Cook - Wausau, United States - Norcen

Description

** Cook**

**Job Category****:** Dietary **Requisition Number****:** COOK001293 Showing 1 location **Job Details**

**Description**

**Job Standards:**

One or more years experience in the preparation and cooking of food in an institutional or restaurant setting is required.

Successful completion of a vocational school or hospital food service course preferred.

Graduation from high school is required.

Working knowledge of the methods, materials and equipment used in the preparation of good on a large scale is required.

Basic knowledge of food values and nutrition is required.

The ability to work from prepared or general menus and recipes is required.

The ability to read and write in English and do basic math is required.

Must be honest, dependable and able to establish and maintain professional relationships with co-workers..

General knowledge of cleaning methods, general knowledge of and the ability to follow infection control procedures and safety practices is required.

The ability understand and effectively carry out verbal and written instructions is required.

Must have the ability to perform Essential Job Functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

The ability to adhere to the Departmental Dress Code.

**Illustrative Examples of Essential Job Functions**:

Prepares meals and nutritional snacks for resident consumption, including general and therapeutic diets and prepares tube feeding mixtures.

Assists in the serving of meals to residents.

Organizes the preparation of food for each meal so as to best utilize equipment and supplies with other food

Obtains supplies from store room, cooler or freezer as needed for meal preparation.

Keeps work area and equipment clean and sanitary. Uses all equipment properly and safely.

Assists to check in food supplies in when they arrive, unpacks boxes and stores food and supplies properly..

Responds to special requests from other departments and residents as appropriate.

Places bread orders daily and assists in ordering dairy products as needed.

Assists in training new dietary employees to work procedures, safety rules and in the proper use and care of equipment..

Mops floor in food preparation area.

Supervises dietary staff during absence of Food Service Director or as assigned.

Replaces absent personnel as needed in the absence of the Food Service Director.

Performs other related duties as assigned by Supervisor.

**Environment:**

Work is performed indoors. Occasional need to remove trash to outside of building into dumpsters. Seasonal exposure to heat and humidity. Exposure to hot surfaces and equipment such as ovens, burners, steamers, etc. Exposure to sharp objects such as knives, blades, etc. Exposure to cleaning supplies and disinfectants, dish washing chemicals, etc. some of which are potentially dangerous if used improperly. Exposure to cold when placing or removing food from the cooler and freezer. Exposure to boiling food, hot grease, steam

**EQUIPMENT:**

Common electrical switches, plumping fixtures, food carts, grinder, blender, slicer, mixer, oven, steam table, steamer, stove, chopper, peeler, pellet system, food carts, telephone, intercom, toaster, garbage disposal, coffee machine.

**Physical Requirements Needed to Perform Essential Job Functions:**

**Strength**: Ability to lift up to 40 pounds regularly throughout shift when handling supplies and food products. Occasional need to lift up to 60 pounds when moving cases of meat. Must be able to push or pull food carts up to 3 x per shift a distance of feet. Must be able to lift pans and other containers filled with food or liquids from stove to counter during food preparation and serving. Ability to move small equipment such as a blender, as well as stacks of dishes and trays.

**Coordination**: Must be able to perform manipulative tasks related to use of equipment listed above. Must have good hand/eye coordination when using equipment such as mixer, slicer and grinder as well as knives and other equipment. Must have good hand/eye coordination when pouring hot liquids, serving foods and measuring during the preparation and serving of food. to residents.

**Mobility**: Must be able to move about food preparation and storage area and around equipment. Must be able to stand in one place and work at waist height for periods of time when preparing and serving food. Must be able to squat, bend, kneel when obtaining supplies and equipment from shelves. Must be able to transport self and tray or plate to nursing unit to deliver special food requires to residents as needed. Must be able to stoop and bend to clean, obtain suppliers, mop and sweep. Must be able to twist from side to side and form one position to another when preparing and serving food and when cleaning and when serving on tray line.

Approximately 60% of work is done standing, 40% walking, stooping and bending.

**Manual Dexterity**: Must be able to grasp, push, pull .stir and carry trays and pans of food, to use equipment and prepare food. Must be able to handle equipment used to measure food portions and liquids and work around equipment and personnel. Must be able to perform repetitive tasks when stirring and working tray line.

**Vision**: Must be able to over-see activities in Dietary Department when supervising other employees. Must be able to see up close to read diet cards, menus, recipes and to safely handle equipment, to measure and serve food. Must be able to read gauges, thermometers, directions and labels. Must be able to see that surfaces are clean and to identify residents to whom food is served. is served.

**Speech**: Must be able to communicate to explain or demonstrate work procedures to new employees. Must be able to communicate questions to Director and relay messages received. Must be able to communicate with fellow employees, other department and Director to clarify directions. Must be able to communicate with residents..

**Hearing**: Must be able to receive verbal and phone orders and instructions. Must be able to communicate on the phone to order supplies and to receive information about diet changes from nursing staff.

**Smell** Must be able to smell smoke, spoiled food, flavorings and seasonings.

**Taste:** Must be able to taste food prepared for resident consumption.

**Mental Functions Needed to Perform essential job functions:**

Must be able to concentrate on moderate detail with little interruption when serving and preparing therapeutic menu items. Must be able to concentrate on one or more tasks for periods of time up to one hour or more when preparing food and working on tray line. Must be able to follow written and verbal directions accurately. Must remember routines for extended periods of time (months). Must be able to understand fairly complicated processes and understand and relate to specific ideas behind theories as when working with therapeutic diets. Must be able to concentrate and remember safety rules on an ongoing basis when working with potentially hazardous chemicals and equipment such as steamer, ovens, blenders, grinders, slicer, etc.

Must be able to handle the stress of working under strict time limits when preparing and serving meals in a timely manner. Must be able to adapt to change when accepting diet changes on short notice due to a condition change in a resident or when substitution is needed due to the absence of a usual product or supply. Must be able to deal with the stress of supervising other personnel and handle conflicts between staff when Food Service Director is not available. Must be able to adapt to emergency shortages or situations (such as power outages, breakdown of equipment etc.)

**Employee RESPONSIBILITY in an emergency.**

Must be able to remember and follow emergency procedures and respond in emergency situations.

Must be able to direct other dietary staff in an emergency in the absence of the Supervisor.

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