Ruby-Rose Carnes

Project Topic:

Nutrition care and weight stigma awareness of clinicians working with people living with type 2 diabetes in Tweed-Byron Community Health.

Aim:

This project aimed to investigate nutrition and weight stigma knowledge, beliefs, practices, weight stigma prevalence, weight inclusive practice knowledge, and training needs of Northern New South Wales local health district clinicians, working with people living with type 2 diabetes.

Outcomes:

Further enhancing my knowledge and skills in weight neutral and weight inclusive practice has been of exceptional value. This has lead to widening my skillset in practicing in a weight inclusive manner as a dietitian. Further becoming aware of what weight stigma looks like in the workplace and measures to put in place to avoid it have been valuable skills acquired.

Project Topic:

1. Review of production and line waste at Mater Hospital South Brisbane

2. Analysis of Patient Satisfaction at Mater sites state-wide

Aim:

Addressing the efficiency and accuracy of the current line waste and bulk production processes, though comprehensive stakeholder engagement and benchmarking against other sites for waste processes, and performing audits of existing processes.

Assess 2023 patient satisfaction at Mater Hospital South Brisbane, and compare to other QLD sites.

Outcomes:

Successful audit of both line and bulk waste at Mater South Brisbane. This provided skills working within a multidisciplinary kitchen team to achieve overall outcome. Communication, teamwork and strong knowledge of kitchen processes were developed.

Conducting patient satisfaction successfully provided insights of food service processes and client dietary needs in hospital, to further utilise this knowledge in future dietetic work.

Departments:

• Acute Elderly Care Ward
• General Medical Ward

Professional Experience:

Building on my dietetic skill set and motivational interviewing skills within the inpatient setting. Navigating seeing patients living with dementia and complex cognitive needs, while still providing best possible dietetic care. Applying open communication, consult skills and treatment plans in the general medical ward over multiple different conditions.

Unique Learning Experience: This internship provided me with the essential skills and knowledge of how to provide safe and respectful care to those living with varying levels of dementia and cognitive impairment. This was practiced through open communication with the clients family and peers, multidisciplinary team connection and taking into consideration client preferences such as taste or food.

Departments:

• Surgical and Orthopaedics Inpatient Ward
• Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic
• Weight Loss Outpatient Clinic
• Mater at Home Services

Professional Experience:

Building on my skill set within both an inpatient and outpatient setting, learning the ability to alter consults and treatment plans based on the setting and client.

Working with a range of people living with a disability through Mater at home provided me with a wide range of communication skills and the ability to practice client centred care with personalised treatment plans.

Unique Learning Experience:

Learning how to navigate non-English speaking clients through utilisation of a translator, to still be able to provide safe, accurate and client centred care professionally.

Department: Endeavour Student Wellnation Clinic

Professional Experience: Working under professional and peer supervision to see clients onsite as a nutritionist in a student clinic. Included obtaining dietary and lifestyle information, providing nutrition advise, meal plans and supplement recommendations. This gave strong communication and empathy skills, exceptional nutrition, food and diet knowledge, a wide range of professional skills and ability to take on and implement feedback.

Unique Learning Experience: Working frequently in a nutritional dispensary making up nutritional compounds and nutraceuticals prescriptions. This gave a strong foundational knowledge of the use of supplements, safety and guidelines in nutrition.