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What does a dietary patient aide do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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Dietary patient aide responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real dietary patient aide resumes:

  • Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
  • Provide in house rehabilitation to the disable.
  • Demonstrate compassion and professionalism while delivering dialysis treatment to high-risk populations.
  • Explain dialysis procedure and operation of hemodialysis machine to patient and calculate the proper amount for fluid removal during dialysis procedure.
  • Present peer to peer health education and provide administrative support to student health center including filing medical records using HIPPA compliant procedures

Dietary patient aide skills and personality traits

We calculated that 55% of Dietary Patient Aides are proficient in Patients, Patient Safety, and Vital Signs. They’re also known for soft skills such as Observational skills, Interpersonal skills, and Compassion.

We break down the percentage of Dietary Patient Aides that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 55%

    Experienced in monitoring vitals, administering medication, providing a clean and Healthy environment, Transporting patients.

  • Patient Safety, 6%

    Follow hospital guidelines/protocols confirming patient safety

  • Vital Signs, 5%

    Record vital signs, input and output, and notified appropriate staff of any changes.

  • Direct Patient Care, 5%

    Worked in direct patient care.

  • CPR, 5%

    Committed to health and safety standards-Empathetic and approachable-Successful completion of PCT training program with certification is required CPR certified

  • Rehabilitation, 4%

    Supported patients in becoming acclimatize to hospital routine and encouraged them to participate in social and recreational activities to advance rehabilitation.

Common skills that a dietary patient aide uses to do their job include "patients," "patient safety," and "vital signs." You can find details on the most important dietary patient aide responsibilities below.

Observational skills. The most essential soft skill for a dietary patient aide to carry out their responsibilities is observational skills. This skill is important for the role because "technicians must watch patients closely and be sensitive to any changes in behavior." Additionally, a dietary patient aide resume shows how their duties depend on observational skills: "monitor vital signs, intake/output and report observational changes to nurse perform finger stick and glucose levels check direct patient care"

Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling dietary patient aide duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "psychiatric technicians and aides often provide ongoing care for patients, so they should develop a rapport with them." According to a dietary patient aide resume, here's how dietary patient aides can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "continue to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with patients and residents to better understand their needs on a personal level. "

Compassion. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of dietary patient aides is compassion. This skill is critical to many everyday dietary patient aide duties, as "because psychiatric technicians and aides spend much of their time interacting with patients, they should be caring and want to help people." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "deliver compassion, a sense of respect, and emotional support. "

Patience. dietary patient aide responsibilities often require "patience." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "working with the mentally ill can be emotionally challenging." This resume example shows what dietary patient aides do with patience on a typical day: "take care and watch over patients to insure their safety, required patience, and ability to stay alert. "

Physical stamina. A commonly-found skill in dietary patient aide job descriptions, "physical stamina" is essential to what dietary patient aides do. Dietary patient aide responsibilities rely on this skill because "psychiatric technicians and aides must lift, move, and sometimes restrain patients." You can also see how dietary patient aide duties rely on physical stamina in this resume example: "employed at state behavioral health facility on the floor for those with physical as well as mental needs. "

All dietary patient aide skills

Choose from 10+ customizable dietary patient aide resume templates

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Dietary Patient Aide Resume
Dietary Patient Aide Resume
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Compare different dietary patient aides

Dietary patient aide vs. Nurse technician

Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.

If we compare the average dietary patient aide annual salary with that of a nurse technician, we find that nurse technicians typically earn a $5,893 higher salary than dietary patient aides make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both dietary patient aide and nurse technician positions are skilled in patients, patient safety, and vital signs.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, dietary patient aide responsibilities require skills like "patient complaints," "mri," "medical appointments," and "patient transport." Meanwhile a typical nurse technician has skills in areas such as "home health," "patient care," "customer service," and "direct supervision." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Nurse technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $32,642. On the other hand, dietary patient aides are paid more in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $30,251.The education levels that nurse technicians earn slightly differ from dietary patient aides. In particular, nurse technicians are 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a dietary patient aide. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Dietary patient aide vs. Aide

Aides are personal employees of their clients who commonly have health issues that render them unable to do certain tasks. They help out their clients with activities they may need assistance in. They may do personal errands such as grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking. They also provide care for their clients by helping them bathe, dress, brush their teeth, and other personal hygiene activities. Aides also help their clients walk, sit, and eat if their clients' motor functions are compromised. Aides are expected to be patient, caring, and trustworthy.

Aide positions earn higher pay than dietary patient aide roles. They earn a $681 higher salary than dietary patient aides per year.A few skills overlap for dietary patient aides and aides. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "vital signs," and "cpr. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real dietary patient aide resumes. While dietary patient aide responsibilities can utilize skills like "patient safety," "direct patient care," "rehabilitation," and "hipaa," aides use skills like "patient care," "compassion," "home health," and "customer service."

On average, aides earn a higher salary than dietary patient aides. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, aides earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $27,848. Whereas dietary patient aides have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $30,251.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Aides tend to reach similar levels of education than dietary patient aides. In fact, they're 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Dietary patient aide vs. Psychiatric attendant

Patient care associates typically work at different healthcare settings where their primary job is to provide basic patient needs and comfort. They are also responsible for several patient care tasks, including bathing patients, changing the pillows and bedsheets of patients, and serving patients' meals. They should comply with safety protocols when performing these tasks. Some of them can give patients medication depending on the level of their training. To become a patient care specialist, one should possess several skills, such as good communication.

On average scale, psychiatric attendants bring in higher salaries than dietary patient aides. In fact, they earn a $11,436 higher salary per year.dietary patient aides and psychiatric attendants both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "patient safety," and "vital signs," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a dietary patient aide is likely to be skilled in "direct patient care," "rehabilitation," "hipaa," and "patient rooms," while a typical psychiatric attendant is skilled in "behavioral issues," "direct care," "incident reports," and "patient behavior."

Most psychiatric attendants achieve a similar degree level compared to dietary patient aides. For example, they're 3.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Dietary patient aide vs. Care associate

Care associates tend to earn a higher pay than dietary patient aides by an average of $5,446 per year.According to resumes from dietary patient aides and care associates, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "patient safety," and "vital signs. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between dietary patient aides and care associates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a dietary patient aide might have more use for skills like "physical therapy," "patient complaints," "mri," and "patient transport." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of care associates require skills like "pca," "phlebotomy," "customer service," and "medical terminology. "

In general, care associates earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $31,845. The highest-paying industry for a dietary patient aide is the hospitality industry.The average resume of care associates showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to dietary patient aides. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.

Types of dietary patient aide

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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