The Confessions of the Hairnet

With hairnet on and highlighters ready, I am ready to run nutrient analysis reports on the newly adjusted patient menus to make sure all dietary needs are met.

I cannot believe that I am already halfway through the first rotation of my internship! For my first experience, I am working in Food Service Management (FSM) for 8 weeks at Twin Cities Community Hospital. Before I began this rotation, I had some experience in food service during undergrad, but I was not sure what to expect at a hospital level, other than to be prepared to learn a lot and rock a hairnet for the next 8 weeks! So, I hope I can give you a little insight into the various hats an RD director of foodservice wears, what I’ve experienced in my food service management rotation so far, and what you can expect before you jump into yours.

In FSM, the director encourages me to be able to:

1. Assess and manage the finances of the operation both in retail and patient care, which includes evaluating costs of goods (running food and labor cost analyses), improving point of sales system operations, and managing product orders and invoices for accurate inventory.

2. Develop marketing strategies that will boost revenue in the cafeteria and provide customers with a pleasant experience within the operation.

3. Maintain an above-standard level of food safety within the kitchen and utilize audit opportunities to keep the facility safe.

4. Communicate with employees about the expectations of the Food and Nutrition Services (FANS) department through in-service training to create a safe and welcoming work environment for the team.

5. Review patient trays for accuracy and aesthetics to improve patient health and satisfaction.

6. Develop interdepartmental relations with directors throughout the hospital to promote open communication and effective problem-solving.

Food Service Director, Andrea Nenow, helps a Dining Associate prepare her patient trays while Executive Chef, Wendy, reviews the daily prep schedule.

As you can see, there are a lot of hats that a director of foodservice wears daily. So, as an intern, I challenged myself to say yes to these new experiences with open arms and an open mind, which led me to wear a lot of the same hats as the director (* again with the most important being my fashionable and functional hairnet!).

So far, some of my projects have included:

1. Safety audits: I gathered food service staff members and led them through training presentations on topics such as “chemical/hazard awareness,” “disaster preparedness,” or “food allergens safety.” This project was excellent practice in improving my leadership skills and making a presentation concise, yet informative.

2. Tray accuracy evaluations: I was able to shadow dining associates to assess patient trays for correctness according to patient requests, specified diets, and other preferences. For patients who are able to receive meals, it is important that their trays are correct and appetizing. Food is so important to the healing process!

3. Inventory: Working alongside the Executive Chef, we collected all product inventory for the month of September/end of the fiscal year. There was a lot of counting involved, but it was a great opportunity for me to learn how much and what kind of products to have on the shelf.

4. Digital marketing: I created PowerPoint slides for the monitors on display in the cafeteria that showcase the menu and the lunch specials. Hopefully, by showing how tasty the entrees look in the cafeteria, we can reach more customers and boost revenue!

5. Sustainability: I evaluated how “green” the kitchen and cafeteria are and developed a new program to help improve the sustainability of the facility with a plan to incorporate reusable/compostable utensils rather than plastic/disposable!

Wendy and I are hard at work collecting the monthly inventory. Accuracy is everything!

Whether I am managing food costs, analyzing menus, assisting dining associates, or connecting with the FANS workers, everything I get to do as an FSM intern is important. It gives me the opportunity to make sure our food service staff (aka, the behind-the-scene heroes) can best serve our patients and frontline healthcare workers. Food is fuel for optimal health and success. And I am happy I get to be a part of the FANS team.

I hope this gives some more insight into FSM and helps you feel more prepared for your time in food production and service. Above all, have fun donning your hair net! You’re going to need it and you’re going to look great doing it!