TPN/ICU

This week I started rotating with the RD who does all the TPNs in the hospital and covers about half the ICU/ critical care units. It has been really interesting and I feel like I'm definitely learning A LOT so far in this rotation. My favorite thing so far is to explain what TPN is to the patients/families when we're starting a new one... their questions are hilarious!
It's kind of funny reading some of your perspectives on ICU because I actually feel like ICU is where you have the most impact on the patient. Especially with TPN/TF because the patient doesn't get a choice to eat it or not. On other floors, the patients have more control over what they're going to eat and they are sick and tired and on various medications and have 45 people interrupting them every 4 hours to talk to them, yet we still have to "educate" them about a diet that is the complete opposite of what they've been eating their entire life. It is painfully obvious to me how little people are listening when I'm talking with them. You can educate them to your little heart's content but (and maybe this is really cynical or maybe its actually realistic) most of the people in Gastonia are just going to stop at McDonalds or Bojangles for their first meal out of the hospital. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best job to educate, it just makes the 5% of patients I see who are genuinely interested in making changes all the more exciting.