A Unique Rotation

My county hospital rotation is SO different from my previous clinical experience, but I am enjoying it! There is something different and unique every time I go. Now that I have been there a few weeks I have figured out a few tricks to get to where I need to and I can trust myself to on my own if needed to visit a patient. (As I said before, this hospital is massive and I get turned around very easily.) I have now found a side entrance to and from the office that does not require an elevator. (The elevators have been known to take a long time because they are in so much demand, so this helps me out a lot!)

During one of the weeks I was with the dietitian assigned to the inmate floor and she had a consult with one of the inmates so I was able to tag along. This area is extremely secured; you could very easily miss the entrance because there is not a lot of signage, its basically an acronym and a door with a darkly tinted window. There are two sheriffs looking out the door and when we knocked they allowed us in. We had to sign in and out and the sheriff had to punch in a code each time to open and close the door, you can't just walk in. The inmates are cuffed to the beds by their ankles. I wasn't really scared, the patients we saw were pretty calm (probably due to the medications they were on) and it was a quick trip, but at least I can say I visited.

Some of the stand out patients I've seen over the past couple of weeks include a patient with a gunshot wound to their abdomen and their intestines coming out, a patient with multiple stab wounds to the leg and a patient with necrosis of the penis. (Now that would have been an interesting wound care to observe, we had to observe one in our previous clinical rotation) With patients like this as dietitians we need to ensure the patient is receiving the proper nutrition (espeically protein) for the healing process from these wounds. (In case you were wondering our role)

I also have had the chance to see a lot of patients with kidney disease and provide education, which is what I eventually would like to do so great experience for the future! There has also been a lot of opportunity to provide diabetes education to patients, which I am grateful for because I have not been able to much in the past.

About a week ago all the Dietetic Interns in the DFW area attended a seminar at Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas. We were able to meet interns in other programs in the area including Texas Women's University, Texas Health Presbyterian, Baylor University Medical Center, and UT Southwestern. I enjoyed hearing about the various programs and how they are set up. I also really enjoyed being able to meet in person a blogger that I follow The Odd Duck. She is currently an intern at Baylor University Medical Center, but started out in the corporate field and transitioned to dietetics. I was really excited and felt like a met a celebrity.

I just have a couple more weeks at this site before I have officially completed my internship and can begin studying for the one exam that counts... the RD exam! Can't believe the end is so close.

I am also proud to announce that my brother will be completing his degree here a few weeks!

Congrats Davis! A&M Class of 2013!


~Brittani

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25