It’s always a little extra work to drive to a location off-campus for a learning experience; however, I have found that it is always worth it! For Medical Nutrition Therapy II class, I went to the Minnesota Veteran’s Home (VA). I had seen the front building before when visiting Minnehaha Falls, but I never knew what it was until now! Before going, I hypothesized what I thought the role of an RD at the VA was like. As it turns out, I was completely wrong. A strict, clinical day to day role is what I had envisioned. The RD that Teal and I were paired with explained her job to be “the best.” She explained how she is a lenient RD because she sees no point in making drastic diet changes for someone who is in their last years of life.

I learned many more things and was able to see an RD at work in this long-term care facility as a part of an interprofessional team. It was interesting to learn that the two most common questions that family members will ask about their loved ones are, “have he/she lost weight?” and “how are they eating?” I would have assumed a more pressing question would be in regard to activities he/she may be participating in. Also, a big concern for residents is dehydration. If the RD wants to implement nutrition therapy in an effort to positively benefit residents’ weight, hydration, or other problem, it must first be approved by a doctor. This may include giving a supplement or having the resident’s weight taken more frequently. The RD said that the doctors at the VA are accepting of this and are willing to meet and work together.

Experiencing a Care Conference (see photo) was my favorite part of visiting the VA. During the call, I saw the role of the RD be of equal importance as the nurse, occupational therapist, and social worker. This was my first time seeing an interprofessional team at work. In my opinion, all employees acted in a professional manner while delivering a detailed but efficient message during the Care Conference call. The most beneficial part was that they each gave a brief outlook/future plan to close their message.

There were many skills I took note of when shadowing and learning from the RD at the VA. For starters, she was organized but didn’t overanalyze to be efficient with her time. She estimated that her assessments take about thirty minutes. She displayed an inviting personality and was very personable. The characteristic I saw most beneficial for an RD in this position was to be relational. She got to know the resident’s family members by name, remembered the good and bad things they were going through last time she spoke with them, and she used her relational skills to benefit the residents. She invested her time into building these relationships and it’s what brings her joy every day she comes into work.