Domain 2: Professional Practice Expectations: Beliefs, values, attitudes and behavior for the professional dietitian nutritionist level of practice.
KRDN 2.1 Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication and documentation.
Effective written and oral communication has been a constant theme throughout my academic career. Many classes have provided the opportunity to build both on these professional communication skills, as individual and group projects have enabled me to demonstrate my ability to effectively present information. Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1 & 2, Nutrition Clinic Entry, and Introduction to Dietetics provided the foundation on which my skills could grow. These were utilized most importantly during my time as a student clinician at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health during my Clinic Nutrition Practicum rotations. The ability to communicate and connect with patients in a team-care environment was invaluable in building rapport with patients, and being able to present the information in a clear and concise manner were essential for clarity in documentation within the clinic. Below is an example Chart Note from a Pediatric Case Study completed in Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 2, which allowed these skills to be further developed.
Pediatrics Case Study - Chart Note
KRDN 2.2 Describe the governance of dietetics practice, such as the Scope of Nutrition and Dietetics Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics; and describe inter-professional relationships in various practice settings.
Having set rules of practice, such as a code of ethics, allows a sense of trust to be built around that profession by the public. It informs patients that the dietitian is practicing in the patient’s best interest, and lets the patient have confidence that any concerns regarding ethical conduct will be addressed in the proper manner. The same holds true for scope of practice, protecting patients to allowing practitioners to set boundaries in their practice. My coursework in Nutrition Clinic Entry, Introduction to Dietetics, and during my Clinic Nutrition Practicum shifts not only introduced these principles, but also provided me the settings to employ them through patient interactions and case studies. Included is my Final Evaluation sheet from Clinic Nutrition Practicum 2, speaking to my abilities as a practitioner and my adherence to the governance of dietetics practice.
Clinic Practicum 2 - Final Evaluation
KRDN 2.3 Assess the impact of a public policy position on dietetics practice.
Public Policy has a profound affect on dietetics practice, placing regulations on healthcare and providing the framework to what we are able to accomplish as healthcare professionals. Changes in health care policy can have both positive and negative effects on dietetics practice, either by creating a need within the community or helping solve an existing one. Public health policy is in place to assure conditions where people can be healthy, through the viewpoint of many different determinants of health, including environmental, social, and psychosocial. Although there may be barriers to becoming involved in legislative or public policy processes, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers resources to help become more involved. In our Contemporary Nutrition: Community and Culture and Public Health courses, skills that will help me effectively communicate with public officials were learned, as shown below in a Needs Assessment Report completed on the YMCA Act! Program.
Community Nutrition Needs Assessment - Act! Program
KRDN 2.4 Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services.
Accessible and affordable healthcare should be a right to all persons. Unfortunately, law-makers have the ability to limit this right, restricting or repealing funds some of which could have drastic impacts on dietetic practice and public health. For example, the Prevention and Public Health Fund, established specifically to improve public health with $4 million dollars allocated to early child care collaboratives to improve physical activity and nutrition in these current environments. Proper nutrition during childhood is fundamental for numerous aspects of physical and mental health, without which the cycle of many nutrition related diseases in adulthood are perpetuated. If this fund were repealed, the consequences in our nation's health could be drastic. My coursework in Contemporary Nutrition, including both Community and Culture and Public Health, in addition to Nutrition Clinic Entry and both Clinic Nutrition Practicum rotations allowed me to gain experience in this area and truly understand the impacts policies can have on this profession. In Public Health we were able to create Grant Proposals concerning particular communities in our area who could benefit from an increase in nutrition-related support so we may better understand this need, as included below.
Public Health Grant Proposal - Act! Program
KRDN 2.5 Identify and describe the work of inter-professional teams and the roles of others with whom the registered dietitian nutritionist collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services.
In most professional settings, the dietitian is one part of a system working together towards and common goal. For example, in food service, the dietitian will design the meal to meet the nutritional needs of the population being served, the culinary team will prepare the food, and the front of house crew will distribute the meal. If the population to be served were persons with diabetes, for example, it is imperative that the dietitian list the specific carbohydrate counts and exchanges, the chefs must prepare each meal to these specifications, and the front of house but ensure the meals are handed out correctly. All of these steps are vital for proper food service of this population, however food purchasing and distributors must also be taken into consideration, as different brands often very in nutritional profiles in similar products. This is one example of the many interlinking parts to food and nutrition services and how collaboration at all levels is key for success. During my coursework in Food Service Management Skills and our Food Service Capstone, these many parts were introduced. Included below is my Final Project from Food Service Management Skills, investigating the National School Lunch Program and its interconnecting parts as examined from the role of a dietitian.
National School Lunch Program Report
KRDN 2.6 Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence/sensitivity.
Bastyr provides a community built on cultural acceptance and sensitivity. This is an underlying theme in all courses, being especially present in assignments from Nutrition in the Life Cycle, Counseling Skills for RDNs, Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1 & 2, Clinic Nutrition Practicum 1 & 2, and Contemporary Nutrition: Community and Culture. Differences in culture lead to variances in behavior, psychology, sociology, and overall human diversity. Having a strong understanding of the impact of culture and the ability to portray sensitivity to the differences of others is crucial to building rapport with patients and having compassion for all persons. During Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1, a particular case study surrounding a Japanese American male provided me the opportunity to gain proficiency in providing culturally sensitive care, as seen below.
RDN 2.7 Demonstrate identification with the nutrition and dietetics profession through activities such as participation in professional organizations and defending a position on issues impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession.
Acting as Social Coordinator for the Student Nutrition Association, as well as being a member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Greater Seattle Dietetics Association among other professional organizations, has allowed me to stay up to date on public policy regarding nutrition, community education events, nutrition trends, current literature, and much more regarding the dietetic profession. Contemporary Nutrition: Global and Ecological Nutrition, Contemporary Nutrition: Public Health, and Advanced Nutrition: Micronutrients all utilized peer-reviewed literature and public policy as foundations for assignments in which we had to defend a position on nutrition, develop public policy, or analyze literature. These skills were demonstrated in building a debate in Micronutrients surrounding folic acid fortification. A handout summarizing the main points from the debate as well as general information surrounding the topic can be found below.
KRDN 2.8 Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and expectations of a professional in mentoring and precepting others.
In addition to mentoring students during my time as part of the Residential Faculty at Forest Ridge High School, being a part of the SNA Mentoring Program provided me the opportunity to share my experiences with others and provide support during more stressful times. I believe that mentoring and/or precepting to interns is invaluable in this flourishing profession, and plan on making myself available as a preceptor to interns to continue the growth of the profession and instill confidence in my future colleagues through hands-on experience and validation of their learned knowledge and skills.