First Week in Frankfort

Alas, the first week of my internship has come and gone! 

​Although my first week was but three short days, thanks to MLK Day and snowstorm Jonas, there was no time wasted in becoming oriented with Frankfort Regional Medical Center (FRMC) and their operating procedures.

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My immediate impression of FRMC was a fantastic one. Every person I passed greeted me with a jovial smile, "good morning," or offered to help me find what I was most obviously looking for, the Food and Nutrition office. A few even declared, "You must be the new dietetic intern," indicating they were informed of my imminent arrival. My preceptor greeted me with contagious enthusiasm and melted away any nervousness I had been feeling over the past couple of days. 

After getting the standard paperwork and orientation materials in order, we jumped right into charting with the Meditech software. Meditech operates as a sort of intranet for FRMC, helping to keep healthcare professionals up to date on the status of their patients. (CRD 2.10) The dietitian's notes are written in the ADIME format, following the steps of the Nutrition Care Process: assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation. (CRD 3.1; 3.2; 4.5) Also, my preceptor very kindly provided me with a list of pertinent medications to guide me as I learn the ropes. (CRD 2.2) By the end of the week, I was able to help complete follow-up consultations with the approval of my preceptor.

In addition to learning my way around the charting system, I also learned the parameters that qualify patients for a consult with the RD, including:

• Wounds/ulcers of Stage II or greater
• BMI < 18.5
• Unexpected weight loss
• Ventilator

• Tube feeding regimen
• Speech consult
• Oncology
• Length of stay > 7 days 

By the second day, I was observing during Interdisciplinary Rounds (IDR). For one hour every morning healthcare professionals traverse through each floor to discuss the progress of their patients with the Registered Nurses, who are essentially the infantry of the hospital. We were joined by Case Managers, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Patient Advocates, Respiratory Therapists, and Physical Therapy Assistants among others. (CRD 2.10) During rounds we have the chance to ask specific questions that may be unclear in the patient's chart. It provides the opportunity to speak directly to the healthcare specialist who performed certain tests than may be pertinent to our assessment.

Before the week came to a sudden halt due to snow I was fortunate to visit my first patient's room for a nutrition education consultation. (CRD 3.4) As we made our way through the hospital my preceptor explained the policy and procedures for patient care at FRMC.

Acknowledge the patient by his/her name when entering their room.
Introduce yourself by name and title.
Duration is giving the patient a timeline of their admission.
Explanation includes providing information on the patient's treatment.
Thank the patient for choosing FRMC.

These guidelines help FRMC ensure patient satisfaction. (CRD 3.2)

All in all, it was an incredible first few days at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. There is so much more to learn, and I am fortunate to be surrounded by such a supportive group of professionals.

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CRD 2.2  Demonstrate professional writing skills in preparing professional communications. (Tip: Examples include research manuscripts, project proposals, education materials, policies and procedures.)
CRD 2.10 Establish collaborative relationships with other health professionals and support personnel to deliver effective nutrition services.
​CRD 3.1  Perform the Nutrition Care Process (a through e below) and use standardized nutrition language for individuals, groups and populations of differing ages and health status, in a variety of settings.
CRD 3.2  Demonstrate effective communications skills for clinical and customer services in a variety of formats.
CRD 3.4  Deliver respectful, science-based answers to consumer questions concerning emerging trends.
CRD 4.5  Use current informatics technology to develop, store, retrieve and disseminate information and data.