Domain 3: Clinical & Customer Services: Development and delivery of information, products and services to individuals, groups and populations.
KRDN 3.1 Use the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) to make decisions, to identify nutrition-related problems, and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions.
The Nutrition Care Process (NCP) is the foundation for much of our coursework at Bastyr, as it is used daily in our courses such as Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 2, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and during our Clinic Nutrition Practicum rotations to analyze patient needs and provide appropriate evidence-based interventions. It provides the format for charting and a clear structure for the flow of nutrition appointments. Having a strong knowledge of this process has also helped me in less formal settings, such as acting as a student practitioner for the Seattle King County Clinic in the past two years. Though formal documentation is not required with these patients, knowing the process guided the short appointments with members of the public in an evidence-based manner to provide the best possible care. The NCP is well ingrained through assignments such as the case studies from Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1, an example of which is provided below.
Iron Deficiency Case Study - Chart Note
KRDN 3.2 Develop an educational session or program/educational strategy for a target population.
Through my coursework in Counseling Skills for RDNs and Clinic Nutrition Practicum rotations, I was able to gain skills in developing educational sessions or interventions in order to address both individuals and groups. Utilizing current technology to present information in a manner best suited to the target population has been invaluable in this process, as there are a plethora of powerful tools available to dietitians today to help guide understanding and encourage desired behaviors. These skills were paramount in helping me create the weekly nutrition curriculum while at Forest Ridge High School as well, ensuring the information presented was well-retained among the students. In addition to groups, this strategy can be applied to individuals in using counseling techniques to assist clients in setting goals, as seen below in a Reflection Paper written after a Counseling Session in Counseling Skills for RDNs, in which I develop the setting to be most conducive to support and facilitate change for my client.
Counseling Session #3 Reflection Paper
KRDN 3.3 Demonstrate counseling techniques to facilitate behavior change and enhance wellness for diverse individuals and groups.
In Counseling Skills for RDNs, Clinic Nutrition Practicum rotations, and Nutrition Assessment and Therapy 1 & 2, I was provided the opportunity to learn about motivational interviewing and how it can be effective in facilitating and supporting behavioral change. Assignments and in-class exercises allowed me to practice and reflect on these skills as a counselor, as I was able to identify my strengths and areas for growth. These skills were instrumental in working with patients as a student clinician at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, guiding patients through barriers to change and helping them to achieve their desired goals. Through our coursework for Counseling Skills for RDNs, we studied many different counseling techniques so that we may provide the best, well-rounded care possible. I had the ability to research one of these techniques, Social Learning Theory, and outline in for my classmates as presented below.
Social Learning Theory Presentation
KRDN 3.4 Explain the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services.
Working as both a Kitchen Aide at Forest Ridge High School and as a Dietary Aide at Mission Healthcare gave me an inside look into the processes involved in delivering quality food and nutrition services. These positions built upon the principles learned through assignments in Whole Foods Production, Therapeutic Cooking, Food Safety and the Principles of Quantity Food Production, Food Service Management Skills, and our Food Service Capstone. In these courses we discussed the steps to creating a business plan, including being mindful of your target demographic, the flow of food, HACCP, and other concepts related to the control of quality service. We were given the assignment of making cycle menus from local, seasonal whole foods, as example of which is found below, which is an applicable skill whether working in a hospital, long-term care facility, school, or any other environment where food is provided. This cycle menu is an example of semi-selective menu created as the first step in developing a business plan focused on quality food service.
KRDN 3.5 Describe basic concepts of nutritional genomics.
In my Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and Bioactive Compounds, Nutrigenomics, and the Microbiome courses, the core principle is that nutrition affects health. Nutritional genomics takes this idea a step further in researching the ability for nutrition to influence human physiology through changes in the genome and now a person’s genes can determine the body’s response to both diet and nutrition. Assignments and examinations in these Advanced Nutrition courses illustrated these concepts in such a way that used evidence-based research to help fuel better understanding. We were also encouraged to use peer-reviewed literature to increase my own understanding of these emerging fields of research, as seen below in my Investigation Report on Nutrigenomic Testing.