Shadowing at Inova Fairfax Hospital Fairfax, VA January 2016
During my senior year, I have had the opportunity to shadow registered dietitians at Inova Fairfax Hospital, which has over 900 beds and 16 registered dietitians. I observed the daily routines of registered dietitians working in pediatrics, cardiology, gynecology, and trauma ICU. On a typical day, a dietitian and I examined an extensive list of patients, discussed patients' conditions, and determined which patients needed to be seen on that day. When we were in patients' rooms, I learned how dietitians assess patients' dietary status by observing meal trays and how they word questions to elicit important information from patients. I was also able to see the organization of patients' medical history and clinical notes. I also discussed with dietitians the different nutrition support formulas and calculated the appropriate tube feeding rates. They showed me how to utilize the resources from ACEND and the hospital database to obtain dietary recommendations for patients who have to follow heart healthy, diabetic, or low sodium diets after being discharged. This experience has deepened my understanding of the role of a registered dietitian as part of an interdisciplinary team and fueled my excitement for future clinical rotations as a dietetic intern.