Tristen Hernandez - Region 12

​Hi everyone! My name is Tristen Hernandez. I am a region 12 intern from Los Angeles, California, and also part of the graduate program with the University of Rhode Island. I started my internship in the fall of 2024, and so far, I have completed my food service, clinical, and long-term care rotation.  
 
Doing the graduate program and internship has been challenging but manageable if you keep organized with good time management skills. The assignments in the graduate program and internship have been really helpful in preparing me for the internship and making me feel confident in my interactions with patients and dietitians. 
 
My favorite rotation so far has been my clinical rotation. This is the longest rotation, with 16 weeks focusing on applying MNT in an acute care setting for a variety of medical conditions. I learned a lot from the dietitians at my site and am very appreciative of the guidance and knowledge that they shared. One experience I enjoyed during my clinical rotation was shadowing a wound care nurse. I was a little nervous at first to look at wounds from up close. However, this experience helped me gain a better understanding of what different stages of pressure injuries look like, and the role of nurses and nursing assistants in treating these wounds. The wound care nurse was also eager to learn about the role of dietitians in helping to heal these wounds. This is just one of the many experiences I got to observe during my clinical rotation. I highly recommend shadowing another specialty (nurses, speech therapists) or observing a clinical procedure (PEG/NGT placement) to gain a better understanding of the multidisciplinary team involved in patient care.
 
Overall, I have been enjoying my internship. I am very grateful to the Sodexo team and community, as well as all my preceptors, for their support and guidance throughout this process. I have learned so much in just a few months, and I am excited to continue my internship journey!

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