Wellness Project Self Evaluation (Kliewer & Novak)

We worked extremely well together and were able to inform many people about healthy

eating and supplement use at Northeast Baptist Hospital on March 21st and 22

nd. We began our

project by discussing our topic in early February and what we felt would be good information to

pass on to the community at the hospital. We decided with the marketing and mass media

coverage of supplements that we needed to provide correct and safe information about taking

supplements as well as the benefit of eating a well-balanced healthy diet.

Synergistically we made a great team because we approached the project from different

angles. Therefore, creativity, interactivity, written and verbal communications of viable

information were all encompassed in our booth. Both of us were able to interact professionally

and knowledgeably with the individuals who stopped at the booth. Due to the varying material

offered, we were able to catch the attention of many people. Some wanted to sign the board and

write how they ate healthy every day (n=17); others were interested in the Quiz on our display

board and whether they could answer the questions correctly. For those not interested in those

things we had handouts that provided information on supplement use, healthy eating and lists of

foods that contain nutrients to convey the fact that eating a varied diet allows individuals to meet

their needs without the use of supplements.

We marketed our Wellness Booth within the hospital by initially contacting the Wellness

Director of Northeast Baptist to schedule the dates and time of the booth. To be available to the

most people, we choose an area across from the cafeteria that has the most traffic compared to

other areas within the hospital. The booth was set up in a hallway to almost demand the attention

of those who passed by. If the décor, posters, and props did not grab attention, we ourselves

would initiate an interest or conversation by introducing our nutrition booth.

We created a survey to be completed by booth participants in order to learn from our

experience. The survey was created to assess who was stopping by the nutrition booth, if they

took a supplement, and if they believed the booth was successful. The survey included six

statements to be rated on an agreement scale (A= agree, D= disagree, N/A= not applicable).

There were a total of seven surveys that were completed. The results can be seen in Table 1.

The survey did not ask for complements, however, one patron wrote the following: “The

nutrition booth was extremely helpful and I was very satisfied. Allison and Kristen were great

and very approachable and knowledgeable. I would like to see more nutrition booths especially

with theses two (Allison and Kristen). Kristen answered a lot of unanswered questions. Thank

you so very much Kristen. Please continue to do what you’re doing. You’re extremely

knowledgeable and very customer service oriented. “

Table 1

Survey Results (n=7)

Agree Disagree

Non Applicable

I am employed by the Baptist Health System 7 (100%) I take supplements 3 (43%) 4 (57%) This nutrition booth was helpful 7 (100%) My questions were appropriately answered 5 (71%) 2 (28%) Allison and Kristen were approachable and knowledgeable 7 (100%) In the future I would like to see more nutrition booths 7 (100%)

Although the results of the survey are limited to only seven, when there were many more

who stopped by the booth ( loose estimate of 50 each day), the survey does show that the booth

was helpful. Three agreed to take a supplement, which proves the importance to educate the

public not only on a healthful diet, but also on nutrition supplements. All surveys were

completed by Baptist employees, showing that people who work in healthcare are interested in,

and or need diet education. All those who were surveyed also agreed that they would like to see

more nutrition booths, showing a continued public interest in healthy dieting.

The success of the booth cannot be determined solely by the number of surveys

completed. As the hospital environment is fast paced, to take an extra minute to fill out a survey

is a lot to ask. Therefore, as expected many chose not to complete the survey. As communicated

between partners, it was observed that those who did stop were very interested and had many

nutrition related questions. There were also those who stopped to tell their story of losing weight

or eating healthy, and were encouraged to keep up the good work. Overall the booth was

successful in reaching a population that might not have known the truth about supplements or the

benefits of a colorful, healthful diet.

Pictures taken from the nutrition booth of Allison Kliewer and Kristen Novak can been

viewed in Appendix I.

References

10 FOR 10. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from Nutrition411.com:

http://www.nutrition411.com/education-materials/healthful-eating/item/1335-10-choices-

for-10-important-nutrients-supported-by-smart-balance

American Dietetic Association. (2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrient

supplementation. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2073-2085.

doi:10.1016/j.jada.2009.10.020

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention. (2013). The USP Dietary Supplement Verification

Process. Retrieved March 17, 2013, from U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention:

http://www.usp.org/usp-verification-services/usp-verified-dietary-

supplements/verification-process

Wardlaw, G. M., & Smith, A. M. (2009). Contemporary Nutrition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Appendix I

Appendix I

Appendix I