October was such a crazy month, that I didn't get a chance to write a blog post, so consider this post an extended update. In addition to starting another rotation of the dietetic internship (DI), I moved into a new apartment in October. Needless to say, I've been a very busy girl these past few months!
I'll start by sharing some updates about my latest rotations. I've been interning in a long term care facility for the past two months. My experience at this facility has been divided into two parts: institutional food service management and clinical long term care. The food service management rotation was surprisingly fun. It takes a lot of work and organization to oversee the management of a food service department, especially in a residential/long term care facility. I learned about forecasting, budgeting, purchasing, and how food is stored and prepared in this facility. I also got to know the food service staff and presented an inservice on food sanitation and teamwork, which are essential in a food service kitchen.
My second rotation at this same facility has been in the clinical area. I've been working on nutrition assessments of residents in long term care (LTC) while getting to know the residents, their health conditions, and and how to address health problems using evidence-based nutrition interventions. I've found the clinical aspect of this rotation to be a little more challenging than food service, mostly because assessments need to be written in a very particular way and I'm still finding my voice when it comes to making recommendations and writing evaluations. My advice to anyone else going into a clinical rotation of the DI is to learn from each preceptor and try to see everything as a learning experience, especially if you don't have much clinical experience prior to starting the internship.
Like I mentioned above, October was super busy due to transitioning from one rotation to the next, all while moving my life into a U-Haul and changing homes. I absolutely love my new apartment-- it's so roomy, light, and has such a great energy about it. Growing up, I wanted to be an architect or an interior designer, so I'm having a lot of fun trying to make the best use of space and decorating (on a budget!).
I'm hoping the rest of November will be a little more calm now that I'm settled into my new home and in December, I'll get a short break from the internship (which is definitely welcomed, because every intern needs a break now and then!). I'm looking forward to sharing more updates and info when I start my next rotation 🙂
-Jess
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