Hi! My name is Stephanie and I am a dietetic intern in Region 2 in Rhode Island. I am three months into my clinical rotations and just began working in the intensive care unit this week! Initially, I was ecstatic my first rotation would be clinical. I was eager to resume working in the fast-paced, unpredictable clinical environment that I grew fond of while working as a diet technician in undergrad. However, this time I’d be wearing the hat of an “RD-to-be” as a member of the multidisciplinary team. In my internship thus far, no two days have been the same; I wake up and go to work every day knowing that I will leave with a completely different experience under my belt. I feel lucky to have received an abundance of knowledge, support, and guidance from nine unique, highly skilled dietitians across two hospitals: Kent Hospital and Women and Infants Hospital (WIH).
Like anything new, it took time to effectively navigate the electronic medical record and decipher physician notes to gather pertinent information. My first few weeks allowed me to find my bearings, shadow my preceptors to learn effective interviewing techniques, and properly complete thorough nutrition assessments. Each week I became more confident and before I knew it, I could operate more independently with additional responsibilities. I have learned how to screen the floors and prioritize patients for the day. I have regularly attended ICU and oncology rounds, observing first hand how each discipline is involved in decision making to improve patient outcomes. I have provided nutrition education to patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes/gestational diabetes, and discussed breastfeeding education with new mothers. I have helped a malnourished patient with Crohn’s disease understand how to modify his diet during flare-ups, while encouraging PO intake. I have helped newly diagnosed cancer patients prepare for chemotherapy treatment through nutrition education and symptom management. In addition, I collaborated with an outpatient dietitian at WIH to develop several educational materials for her office. It was incredible to watch these materials come to life and effectively convey messages about carbohydrates, portion sizes, and balanced nutrition to newly diagnosed diabetics during one-on-one counseling sessions.
My advice for current or future interns: never hesitate to ask questions! All questions are valid, and your preceptors will be happy to answer them! Keep a notebook with you, jot down your thoughts and refer to them often. This is a practice I started from day one, and my curiosity has connected me to resources, invitations to partake in events and seminars as well as potentially observe inpatient procedures in the future. Just remember that our internships are an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. You build upon your knowledge one patient at a time through the exposure to a myriad of cases, varying in complexity. And it is with each new case you will fine-tune your skills and practice using your clinical judgment to provide the best possible care to your patients.
Like anything new, it took time to effectively navigate the electronic medical record and decipher physician notes to gather pertinent information. My first few weeks allowed me to find my bearings, shadow my preceptors to learn effective interviewing techniques, and properly complete thorough nutrition assessments. Each week I became more confident and before I knew it, I could operate more independently with additional responsibilities. I have learned how to screen the floors and prioritize patients for the day. I have regularly attended ICU and oncology rounds, observing first hand how each discipline is involved in decision making to improve patient outcomes. I have provided nutrition education to patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes/gestational diabetes, and discussed breastfeeding education with new mothers. I have helped a malnourished patient with Crohn’s disease understand how to modify his diet during flare-ups, while encouraging PO intake. I have helped newly diagnosed cancer patients prepare for chemotherapy treatment through nutrition education and symptom management. In addition, I collaborated with an outpatient dietitian at WIH to develop several educational materials for her office. It was incredible to watch these materials come to life and effectively convey messages about carbohydrates, portion sizes, and balanced nutrition to newly diagnosed diabetics during one-on-one counseling sessions.
My advice for current or future interns: never hesitate to ask questions! All questions are valid, and your preceptors will be happy to answer them! Keep a notebook with you, jot down your thoughts and refer to them often. This is a practice I started from day one, and my curiosity has connected me to resources, invitations to partake in events and seminars as well as potentially observe inpatient procedures in the future. Just remember that our internships are an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. You build upon your knowledge one patient at a time through the exposure to a myriad of cases, varying in complexity. And it is with each new case you will fine-tune your skills and practice using your clinical judgment to provide the best possible care to your patients.
