My name is Dani Voosen and I am part of the Spring 2018 distance cohort from Los Angeles, California. I recently completed my clinical rotation at Beverly Hospital, I’m currently finishing my food service management rotation at CBS Television Studios, and I’ve been able to complete some community hours in between.
Starting off the internship with my clinical rotation was a bit scary and intimidating at first. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began the fifteen-week journey. During my time at Beverly Hospital I learned so much and want to share some of the tips I learned along the way that helped make it such a great learning experience.
Communicate. Communication is key. Making sure you have good communication with your preceptor is so important. I made sure to let my preceptor know my various interests and what other opportunities I would be interested in experiencing while at the hospital. Because of this, I was able to see pediatric patients, NICU patients, and watch the Speech Language Pathologist conduct a barium swallow test during my clinical hours. I was also given the opportunity to complete some community hours with Beverly Hospital. I helped teach nutrition classes to kids and their parents, presented to a group of seniors on the new nutrition facts label, volunteered at a health fair, and observed an outpatient education session.
Be open minded. Coming into the internship you may already have your mind set on a direction you want to take your dietetics career. Some rotations may sound more or less appealing than others, but I encourage you to keep an open mind and give it your all in each rotation. Prior to starting my internship, I saw myself doing community nutrition in the future, but after my clinical rotation, I can see being a clinical dietitian as a potential career option.
Complete assignments on time. The clinical assignments were beneficial in helping me feel more prepared during my rotation. These assignments are a great way to refresh your memory and help you get a better understanding of what you’re applying in the clinical setting. Following the “Do something every day” motto helped me stay on track and made the daunting task of completing assignments much more manageable.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to learn and gain more insight. Your internship is the time to learn, ask questions, and develop your clinical judgment. Your preceptor is there to help guide you during this process. I always tried to figure problems out on my own first, but if I was unsure of an answer, needed clarification, or was just curious, I would ask my preceptor and she was always more than happy to help.
I hope these four tips will help you along the way during your clinical rotation.
Starting off the internship with my clinical rotation was a bit scary and intimidating at first. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began the fifteen-week journey. During my time at Beverly Hospital I learned so much and want to share some of the tips I learned along the way that helped make it such a great learning experience.
Communicate. Communication is key. Making sure you have good communication with your preceptor is so important. I made sure to let my preceptor know my various interests and what other opportunities I would be interested in experiencing while at the hospital. Because of this, I was able to see pediatric patients, NICU patients, and watch the Speech Language Pathologist conduct a barium swallow test during my clinical hours. I was also given the opportunity to complete some community hours with Beverly Hospital. I helped teach nutrition classes to kids and their parents, presented to a group of seniors on the new nutrition facts label, volunteered at a health fair, and observed an outpatient education session.
Be open minded. Coming into the internship you may already have your mind set on a direction you want to take your dietetics career. Some rotations may sound more or less appealing than others, but I encourage you to keep an open mind and give it your all in each rotation. Prior to starting my internship, I saw myself doing community nutrition in the future, but after my clinical rotation, I can see being a clinical dietitian as a potential career option.
Complete assignments on time. The clinical assignments were beneficial in helping me feel more prepared during my rotation. These assignments are a great way to refresh your memory and help you get a better understanding of what you’re applying in the clinical setting. Following the “Do something every day” motto helped me stay on track and made the daunting task of completing assignments much more manageable.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to learn and gain more insight. Your internship is the time to learn, ask questions, and develop your clinical judgment. Your preceptor is there to help guide you during this process. I always tried to figure problems out on my own first, but if I was unsure of an answer, needed clarification, or was just curious, I would ask my preceptor and she was always more than happy to help.
I hope these four tips will help you along the way during your clinical rotation.
