Neurology week!
Neurology week I saw a lot of patients who had recently had strokes. I mostly saw patients for dysphagia diet educations or heart healthy educations. I also had a few patients who were NPO for an extended period of time (not allow to eat).
During this week I had some follow up patients that the RD's had previously seen. I also saw a lot of patients with new PEG tubes (which meant doing tube feeding nutrition recommendations).
The week was extremely busy for me. After I finished the neurology floor patients, I then helped the RD's see their patients if it was someone who they thought I could handle or a floor I had already been on.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Cancer Rotation
The next week I was on the cancer floor and at the cancer center.
I spent one day with the dietitian who covers the inpatient cancer floor. I shadowed her for a few patients and charted on them. I had one tube feeding and one TPN patient. I had to calculate and figure out the patients needs. It was my first time writing these types of notes by myself and I wanted to impress the RD so I took my time and double checked all my calculations.
One patient we saw, had a tube feeding. This patient had a tracheal tube. It was the first time I had actually seen one, and it was interesting. The patient could only talk if they closed their trach. It sounds like a lot of wind moving around when they breathed.
I spent two days at the cancer center shadowing the RD's there. The first day there I shadowed the RD who saw the chemotherapy patients. I learned a lot from these patients such as what they go through and what eating changes occur. I learned that breast cancer is the only cancer you actually gain weight and cannot eat a lot of sweets. I realized that many chemotherapy drugs have nutrition related side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and/or taste changes. I also learned that 'chemotherapy' is not the same for every patient. I guess I just always thought that chemo was the same iv fluid for every patient.
I will say, that I heard a lot about feces. I never realized that as a future dietitian I would hear and talk so much about feces. It is not something I really learned about in college. Feces can tell a lot about what type of nutrition status a patient is in.
Most of the Chemotherapy patients I saw with the dietitian were new chemo patients or ones that had no appetite or had lost weight during their treatment. Every patient was unique. Every patient we saw received a food safety booklet as the holidays were approaching and food safety is VERY important in those persons with weakened immune systems and weakened bodies.
The next day at the cancer center, I shadowed the dietitian who works with the radiation patients. We didn't get to see very many patients, only those ones with nutrition concern - mostly head, throat, neck cancer patients. These patients are more likely to have taste changes, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. I was able to talk to a couple patients on my own. It's a whole different experience with cancer patients. Its not necessarily ensuring that they are eating well, but that they are eating food and keeping the food down during their treatment time.
I'm not sure this is something I want to work with specifically, but it the opportunity arises, I probably wouldn't turn it down.
I spent one day with the dietitian who covers the inpatient cancer floor. I shadowed her for a few patients and charted on them. I had one tube feeding and one TPN patient. I had to calculate and figure out the patients needs. It was my first time writing these types of notes by myself and I wanted to impress the RD so I took my time and double checked all my calculations.
One patient we saw, had a tube feeding. This patient had a tracheal tube. It was the first time I had actually seen one, and it was interesting. The patient could only talk if they closed their trach. It sounds like a lot of wind moving around when they breathed.
I spent two days at the cancer center shadowing the RD's there. The first day there I shadowed the RD who saw the chemotherapy patients. I learned a lot from these patients such as what they go through and what eating changes occur. I learned that breast cancer is the only cancer you actually gain weight and cannot eat a lot of sweets. I realized that many chemotherapy drugs have nutrition related side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and/or taste changes. I also learned that 'chemotherapy' is not the same for every patient. I guess I just always thought that chemo was the same iv fluid for every patient.
I will say, that I heard a lot about feces. I never realized that as a future dietitian I would hear and talk so much about feces. It is not something I really learned about in college. Feces can tell a lot about what type of nutrition status a patient is in.
Most of the Chemotherapy patients I saw with the dietitian were new chemo patients or ones that had no appetite or had lost weight during their treatment. Every patient was unique. Every patient we saw received a food safety booklet as the holidays were approaching and food safety is VERY important in those persons with weakened immune systems and weakened bodies.
The next day at the cancer center, I shadowed the dietitian who works with the radiation patients. We didn't get to see very many patients, only those ones with nutrition concern - mostly head, throat, neck cancer patients. These patients are more likely to have taste changes, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. I was able to talk to a couple patients on my own. It's a whole different experience with cancer patients. Its not necessarily ensuring that they are eating well, but that they are eating food and keeping the food down during their treatment time.
I'm not sure this is something I want to work with specifically, but it the opportunity arises, I probably wouldn't turn it down.
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