The Challenge
One of your M2 readings focused on scent marketing. Scent is being used increasingly in certain business contexts to create more pleasing customer experiences. By conducting some Internet research, you’ll quickly come to see that the strategic use of scent, in fact, is being used by at least some in the healthcare industry, with some applications being obvious and others less so.
For this Practitioner Application, you are to place yourself in the role of Marketing Director for a soon-to-be-established 18-bed residential hospice based in the city of your choice. (An actual city must be selected as this assignment calls for formal market research.) The entity will be known as Pierremont Hospice House and it will offer the usual and customary array of services provided by residential hospice centers. (If you aren’t familiar with this modality of healthcare, conduct Internet or field research to gain a proper understanding.) The hospice’s owner desires using scent to improve the resident experience and has requested your assistance and expertise. Your task is to investigate scent research, seeking insights regarding common applications, healthcare-specific applications, and applications which might be particularly helpful in residential hospice contexts. Then, supply a report which communicates research findings and provides scent recommendations and associated methods of application which have the potential to enhance the experiences of residents receiving services at the hospice.
The Submission Requirement
Your submission in its entirety (i.e., all inclusive) must be AT LEAST 1200 words. It is to be typed (or pasted) directly into the Moodle posting window, after which you will submit your work. After submission, students are advised to verify that the assignment was submitted successfully by revisiting the submission link in advance of the assignment deadline. (Warning: After the assignment deadline, do not return to the M1 Practitioner Application to check the status of your submission, as doing so can change the submission date, forcing issuance of penalties for lateness.) Note that attachments of any kind are prohibited and will carry no points value. Given the length of the submission, it is advised that students prepare it in a word processing program, and when finalized, copy and paste the text into the Moodle posting window. Moodle can be very finicky and often will distort formatting, so care must be taken in preparing your submission. It is understood that Moodle formatting is limited; simply make your submission look as nice as possible.
Submissions must incorporate a minimum of ten (10) references, with at least three (3) being from scholarly academic journals. (If you cannot ascertain whether a journal does or does not qualify as scholarly academic, contact the Noel Library and request assistance.) References may be prepared using the style guide of your choice (e.g., APA, MLA); just be sure to consistently use the selected style. As Moodle formatting is limited, style guide requirements apply only to the preparation and presentation of references. In-text citations, of course, must be included. Treat this as a formal report, rather than an informal web post. Note that references which consist solely of website links are unacceptable; consult a college-level style manual and assemble website references properly. Incomplete or otherwise noncompliant reference sections will result in a 30-point deduction.
In presenting your work, identify the title, your name and student ID number, and submission date at the top of your submission and supply the following headings, exactly as they appear below, placing each in bold text:
Introduction (In this section, supply a brief introduction, helping the reader grasp the intent of the forthcoming work.)
Background
City Profile (In this section, supply a brief overview of the city of focus, noting its name, population, demographic characteristics, and any other helpful background information.)
Service Profile (In this section, supply an overview profiling residential hospices. Provide a definition, note major areas of focus, and convey other helpful details, demonstrating your grasp of this particular area of healthcare.) Note: This is not a role-playing section. Here, you are defining and describing the given modality of care!
Research and Recommendations
Applicable Scent Research Findings (In this section, summarize general scent research findings and direct specific attention toward scent research findings in medical contexts.)
Recommended Scent(s) and Method(s) of Application (In this section, identify the scent(s) recommended for the residential hospice and discuss the method(s) recommended for applying scent in the facility.)
Conclusions (In this section, summarize the report, being sure to express your expectations regarding how the recommended scent enhancements will impact the resident experience.)
References (In this section, supply a list of references conforming with the instructions listed elsewhere in this communication.)