Jobs › Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Patient Dining Assistant - Full-Time (12 hour shifts)

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · Chicago, IL · $17.05–$22.00 an hour · Full time

Posted Jul 7, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

These are 12-hour shifts. How do you keep your energy and attention up through the evening meal?

What they are checking: Stamina and focus across long shifts where small mistakes add up.

Tell me about a time you gave great customer service.

What they are checking: Whether they connect warmly with people, since mealtime is a big part of a patient's day.

Why do you want to work with patients at mealtime?

What they are checking: Interest in patients and an understanding that good nutrition supports rehab recovery.

What would you do

You will serve meals based on physician diet orders. A tray arrives that does not match the patient's diet. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they stop and fix the mismatch, since the wrong diet can harm a patient with swallowing problems or diabetes.

How do you help a patient choose their meals when they have trouble reading or remembering?

What they are checking: Patience and simple communication with patients who have brain injuries or strokes.

A family member brings outside food for a patient on a special diet. What do you do?

What they are checking: Knowing to involve the nurse or dietitian instead of ignoring a possible safety problem.

About the work

A patient has eaten very little all day. Who do you tell, and what do you say?

What they are checking: Reporting poor intake to the clinical dietitian, which the posting names as part of the job.

How do you double-check a tray for food allergies before serving it?

What they are checking: Whether they check every tray against allergies before it leaves their hands, since one miss can cause a serious reaction.

What does a thickened liquid order mean, and why does it matter?

What they are checking: Understanding that thickened liquids protect patients with swallowing problems from aspiration.

How do you keep track of many patients' meal choices during service?

What they are checking: Organization and accuracy when handling many orders at once.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe, complex conditions. By joining our team, you’ll be part of our life-changing mission and vision. You’ll contribute to an innovative, multifaceted culture that is second to none — one that embraces collaboration, excellence, discovery and compassion. You’ll play a role in something that’s never been done before as we integrate science and clinical care to help patients achieve better, faster outcomes — as we Advance Human Ability, together. Job Description Summary The Patient Dining Assistant will provide meal assistance, including meal selection, service and retrieval, to patients on a daily basis based on physician’s diet orders. Assistant will accurately serve food and beverages to patients in accordance with the patient’s diet prescription and verbally communicate patient concerns with the clinical dietitian i.e. education needs, inadequate meal consumption. The Patient Dining Assistant will consistently demonstrate support of the SRAlab statement of Vision, Mission and Core Values by striving for excellence, contributing to the team efforts and showing respect and compassion for patients and their families, fellow employees, and all others with whom there is contact at or in the interest of the institute. The Patient Dining Assistant will demonstrate SRAlab Core Attributes: Communication, Accountability, Flexibility/Adaptability, Judgment/Problem Solving, Customer Service and SRAlab Values (Hope, Compassion, Discovery, Collaboration, & Commitment to Excellence) while fulfilling job duties. Job Description The Patient Dining Assistant will: • Assist patients with making appropriate daily menu selections. • Prepare, assemble and deliver patient meal trays and snacks in accordance to physician diet orders. • Calculate modified diets/fluid restrictions, calories, etc. for meals only. • Stock the pantries on the nursing units with patient food. • Perform assorted kitchen duties including sanitation, set-up and completion of temperature logs. • Utilize computer to generate patient diet orders and process snacks and tube feedings. • Perform all other duties that may be assigned in the best interest of SRAlab. Reporting Relationships: • Reports directly to Patient Services Manager Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Communication and Influence: Verbal and written communication skills to convey information that may be somewhat complex, and/or to others who may have limited knowledge of the subject in question. • Technical Knowledge: Full use and application of basic diet information. Ability to successfully complete training and achieve passing score on all competency tests. • Interpersonal Relations: Ability to develop and maintain professional, trusting, positive working relationships with patients, supervisors, nursing and ancillary staff, and managers. • Diversity Awareness: Ability and willingness to be aware of, understand, respect, and value the diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, age, educational, professional, etc. backgrounds and styles of others and to adapt one‘s own behavior based on that understanding. • Customer Focus: Ability and willingness to provide excellent service to patients and clients (the customers). This includes seeking to meet customer needs, expectations, and demands quickly and effectively; remaining calm and professional when dealing with difficult customers; receiving complaints from customers and taking action to remedy the complaint; and treating the customer as valuable. • Drive and Dependability: Ability and willingness to demonstrate optimism, and passion when working. These include demonstrating commitment, persistence, and heightened personal effort in the face of obstacles and adversity; pursuing excellence for self and organization; having a sense of urgency; and possessing ambition. • Stress Tolerance and Flexibility: Ability to work productively and effectively in a fast-paced, stressful, demanding, and/or ambiguous work environment. • Communication: Clear and Professional communication is required. • Physical Demands: The job requires physical activity that includes near constant standing, bending, walking and balancing; occasional kneeling, climbing, stooping/crouching. The individual must have the ability to frequently lift and/or carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift/carry items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work also requires frequently pushing carts and racks requiring push forces ranging from 10 lbs to 50 lbs. Working Conditions: • Normal office environment with little or no exposure to dust or extreme temperature. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Pay and Benefits*: Pay Range: $17.05 - $22.00 Benefits: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab offers a comprehensive benefits program that is competitive with our industry peers in our geographic locations: https://www.sralab.org/benefits *Benefits and benefits’ eligibility can vary by position. Actual compensation will be determined by equity and qualifications of the role. Equal Employment Opportunity Employer Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunity without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military status, order of protection status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other characteristics protected by law. EEO is the Law | EEO is the Law - Know Your Rights | View our Full Policy Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is an Affirmative Action Employer as required by law.

Apply at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab