Halfway Mark! in the Upper Peninsula

I cannot believe my internship at NMU is halfway over! I've learned quite a bit already and am excited for the next month in the Upper Peninsula. The week was filled with many projects and ended well with my birthday celebration. I am lucky to have such a great boss, friends and coworkers that made my birthday fun.


Mapped out the Allergen Program
The focus of the week was the allergen program. While I have completed interviews and gathered information about the previous program, there is still a lot to complete for the program to be successful. Robin and I have mapped out the various dining locations and where the problem areas are for preventing cross-contamination. I spoke with the student supervisors that work during the summer about what would make their lives easier at work. One student said he has worked here for over a year and a half and still doesn't understand what a food allergy is. That right there is enough to motivate me to create a concise system and manual to make the staff confident that they can serve those with allergens. Overall, we feel confident that we can educate the student employees and help those with food allergies feel safe when eating in the dining locations.

Shadowing: Hospital Dietitians and Food Service Supervisor
Tuesday I had a great opportunity to shadow Carol, the hospital Food Service Supervisor and Ingrid and Dawn, both Registered Dietitians.

I enjoyed conversing with Carol in the morning- we discussed employee motivation, toured the hospital kitchen, talked about ways to introduce healthy options in the workplace, etc. Her motivation is contagious and I admire her dedication to making the dining operations better each year. She told me of one small project she introduced called "Rethink your Drink." The goal of this project was to get the employees to think about the calories and sugar that they drink daily. Using the stop light color system, Carol marked every vending machine and drink dispenser with red, yellow or green tags with explanations. Overall, she motivated the hospital staff to wisely choose their drink and improve their health. I was impressed.

I met with Ingrid shortly after my tour and conversations with Carol. Ingrid has only worked in the hospital as a dietitian for a year and is eager to prove she is capable of handling the floors. I was surprised at how much freedom she and Dawn had to write nutrition diagnosis and orders that the doctor will sign. The environment was definitely more medically focused. Ingrid saw patients she might never see again, but managed to educate them about nutrition as it relates to their condition. I may still be uncertain what direction to take, but Dawn and Ingrid provided great advice for the various paths a dietitian can take and how to prepare for the exam. The internship for dietitians seems to be the most crucial piece, regardless of the environment you choose to work in.

Birthday!
Robin made sure that I wasn't by myself on my birthday- she organized a get together and invited my coworkers. To my surprise, my friends from Purdue and home drove up to see me too! What a great way to end the week!


Enjoying the Adventure,

Cassandra