First Week

I survived week 1! And it was much less scary than I thought it might be... Luckily, my hospital is a very supportive place, and the dietitians have helped me learn a LOT in just five days. By today I was writing low risk notes and high-risk assessments mostly on my own. Because Duke Raleigh is small (I was told occupancy averages about 90 beds), I won't be having structured rotations. So, on any given day I may be seeing patients and writing assessments for any number of diseases/conditions. I would have benefited from completing all of the modules ahead of time, to be prepared for whatever comes my way. It has been interesting to compare the work styles of the two dietitians I've spent time with this week. One is super efficient and focuses more on the clinical aspects of dietetics, while the other works more slowly but spends a good deal of time with patients/on patient care. I also found out the clinical nutrition manager of my hospital is leaving his job halfway through my internship. So it might be interesting to observe the hospital politics of bringing in someone new to supervise the dietitians later on this summer...

Good luck to everyone starting next week!