Hello everyone! My name is Lily Vinocoor. I am a region 1 dietetic intern living south of Boston, MA. In September, as I began my clinical rotations at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital in Brockton, MA, I was anxious to face new challenges and come out of my comfort zone. When I arrived at the hospital, my fears went away when I met my kind and welcoming preceptors who were enthusiastic about helping me succeed. In the final days of staff relief, I am amazed at how time flew by, and the amount of knowledge and confidence I gained as I prepare to be an entry level dietitian. I would love to share my experience and helpful tips I have learned along the way.
Conducting patient interviews and providing diet education was intimidating at first. As students, we study nutrition for 4-5 years and have a clear understanding of the relationship between diets and diseases, but I found it difficult at first to explain diets in an easy and simple way to patients who lacked previous nutritional knowledge. I took home the most used diet education handouts at the hospital, practiced speaking them out loud, and made note cards with key points I wanted to make when educating patients. I found these note cards to be extremely helpful to take with me into the patient’s rooms.
Conducting patient interviews and providing diet education was intimidating at first. As students, we study nutrition for 4-5 years and have a clear understanding of the relationship between diets and diseases, but I found it difficult at first to explain diets in an easy and simple way to patients who lacked previous nutritional knowledge. I took home the most used diet education handouts at the hospital, practiced speaking them out loud, and made note cards with key points I wanted to make when educating patients. I found these note cards to be extremely helpful to take with me into the patient’s rooms.
One experience I enjoyed was when my preceptor and I tried some of the nutritional supplements that were offered at the hospital such as Boost, Glucerna, Ensure, and Carnation Instant Breakfast. As future RDs, we should be familiar with the different textures and tastes of these supplements to help meet patients' preferences because we want to make sure they receive adequate nutrition while in the hospital. This allowed me to relate to my patients and understand why they may not enjoy a certain supplement. If a patient did not enjoy the taste or texture of a particular supplement, I was able to recommend another one from my own experience of tasting the products.
I love the positive learning experience of Sodexo’s dietetic internship along with its individualized approach to learning. My preceptors were able to discern my own personal strengths and weaknesses and were always willing to go above and beyond to help me improve, even if that meant going out of my comfort zone. They were always willing to answer any questions I had and provide me with extra material and resources to review when needed. For example, I felt unsure of nutrition support calculations at first, but my preceptors took time out of their day to create practice worksheets for me and reviewed it with me until I felt completely comfortable.
I want to give a huge thank you to all the RDs at Brockton Hospital. I am grateful for the clinical experience I have gained, and I am ready to use the new skills I have developed in my future rotations.
I love the positive learning experience of Sodexo’s dietetic internship along with its individualized approach to learning. My preceptors were able to discern my own personal strengths and weaknesses and were always willing to go above and beyond to help me improve, even if that meant going out of my comfort zone. They were always willing to answer any questions I had and provide me with extra material and resources to review when needed. For example, I felt unsure of nutrition support calculations at first, but my preceptors took time out of their day to create practice worksheets for me and reviewed it with me until I felt completely comfortable.
I want to give a huge thank you to all the RDs at Brockton Hospital. I am grateful for the clinical experience I have gained, and I am ready to use the new skills I have developed in my future rotations.
