Hello, friends and interns! I am here today to give you insight into a few of the struggles that a new dietetic intern may encounter and how to get past these struggles.
First, who am I? My name is Meg Gilbar and I am currently a Sodexo dietetic intern located out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. I attended Keene State College in southern New Hampshire to receive my BS in Nutrition and then moved back home to the (smallest) state of Rhode Island.
As of right now I am halfway through my intermediate clinical rotation and have learned a lot but also am aware of how much I still have to learn. I wanted to share with you a few of the struggles I had, why I had them, and how I pushed through them and gained more confidence with myself in the end.
#1: If you are hard on yourself because you don’t know something or aren’t fast yet…
This is the whole point of the internship! This is the time to look up EVERYTHING. Go easy on yourself and know that knowledge and a faster pace will come with time. The more you research, the more you will know for the next patient.
#2 : If you’re not sure how to start the conversation with your patient….
Ask to tag along with your preceptors when they go see patients to understand how they approach a topic. This was extremely helpful to me, and I ended up using a few of the ways that they approached patients, such as first just asking, “How are you doing/feeling?” to break the ice and show them you care.
#3 : If you are nervous to speak to your patient’s nurse/doctor…
This can very intimidating, but remind yourself that you are here to give the best nutrition care to your patient and that we all must work together as a team. First, practice what you’re going to say in your head. Then, call or find the nurse or doctor you are looking for. If you are unable to call and can’t find the person you’re looking for, ask a friendly looking nurse to point you in the right direction. When you locate the nurse or doctor, be sure to introduce yourself and explain what you need for your shared patient.
These are a few of the main areas where I struggled in the beginning of my clinical rotation, but these are also areas that I was able to gain confidence in myself when I challenged myself to pull past these struggles. Feeling nervous, shy and not confident with yourself is normal; this is a whole new experience for you, and it can be very intimidating. Confidence also just comes with time, and I know with time, learning, and experience I will get there and so will you! Good luck, my friends!
First, who am I? My name is Meg Gilbar and I am currently a Sodexo dietetic intern located out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. I attended Keene State College in southern New Hampshire to receive my BS in Nutrition and then moved back home to the (smallest) state of Rhode Island.
As of right now I am halfway through my intermediate clinical rotation and have learned a lot but also am aware of how much I still have to learn. I wanted to share with you a few of the struggles I had, why I had them, and how I pushed through them and gained more confidence with myself in the end.
#1: If you are hard on yourself because you don’t know something or aren’t fast yet…
This is the whole point of the internship! This is the time to look up EVERYTHING. Go easy on yourself and know that knowledge and a faster pace will come with time. The more you research, the more you will know for the next patient.
#2 : If you’re not sure how to start the conversation with your patient….
Ask to tag along with your preceptors when they go see patients to understand how they approach a topic. This was extremely helpful to me, and I ended up using a few of the ways that they approached patients, such as first just asking, “How are you doing/feeling?” to break the ice and show them you care.
#3 : If you are nervous to speak to your patient’s nurse/doctor…
This can very intimidating, but remind yourself that you are here to give the best nutrition care to your patient and that we all must work together as a team. First, practice what you’re going to say in your head. Then, call or find the nurse or doctor you are looking for. If you are unable to call and can’t find the person you’re looking for, ask a friendly looking nurse to point you in the right direction. When you locate the nurse or doctor, be sure to introduce yourself and explain what you need for your shared patient.
These are a few of the main areas where I struggled in the beginning of my clinical rotation, but these are also areas that I was able to gain confidence in myself when I challenged myself to pull past these struggles. Feeling nervous, shy and not confident with yourself is normal; this is a whole new experience for you, and it can be very intimidating. Confidence also just comes with time, and I know with time, learning, and experience I will get there and so will you! Good luck, my friends!
