So I’m almost done with my first week of my Clinical nutrition rotation. Uh, pinch me?
Where do I begin…
On Monday, I went in around 8:30 and met with the Clinical Coordinator, who oversees all of the clinical dietitians. In terms of the hierarchy, it goes a little something like this
Director*
Executive Chef Clinical Coordinator
Cooks Dietitians
This is a very shortened version but just so you guys understand a little better, I spent my Management rotation with the Director, and more time on the foodservice side. Now, I’m obviously on the other side of the spectrum, and am reporting to the Clinical Coordinator.
Anyway, she and I planned out my next 8 weeks at the hospital. Since there are 6 dietitians on the schedule each day, I will be spending one week with each, except for the Trauma ICU dietitian, that will be 2 weeks. And then my last week will be pretty much whatever I want to do, whether that’s going back to a specific unit, or doing random staff-relief.
Guess what I got thrown into first? Trauma ICU.
Holy (explicative). I’ve worked in hospitals so I’m fine with the clinical setting, but spending most of my day in the ICU… now that’s a different story.
This unit has the patients of, well, the worst cases. For the most part, bed-ridden and usually comatose. Oh, and mostly on nutrition support (a.k.a. tube feeding)
The first day, I was just kind of acting as a sponge, listening and looking… taking in as much as I could without running out the door screaming. Ok, it’s not that bad, but still. It’s one thing just briefly walk by, seeing the patient and all of the tubes going in and out.. but then reading their chart notes with their story, it’s kind of scary.
After the first day, I was trying to wrap my head around specific cases, getting in the mindset of being a day-to-day dietitian that has to consult the patient for X, Y and Z. I understand now how the ICU staff becomes so desensitized to everything going on… you don’t really have a choice. It’s you’re job to keep these people alive.
Luckily, since I’ve been in kind of a daze with all the new information, I have not one but two weeks with this dietitian in the ICU. She is an amazing dietitian and is really making it easier for me to grasp the key concepts of nutrition support. She doesn’t expect me to do consults or charting just yet, because seriously? These patients need someone that knows what they’re doing. But surprisingly, I’m glad that they shoved me into the deep-end first, because now I think the rest of my Clinicals will feel like a breeze.
Honestly? When I come home at the end of the day, my mind is racing and my heart hurts for patients that are struggling, but do I like it? Maybe, I don’t know. Hopefully as the weeks go by, I’ll know how I feel.
How do you do in hospitals?
