My Clinical Rotations: Winter
Primary Care
Northwest Primary Care Clinic: Milwaukie, OR
2 Weeks
This rotation lasted for 2 weeks and I shadowed a variety of different dietitians in their primary care settings. I observed a multi-disciplinary adult cystic fibrosis clinic, bariatric outpatient counseling, chemotherapy nutrition counseling, diabetes education, and other referrals for nutrition-related problems. I provided some education to patients regarding diabetes management with food and nutrition.
Diabetes
Northwest Primary Care Clinic: Milwaukie, OR
3 Weeks
I learned how to counsel patients of varying backgrounds in an outpatient setting. The patients at this clinic primarily were diagnosed diabetes and other chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, etc.). I learned how to provide patients with information about their disease, how to best manage their diabetes with diet, instruct them on carb counting or the exchange list, and give them information on how to live a more healthy lifestyle. I worked on counseling them using Motivational Interviewing and People First Language. I also taught a cooking class for senior citizens, which comprised a variety of different low cost, easy, nutritious recipes.
Project Examples:
Click on green link below
Project #1: Cooking Class For Seniors
I designed a cooking class for seniors. This is a brochure of menus I created for them to have.
Project #2: Blood Lipid Brochure
I designed a blood lipid brochure for patients, giving them information about what cholesterol and blood fats are and how they can be modified with diet.
3 Weeks
I learned how to counsel patients of varying backgrounds in an outpatient setting. The patients at this clinic primarily were diagnosed diabetes and other chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, etc.). I learned how to provide patients with information about their disease, how to best manage their diabetes with diet, instruct them on carb counting or the exchange list, and give them information on how to live a more healthy lifestyle. I worked on counseling them using Motivational Interviewing and People First Language. I also taught a cooking class for senior citizens, which comprised a variety of different low cost, easy, nutritious recipes.
Project Examples:
Click on green link below
Project #1: Cooking Class For Seniors
I designed a cooking class for seniors. This is a brochure of menus I created for them to have.
Project #2: Blood Lipid Brochure
I designed a blood lipid brochure for patients, giving them information about what cholesterol and blood fats are and how they can be modified with diet.
Medicine/Surgery
OHSU: Medicine and Surgery Floors
4 Weeks
I worked for two weeks on a medicine floor and then spent the following two weeks on a surgery floor at OHSU. This rotation taught me how to use the charting system at OHSU, look up past notes, and prioritize which patients needed to be seen. I learned how to assess the patient's current nutritional status, identify their nutrition problem, and develop my own nutrition interventions. I developed skills in speaking with patients, and learned how to educate them when necessary. I also learned how to be assertive with medical staff when I had questions, learned the paging system at OHSU, and participated in rounds. This rotation was overwhelming and challenging at the beginning, yet by the end of the rotation I was seeing and charting on 6 - 8 patients a day, and felt more competent and prepared.
Example of an intervention for a patient (click on link)
Renal
Diversified Specialty Institutes, Oregon Kidney Center
2 Weeks
I was at a dialysis center for two weeks, seeing patients with chronic kidney disease on either in-center hemodialysis, or on home peritoneal dialysis. I learned what labs to pay attention to for patients with CKD, how patients could modify these labs through diet, which foods were high/low in phosphorous and potassium, and which medications were recommended to lower these lab values. I counseled many patients on dialysis, gave them recipe/menu ideas, used motivational interviewing in attempt to have the patient set their own goals. I charted in DSI's charting system, wrote up care plans and monthly assessments. I also developed education materials for patients and designed a nutrition bulletin board for the front lobby. I came away from this rotation feeling much more knowledgeable and competent about CKD, the renal diet, and speaking with patients on dialysis.
Project Examples:
Project: Nutrition Label
This food label was given to patients as we counseled them about what to look for when picking out foods. We especially emphasized looking at the ingredient label for potassium or phosphorous adititves.
2 Weeks
I was at a dialysis center for two weeks, seeing patients with chronic kidney disease on either in-center hemodialysis, or on home peritoneal dialysis. I learned what labs to pay attention to for patients with CKD, how patients could modify these labs through diet, which foods were high/low in phosphorous and potassium, and which medications were recommended to lower these lab values. I counseled many patients on dialysis, gave them recipe/menu ideas, used motivational interviewing in attempt to have the patient set their own goals. I charted in DSI's charting system, wrote up care plans and monthly assessments. I also developed education materials for patients and designed a nutrition bulletin board for the front lobby. I came away from this rotation feeling much more knowledgeable and competent about CKD, the renal diet, and speaking with patients on dialysis.
Project Examples:
Project: Nutrition Label
This food label was given to patients as we counseled them about what to look for when picking out foods. We especially emphasized looking at the ingredient label for potassium or phosphorous adititves.
