Finding Your Path

Get to know Registered Dietitian Lauren Noble

Lauren Noble is currently a registered dietitian at Saint John Regional Medical Center. Lauren typically works with the telemetry and rehab floors of the hospital. Lauren is also currently pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental nutrition.

If Lauren was stuck on a desert island and could only choose 3 things to eat, she would choose shrimp scampi, hot Cheetos, and pomegranates.

Lauren is passionate about roller derby and has a talent for video editing. Kona and Aviva are Lauren’s dogs that she loves dearly. Aviva will allow pets in exchange for treats (the white fluffy one on the right). Kona, however, keeps her eye on the prize and only has time for treats, none of the petting nonsense for her (the no-nonsense girl in the blue-collar on the left).

How it started:

When asked about what initially sparked her interest in nutrition Lauren explained that she originally wasn’t sure what major she wanted to pursue. In her undergrad, she took a cooking class that sparked her interest in culinary arts. Lauren soon realized that the demands of being a chef did not align with her lifestyle, but still, Lauren felt a calling to a career involving food. Lauren conducted some research on possible careers that would be a good fit for her and found out about dietetics.

Where it started:

While in her undergrad, Lauren got a job at her school’s counseling center. Part of her job was to provide education to different classes about eating disorders. Soon, Lauren realized she had a passion for helping people struggling with eating disorders and applied for a job as a diet tech at an eating disorder center. Lauren spent her time meal prepping, eating with the patients at mealtimes, providing education, and offering support to the patients. Lauren felt strongly about her work here and decided that she would pursue a career in dietetics working with patients with eating disorders.

The Journey:

Just 5 days after Lauren’s dietetic internship, she was recruited by the eating disorder clinic she worked for as a diet tech and began working for them as a dietitian. Over the years Lauren worked at multiple eating disorder clinics.

From Lauren’s perspective working with patients who struggle with eating disorders can be extremely rewarding and at the same time mentally straining.

Because of the heaviness, a job like this can bring, Lauren knew that it was important to keep a balance in her life. To relieve stress and take her mind off the hardships of the job, Lauren spent her off time playing roller derby. Lauren’s love for roller derby kept her active, while also helping her maintain a balance in her life.

“It’s important to have outlets when you work in a stressful field”

Where she is now:

Though Lauren’s passion led her to work with people with eating disorders, life had other plans for her. Lauren sustained an injury and had to get surgery for her ACL. Without roller derby as an outlet and the steady intensity of the job, Lauren knew she needed to make a change. Clinical work was never something Lauren had wanted to do, but she felt this path would better fit her current lifestyle. Lauren’s says,

“The benefit of working in clinical is that you can leave work at work and the stresses of the job are more manageable.”

Though at times it can be frustrating to see some patients that have no interest in making changes, she has found a way to make a difference in many people’s lives through her work as a clinical dietitian.

Tips for future RD’s

• Everyone can fit somewhere, there’s no magic quality that makes you right for a certain specialty, communication is key!

• It’s important to be direct, stand your ground, and have thick skin.

• People may not like what you have to say but remember it’s not you, it’s your message that they may be struggling with.

• Having an outlet to decompress is important, especially if you work in a high-stress environment.

• Be open to different roles, try new things, explore different opportunities even if it isn’t in your original plan because you never know what might captivate you.

The Right Path

I have seen first-hand what a supportive environment the dietitians at Saint John’s Regional Medical Center have created. Not only do they strongly advocate for their patients at the hospital, but they also support each other and everyone who works with them. Personally, I never saw a future in clinical work for myself, but after working under Lauren and all the other dietitians at the hospital I could really see myself being happy in this role.

Sometimes we don’t have any clue where we want to end up and sometimes, we have set ideas of what we want to do with our careers. There are so many pathways as a dietitian, and it can often be difficult to find the right path. Staying open to possibilities and being mindful of what you currently need in your life can be the key to finding the path that is right for you. Plans change, life changes, but if you stay open to possibilities, acknowledge where you are in your life currently, and make decisions that will help you maintain balance in your life you can really make any path the right path.