The World of Outpatient Pediatrics

This rotation marks the last of my clinical rotations, with two-weeks of pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center. I am currently in my outpatient section and it is truly a different world compared to the average in-patient setting that I am used to.

One of the main differences I am encountering is that compared to my previous clinical rotation the only challenge in meeting with patients was trying to find the chart or if the patient was out of the room for a test. However, in the world of outpatient nutrition, it under the discretion of the client if they are going to attend the nutrition assessment or follow-up meeting and in the many cases I have seen this week…they do not attend. This can be frustrating but is a reality for outpatient dietitians, where the day is spent waiting on the arrival of clients.

Some of the other differences I am noticing are:

• You can reach people in a more casual and less acute and stressed moment
• Ability to create more long-term goals
• Build a stronger bond between yourself and the client and increase trust
• Give continual guidance and education on topics
• Counseling strategies take a much higher role

Overall, I am enjoying the rotation and learning a lot. Pediatric dietitians have a very crucial role in the health and improvement of many conditions that affect children while in the hospital and after they head home.