriate equipment and supplies to evaluate the safe operation of the dish machine and the washing of pots and pans (e.g., maximum registering thermometer, appropriate chemical test strips, and paper thermometers)
___ Documents mechanical and manual ware-washing parts-per-million (ppm) temperatures
___ Stores dishware in a clean, dry location, not exposed to splash, dust, or other contamination, and covered or inverted
___ Checks dishes and trays for chips and cracks, and discards as necessary
___ Empties garbage as necessary and keeps kitchen garbage cans clean
___ Removes boxes and containers from site
___ Demonstrates personal responsibility for maintaining safe and sanitary conditions
___ Monitors equipment, i.e. food grinders, choppers, slicers and mixers, cleaning and sanitizing after each use
___ Cleans and sanitizes food surfaces thoroughly using appropriate products and following manufactures required solution levels
___ Knows state and local food code requirements for food service establishments
___ Understands basic principles of food service sanitation for equipment, personnel, food, and facility
___ Knows the causes of foodborne illnesses and infections, their characteristics, and the most commonly infected items
___ Follows procedures to prevent bacterial food poisoning
___ Follows the principles of personal hygiene
___ Understands the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system or other appropriate safe food-handling techniques
___ Knows the sanitation principles associated with disposal and storage of garbage and refuse
___ Understands the importance of verifying safety and security of food items received from food vendors
___ Realizes the importance of maintaining a food safety policy
___ Maintains appropriate practice for handling clean and sanitized equipment and utensils to protect them from contamination
___ Ensures process for maintaining food at the proper temperature at all times during freezing, thawing, preparation, holding, and serving
___ Implements rules of safe practice for handling and discarding of leftover foods
___ Keeps daily temperature records of the equipment and food as dictated by the supervisor, noting deficiencies and corrections
___ Implements a system of properly using, cleaning, and disinfecting approved garbage and trash receptacles, as well as surrounding area, on a regular basis
___ Demonstrates ability to recognize food quality and usability
___ Understands infection control precautions
___ Cleans food contact surfaces at least once every 4 hours
___ Uses cutting boards according to type of food
___ Stores cleaning cloths in sanitizing solution
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