Students from Conestoga's Nutrition and Food Service Management program visited Cambridge Memorial Hospital to get an in-depth look at the logistics involved in delivering meals to hundreds of patients daily.
Students from Conestoga's Nutrition and Food Service Management recently got a behind-the-scenes tour at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.
The hospital's food services team hosted the students, who gained practical insights into how operations are managed in an acute-care setting. This visit on November 20 marked the first time the program has toured a hospital to see behind the scenes. The plan is to integrate a visit to the Cambridge hospital annually, as the program does with the Village at University Gates long-term care and retirement home in Waterloo.
"Healthy, well-balanced nutrition is such an important part of patient care, whether the patient is recovering in a hospital or living in a long-term care facility," said Dr. Natalia Ronda, dean in the School of Health & Life Sciences. "Through this experience, our students had a unique opportunity to look behind the curtain and understand what a complex and incredibly important job it is to manage nutrition and food delivery for hundreds of patients."
Health care is a main industry requiring the expertise of nutrition managers for a variety of roles, including food service director and diet technician in long-term care facilities or hospitals.
Conestoga's Nutrition and Food Service Management program addresses the demands of the industry by offering education that blends both theory and practical skills with an emphasis in preparing students to work in health-care environments. Along with classroom lessons, students benefit from hands-on practice in Conestoga's cutting-edge Nutrition & Public Health Kitchen Lab, which equips students with the essential skills to manage nutrition care and food service operations effectively.
"The opportunity to tour an acute-care centre and see large-scale food service delivery in action is invaluable to our students," said program faculty Kylie Whyte.
The visit included a tour of the facility, during which the students observed the hospital's workflow starting in the main kitchen and to the well-stocked kitchenettes in patient units. They also had the opportunity to discuss budgeting, menu planning, vending services and key considerations in human resource management and auditing. A highlight was watching the meal assembly using the B-Lean system to maximize efficiency, as well as the integration of technology within the department.
"It was exciting to see how the hospital's software system is used to allow patients to select meals. Students got to see firsthand the tools a hospital uses to help ensure optimal nutrition for patients," said professor and program co-ordinator Jennifer Shamblaw.
Second-year student Anil Timilsena was impressed to see how the hospital's food service department operated so efficiently.
"I found it interesting to tour the facility and see the unique refrigerators while also learning about vending," Timilsena said. "It was impressive how everyone works together to provide the best patient care."
Conestoga's two-year Nutrition and Food Service Management diploma program, accredited by the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management, offers a combination of theory, simulations and hands-on practice in Conestoga's Nutrition & Public Health Food Service lab.
Students will be prepared to work as a nutrition manager, an essential team member who collaborates with registered dietitians and other health-care providers. The program develops management skills and knowledge of nutrition care and food service operations to work in long-term care, hospitals and other community settings.
For more information
299 Doon Valley Drive
Kitchener Ontario
Canada N2G 4M4
www.conestogac.on.ca/
