Preceptor Profile: A Longtime Local Legend!
The realm of clinical dietetics is notorious for short interactions with clients due to the acute nature of patients’ illnesses. However, Susan Gollnick and colleagues at Central Coast Hospice and Home Health know a different pace of work in their roles as Registered Dietitians.
In fact, they have very flexible schedules and get to have hour-long appointments with clients in a much more intimate setting – something I find appealing as an RD2Be! Rarely is Susan sitting at a desk in an office. She is driving to homes anywhere from San Luis Obispo down to Santa Barbara while the other RD, Brianna, covers the north county of San Luis Obispo. Even though Susan has lived on the Central Coast for years, she is always discovering new things from campsite home visits one day to giant mansions the next.
It would be a disservice to talk about the Cal Poly Dietetic Internship without talking about Susan. Her Master’s thesis was actually a feasibility study on creating an internship program at Cal Poly since they did not have one at the time. She demonstrated that a DI would be possible in SLO county and the rest is history!
I am grateful for Susan’s willingness to host me for a virtual rotation. Throughout the two weeks, we had several phone calls and Zoom meetings in which she gave me an in-depth view of what she does day to day. My eyes were opened to end of life considerations through the resources she sent me and her anecdotal experiences. I watched a documentary and a TED Talk, attended a virtual webinar, and read a variety of articles about end of life nutrition written by hospice RDs. It takes a compassionate and strong person to do the work, but both Susan and Brianna say it is one of the most humbling experiences to care for people at the end of their life.
Hospice isn’t Susan’s only expertise. She is also responsible for home health visits. For clients to qualify for a home health visit, they have to be homebound and the goal is to get them better. Since the goals of home health and hospice differ so much, Susan must wear many hats and constantly switch between them. It can be difficult to keep priorities straight when serving patients with different goals, but she does it flawlessly. The nutrition topics and services asked for by home health patients vary widely, so Susan is prepared for anything which has made her a jack of all trades. This was a good learning lesson for me. Although you may practice the same nutrition concepts everyday (such as diabetes education or tube feeding recommendations), you must also be equipped to explain other topics because you are the nutrition professional.
Through this rotation, I was able to work on projects that were specifically asked for by clients. I created sample low-sodium and diabetic meal plans and a handout on high-protein, high-Calorie foods that is already being utilized. It felt especially meaningful to have concrete projects that were put to use during this time of quarantine because it can be easy to feel out of touch with patients when working from home.
If I have learned anything from this rotation, it’s to expect the unexpected. Susan has had many jobs, most of which she never thought were possible. This brings me to my other main takeaway. Registered Dietitians can be utilized in so many unimaginable ways.
Although I was unable to actually meet Susan in person, I can promise future interns that if you are lucky enough to be working with Susan, you are in for a ride!