Monthly Archives: March 2022

Unit Three allowed me the unique and exciting chance to write the first draft of a formal report on the implementation of a diversified menu at my workplace, Lynn Valley Care Centre (LVCC).

As mentioned in my Unit Two Reflection, there was quite a bit of anxiety going into this project as it felt so foreign to have an almost entirely self-driven report such as this. However, the peer review process (for the outline and draft) definitely eased my concerns as I became more confident with my own idea and realized that my peers were feeling just as stressed as I was.

The process of ascertaining the primary data for my report was rewarding and gave me great insight into the current perceptions of the LVCC clientele. As I work to improve their QOL on a regular basis, I found that this exposure has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of their needs and desires. Though the topic of my paper is the menu and diets of the clientele, the focus is more on the clients themselves and an attempt to understand their individuality and livelihood prior to entering LTC. I feel that these factors can get vastly overlooked by employees in LTC as so often there is not enough time to spend getting to know each person’s unique qualities that would allow for design of facilities to reflect their clientele. As such, the primary research process has made me even more ethusiastic about the influence of research in this field, even if my own paper can only do so much as to suggest changes in one facility alone. On the other hand, I was somewhat dissapointed in the outcome of the scope of my primary research, as I was only able to distribute the survey to a handful of people due to time constraints. Surveying such a vulnerable population offers many challenges that would have been better served by a longer-term research process. I recognize that this is an important idea to keep in mind when pursuing similar research in the future.

The process of finding secondary research was both interesting and informative as I was able to utilize my prior academic knowledge of food, nutrition and health, as well as my real-world knowlegde of LTC facilities. It was intriguing to see the breadth of research available pertaining to nutrition assessment, food security and therapeutic diets in LTC. However, there was a significant lack of literature focusing on the influence of culture and preference on food choices, and almost a complete lack of this research in the LTC setting. Thus, the process of finding suitable secondary sources was time-consuming, but I am confident that the information I found is relevant and increases the validity of my primary research.

Combining the primary and secondary research into charts, analyzing the data, and summarizing the findings deemed somewhat difficult due to the limited sample size. This made it hard to decide whether the data was significant. Additionally, as a novice in dietary assessment, I felt somewhat unsure in determining what proportion of the DRI must be met to be considered nutritionally adequate. I did my best to utilize my judgement and the available literature to provide a comprehensive interpretation of my findings, and feel confident with the outcome. Further, providing recommendations for LVCC felt fulfilling as I was able to suggest changes to the current menu design that I felt would improve the QOL of the clientele.

It was quite fascinating to review Trisha’s formal report draft about improving the sustainability of Flagship Dental. I am aware that my team member is a dental hygenist, so it is great to see someone with this area of expertise working to improve the environmental practices of a field that produces so much waste. I empathise with the issues that Trisha had in achieving a wide scope for the primary data, as I had similar issues – it seems that many professionals do not feel that students should be given the time of day for their research projects. In the future I would suggest to Erika Paterson and other professors at UBC that providing students with a formal letter that could be shared with the companies that will be researched could ease the process of bypassing confidentiality and other research-related issues. Overall, on account of being a first draft, Trisha’s report had some minor flaws pertaining to clarity, grammar, and repetition. However, I believe that my suggestions, combined with a completion of primary research and thorough editing, will allow for an exceptional final draft that will contribute greatly to her area of research.

Attached is the first draft of my formal report. I look forward to amending it as per Trisha’s suggestions and submitting a final draft by the deadline.

Formal Report Draft 

The assignments in Unit Two allowed the opportunity for further development of   my writing skills in accordance with Unit One. Further, they offered challenges in the realm of research, as well as in exploring reports and their preliminary elements.

I consider myself a beginner in the practice of LinkedIn, as I created an account just last year and seldom spend time on the platform. Thus, I found the process of researching how to create a LinkedIn profile enticing and wholly applicable to my own life. I believe that this assignment is especially beneficial to those in my stage of life (i.e. end of post-secondary education and/or start of professional life) as making professional connections is of utmost importance to initiating a worthwhile and long-term career. Education on the use of networking platforms such as LinkedIn is lacking in other areas of life, and hence requires personal exploration that most busy students just do not have the time for. In this way, I feel better prepared for job searching and professional networking compared to how others might feel. I did find it to be somewhat difficult to find reliable sources for information related to LinkedIn practices, as such a new topic is limited by a lack of research. I look forward to the improvements that will be made in the realm of social media research as a tool for educating individuals on beneficial use of such platforms. As an individual who feels strongly against many of the negative aspects that social media brings, I feel that this research will bring to light the ways that changing the face of social media could benefit the professional world and hinder its consequences on the social world. I believe that this assignment alone has peaked my interest in learning more about LinkedIn as a professional tool opposed to my previous misconception that it fit under the category of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Brainstorming for my report proposal ended up being a fairly efficient task as once I thought through my current involvements, I could easily decipher which areas I felt strongly about making an impact. Having spent time in the food service, recreation and nutrition sectors of long-term care, I felt keenly aware of the areas that were lacking. Though I would have been interested in proposing amendments to the recreation activities perfomed at LVCC, the COVID-19 pandemic would have made this quite difficult due to the limitations on such a vulnerable population. I feel that altering the menu is a way to improve the livelihoods and activity of the clients as their presence at mealtimes is an important aspect of their day. I am excited for my research to be underway as I have heard countless times, through word-of-mouth, the client’s opinions of the food service and menu. Now I have the opportunity to make these opinions into real data that will hopefully promote change for the betterment of those most affected. So far, I am confident with the progress of my report, as I have the surveys completed and ready for distribution in the upcoming days. Through coordinating with LVCC and my own planning I have decided it is easiest to ascertain primary data from the clients only. So, I will no longer be surveying the managerial staff or R.D. However, I am not concerned that this change will have a negative impact on my report as I plan instead to conduct thorough secondary research through a food service and dietetics lens. Being that this is my first formal report of this nature, I am definitely feeling some uneasiness on the minimal advice given thus far on how the investigation will turn into a comprehensive feasibility analysis. At the same time I am excited to see how collaboration through peer editing and advice from Dr. Paterson will help bring this all together smoothly.

Through Kashish’s peer review of my report proposal, I have gained some greater insight into my own writing style and how it is perceived by others. The peer review I received was insightful, well-written and objective. I completely understood the vast majority of suggestions made and edited my proposal accordingly. I must say, I felt that a few of the comments made were ‘corrections’ to my personal writing style – though I tend to be wordy, I feel that this adds flavour to a document that might be otherwise short and to-the-point. I am hoping that by combining my peer’s suggestions on conciseness with my lengthy style I will refine my writing skills so that they may better suit broader audiences and contexts. Peer editing Kashish’s report proposal left me intrigued to his idea of proposing changes to the traditional grading system. I am inspired by this unique and insightful suggestion and look forward to seeing what more of my peers have in mind for this report. It is interesting to note the different focus that Kashish and I take in our assignments and the peer reviews themselves. I look forward to switching partners for the next review and gaining advice from my other teammates.

Attached is my revised report proposal, as per Kashish’s peer review, which is also linked below.

Revised report proposal

Peer review of report proposal