Training and Employment Needs of Personnel in Selected Hospital Food Services in Middle Tennessee

Employment and training needs of food service employees in selected Middle Tennessee hospitals were investigated. Labor turnover, personnel problems, and managerial qualifications also were studied. Questionnaires and structured interviews were used to obtain data. The sample consisted of 18 small capacity hospitals (25 to 100 beds) and eight large capacity hospitals (101 beds or larger).

Both present and anticipated future positions for all employee categories (managerial, supervisory, food preparation workers, food service workers, and food sanitation workers) were indicated by the administrator and food service managers. Qualifications for the manager of the food services as desired by the administrator generally were related to formal education (college degree or registered dietitian) and previous experience in the food service industry.

Labor turnover was mentioned as a personnel problem by some administrators and tended to be greater in the large hospitals than in the small hospitals. Other personnel problems were generally related to lack of qualified personnel and training needs of the employees. Formal training programs were being conducted in more than half of the hospitals surveyed. However, skills and knowledge considered most important for proficient employees were not always the skills and knowledge currently incorporated in the training programs. Generally, training was indicated as the responsibility of the hospital.