Image Source: http://medcitynews.com/tag/childrens-hospital-of-philadelphia/ Hi my name is Kristin Robinson. As a Philadelphia intern, I was given the opportunity to spend a week-long rotation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Being that my concentration is not in pediatrics, I was excited to to be afforded such a unique opportunity. My four-day rotation was divided into two days of Feeding Team – a program for children with poor eating practices related to a behavioral or clinical issue, and two days in eating disorders. In both settings, I was able to work in inpatient and outpatient environments. The experience was AMAZING! I quickly realized that the role of nutrition in pediatrics is one placed at the forefront (an aspect I feel is sometimes lacking in the adult inpatient population) and I loved it. Thorough nutrition assessments were conducted on all patients and the dietitian was highly influential in the interdisciplinary development of the care plan. In Feeding Team, I watched feeding specialists work with children using positive reinforcement to help them learn proper meal-time behaviors, and while working with eating disorders, I assisted the dietitian in critically thinking about the needs of each patient. As a premier hospital in the region, I got to see some of the gold-standards of nutrition practice in action. From this experience I gained refreshing insight into the team approach for health and realized that some of the best experiences can arise when you least expect them! I recommend jumping on any opportunity thrown your way; there will always be something to learn.
