The Expert Never Stops Learning
When I think about what it means to be a dietetics professional, I think of all the inspiring mentors I get to learn from each day. Dietetics is such a wide field; it’s unlikely you’ll meet two RDs with the same exact interests and expertise. Fortunately, through the Cal Poly Dietetic Internship, interns get just that: access to a plethora of dietetic professionals each with unique experience and perspectives to offer. As I write this, I am currently halfway through my 10-week clinical rotation, so I’ve just been at one site so far, but have already learned so much. I have also been able to hear about my fellow interns’ preceptors and meet RDs in the community at local events. One of the best parts of living in SLO and being a part of the local dietetic association is feeling instantly connected and supported by other RDs, students, interns, and mentors. The following is just a small fraction of what I have learned so far about being a dietetics professional.
The first thing I have learned in the clinical setting is the importance of having a specialty and passion area, but also being well rounded and knowledgeable about medical conditions/terminology. One of the RDs at my clinical rotation encourages me to attend rounds because she believes it is important to know about more than just nutrition concepts. This helps not only to be respected by other health care professionals, but improves the patient’s care if you can see the full picture and are able to understand why certain things are happening to the patient outside the scope of nutrition (labs, procedures, meds, insurance, etc.)
Attending rounds is just one way to make yourself visible as a professional to other members of the healthcare team. In fact, that is one of the main reasons the manager/lead dietitian at French Hospital started encouraging the RDs to attend rounds daily. It may seem like another task to add to your day, but if we expect people to consult RDs and value our recommendations, making ourselves physically available helps tremendously. Even as an intern, I get stopped in the hallway by care coordinators and nurses who ask me questions and let me know if a patient is requesting our services. Being recognized as a nutrition professional is a great feeling, especially as an intern who is new to the facility.
On the other hand, I have learned that the best RDs are always learning more and are not expected to know it all. For example, my main preceptor at French recently dove into the world of neonatal nutrition in the past year or so once French opened this new unit. Although it was a lot to learn and increased her workload to assess babies as well as adults, she uses her resources and has done an amazing job figuring it out as she goes along. One of the other RDs at French is a new dietitian and we are constantly comparing notes and learning together. In fact, I have been able to pass on some knowledge to her since she is only at the hospital a couple days a week and misses some of the information my preceptor shares with me.
Although I am only one rotation in, I have still been able to learn about the dietetics profession through conversations with fellow interns and events in the community. At a recent Coastal Tri-Counties event (CTC, our local California dietetic association in SLO), I learned the importance of networking, utilizing and rooting for your colleagues, and getting involved in areas outside of your job whether that be policy work or signing up for a leadership role. Most RDs that I have encountered do have additional roles which ultimately strengthens the profession. CTC members also are always trying to help other members get jobs when positions open and are there to lend a listening ear when someone is struggling. There is nothing quite like being able to talk to a professional who knows what you are going through and can offer practical suggestions.
In this setting, I was able to see the importance of being your most authentic self, which is a concept we covered extensively during orientation. Since then, putting my true self out there has been a priority. As a result, I have formed genuine connections rather than trying to appear “put together” in a networking environment.
Last but not least, I have learned that even as a student and intern, I already exhibit qualities of a dietetic professional, and you can too. When you are surrounded by such terrific mentors, it’s only natural to absorb their energy! If I could give any piece of advice at this stage of the internship, it would be to trust your training. I guarantee you will surprise yourself with how much you are capable of. Walk tall, exude professionalism, be your authentic self, and have an eagerness to learn, and you are well on your way to becoming the dietetic professional you have always dreamed of!
