Worksite Presentation

Lauren Snyder
Illinois CancerCare
Job title: Dietitian’s assistant/volunteer

Job Description: Assisted the Dietitian’s with their everyday tasks, Completed
creative projects

A typical day:

● Everyday was very different, not a set schedule

● Workups
● organizing/sending supplements - restocking pod fridges
● Call patients
● Screenings
● Creative: redoing chemo sheet, weekly newsletters
● Other: training new volunteers, file cabinet clean out, Snack day w/ OSF
intern, review Grace’s ADIME notes and practice calculations
 Challenging Situation
● Never knew how screening a patient would go
○ I would screen patients while they were receiving chemotherapy -
often a difficult time for them
● Sometimes patients were very receptive, others would let me talk to them
but were very closed and didn’t want to hear what I was saying.

How I overcame this?

● I finished my screening process and gave them resources available

● Continued to treat them with respect even if they seemed to want nothing to
do with me - know that they are going through a lot right now
● Thanked them for their time - didn’t stay and chat with them like I do with
those who are very receptive to me.
Characteristic for the job

● Adaptable
● Creative
● Compassionate
● Respectful
 After Graduation…
Goals:

● Complete MS/DI program

● Work in clinical Dietetics setting - oncology, fertility, eating disorders

This experience allowed me to feel comfortable in a clinical setting and realize I

enjoy working with this population

What would make it better - getting more hands on experience - getting more
practice with enteral and parenteral nutrition

I would consider this job after graduation - I loved the setting, the hours the
Dietitians work, the variety of clinics and how they all communicate with other health
care professionals
What I learned
● I learned how to calculate nutritional needs for cancer
patients (focused on higher protein intake)
● I learned that I didn’t mind working with elderly patients
● This field can be very sensitive
● How to engage with patients and be empathetic
● How to take initiative and find creative projects to do when
things are slow at work
● Familiarized with the DI experience - got to work with
interns from Bradley, ISU and OSF
Management
RD’s: Grace Hensold (Peoria Location) & Jeanna Rich (Multiple
locations and HIV clinic)

What I liked

● Very understanding and accommodating

● Friendly, positive work environment
● Took me under their wing and allowed me to take lead on
projects and assignments
● Always available for me to ask questions and help me learn
throughout this process

Any changes?

● Some days they didn’t have much for me to do - It was hard to

get hours
Questions?