This week I started research collection, wrapped things up in my bariatric rotation, and started at my next rotation: the food pantry! To catch up with my previous work in bariatrics check out:
DI: Week 2 – Bariatrics, Research, and Mental Health First-Aid
DI: Week 3 – Bariatrics, Bariatrics, & More Bariatrics
My week looked like this:
Monday:
First day of research! We’re taking anthropometric measurements of high school freshman to see what effect, if any, the nutrition intervention programs going on in the high school have on them a few years later. Future Loyola Dietetic Interns will take the same anthropometric measurements on these kids in a couple of years to see how they’ve changed. Six of us interns spent the day measuring blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference of these kids. I was responsible for taking the first height measurement (out of two). I also had to tell the students to empty their pockets, and remove their shoes and belts. By the end of the day, I was starting to feel like airport security. :P
Tuesday:
Today was the start of my SNAP Challenge. For my public health class Wednesday nights, we have to complete a week long SNAP Challenge. For the week, I have a $48.50 grocery budget and have to try and make my meals as nutritionally balanced as possible while staying in budget. During today’s rotation, I did staff relief for my preceptors at the bariatric clinic! I had back-to-back appointments all morning, and finished up my notes in the afternoon. The one thing that’s difficult about the business of outpatient counseling is that there’s often no time in between appointments to keep up with charting. After getting through five appointments in the morning, my preceptors took over again for the afternoon so that I could do my charting. Doing staff relief was very exciting, and I felt a lot more confident in my skills as a future dietitian as a result.
Wednesday:
It was bittersweet since it was my last day at the bariatric clinic. I did staff relief again for my preceptors in the morning and charted in the afternoon. Between today and yesterday, I independently counseled post-op, pre-op, medical weight loss, and initial nutrition assessment patients. The hardest appointments, in my opinion, were medical weight loss assessments. Patients come in expecting us to revolutionize their diet and have them change everything, so that they can drop all of their weight fast. Sustainable weight loss, however, is a slow process that sometimes requires baby steps to get to. If we put too much on patients too quickly, they often aren’t successful. It’s just difficult to get them to understand that. For my night class this week, we had our first quiz. This was pretty stressful since it’s hard to know what to expect for the first quiz/test, but I think it went okay.
Thursday:
I began a new rotation at a food pantry! My first day was pretty low-key: they gave me a tour of the pantry, information on the services they provide, and gave me a few miscellaneous tasks to do. I’ll be working with other interns at the food pantry: one is a distance intern and the other is from Benedictine University. We were tasked with labeling the spices for the pantry’s Cooking Matters classes, and preparing for the first two classes we’ll be teaching in a couple of weeks. Things at the food pantry have been a lot more relaxed than at the bariatric clinic so far.
Friday:
My second day at the food pantry was pretty relaxed as well. I analyzed some of the data they’ve been collecting at their food distribution sessions when the clients come in to pick up groceries. They often have nurses who volunteer to take blood pressures during distribution, and they’ve been collecting data on how many clients have blood pressure that is normal, prehypertensive, hypertensive stage I or hypertensive stage II. My job was to analyze this data to figure out what percentage of clients fit into which category. The pantry would then use this information to target appropriate nutrition lessons. I also analyzed the results of surveys they collected during food demonstrations (also during their food distribution sessions). Additionally, I reformatted the surveys that they distribute during food demonstrations to make them easier to read. Then, I did some shopping for grocery items they’ll need for the Cooking Matters classes coming up. I finished things early, so I was able to go home early (yipee!).
Weekend:
On Saturday, I had another research training in the morning. After that, I stayed on campus to input my SNAP Challenge menus into a nutrient analysis program, NutritionistPro. I also had to plug my menus for the lunch and learn sessions at the high school into NutritionistPro. I wrote two menus for the lunch and learn sessions. This was tough because we have a limited budget to work with and are trying to introduce the kids to as many different foods as we can. I went with a southwest barley salad and a chicken caesar wrap recipe–check back in a couple of weeks to hear how they went over with the kids, and get a copy for yourself. The rest of my weekend was spent getting prepared for next week and completing my SNAP Challenge assignment.
That wraps up my week! Next week I’ll be at a high school wellness committee meeting, and spend more time at the food pantry. I’ll also give you a brief overview of how my SNAP Challenge week went and what I ate. Until then!