A Day In The Life Of A Hospital Dietician

By Mark Swartz
Monster Senior Contributing Writer

"Eat your vegetables and don't play with your food." Familiar words from frustrated parents to kids at mealtime. Words that may have sunk in early for recently minted dietician Janna Boloten. She works in Montreal's healthcare scene: at Jewish General Hospital during days, and at a private clinic an evening or two per week.

A dietician helps clients maintain health by developing and implementing nourishing meals; teaching patients food-management techniques; and conducting nutritional research. Dieticians must complete a university degree and be registered with their provincial regulatory body. In most provinces there are not regulatory standards for “nutritionists.” For more information on the difference between dieticians and nutritionists visit the Dieticians of Canada website.

Here are all the dietician and nutritionist jobs currently posted on Monster.ca .

We interviewed Janna to find out what a typical day is like for her in her first few months as a full-time dietician.

Monster.ca: Tell us about your current work situation, Janna. You started your job just a few months ago.

Janna Boloten: Like others in my field who also started working recently, I'm not on permanent staff yet. I work at the hospital as the hours becomes available. Usually they let me know my times at least a month in advance. Fortunately the demand has been quite steady so far. I even have my summer schedule already provided to me

Monster.ca: How do you typically begin your day once you've reached the hospital?

Janna Boloten: The first part of my day is sorting and planning. For starters I check my list of patients that I'm currently following. What I look for mainly is changes in health or diet. Are there weight fluctuations? Are they getting better or is their condition deteriorating?

I plan things so I can visit those who seem most in need first. Before I meet with each patient, it's part of my routine to try and talk with other healthcare workers my patient is being seen by at the hospital. This could be an attending nurse, a physiotherapist, doctor...those who can offer some additional perspective.

Monster.ca: And then you make your visits.

Janna Boloten: In general I try to see about eight to 10 patients a day. Usually I actually get to visit about six or seven. Just after I greet a patient in their room, I check their chart to see up to date reports. If there are any new test results or changes in condition noted, I'll take these into account.

Then I check each patient's food management program for that day. I ask how their meal was. They tell me if it needs more or less of something, how it's reacting with their system.

Monster.ca: What do you see as the best part of your job?

Janna Boloten: Seeing the positive outcomes of our nutrition therapy (care plan) is most satisfying. You get a chance to be part of when it improves a person's quality of life. They may look healthier, have a shorter hospital stay, develop better control over blood sugars. It's very rewarding.

Also before the patient is discharged, I try to do a teaching session with them. It's wonderful to see them dressed and looking healthier. They're asking you questions, they're motivated to eat well...it feels like I've made a difference.

Monster.ca: Who do you report to at the hospital?

Janna Boloten: My boss is head of our Clinical Nutrition department. I don't necessarily see her every day though I wear a pager. We do submit daily minutes where we log our activity. I send these to her on Fridays. We also have department meetings once a month. It ensures we get the latest news, discuss issues, see special presentations on research, and deal with housekeeping issues.

Once a week we do patient rounds. That's where we sit with nurses and the assorted healthcare therapists to discuss patient issues and share advice.

Monster.ca: Are there any parts of your job that you find more stressful than others?

Janna Boloten: Being an "availability dietician" takes getting used to. I had 40 weeks of internship training before I started. They had me train for every part of the hospital so it's a challenge. I may be on the surgery floor one week, the oncology clinic after that. Protocols can change from one department or the next and it takes a bit to get oriented.

Monster.ca: Since you're so new to your role, what do you do when you need a question answered?

Janna Boloten: I'll usually call a colleague, or do some extra research. Because I'm new I may not know everything at once. And because I'm always filling in for another dietician right now, I want to represent them and do the best job possible. It takes a while when you're first starting out.

Monster.ca: Thank you for your insights, Janna. Do you have any parting advice for people who are considering getting into healthcare as a dietician?

Janna Boloten: Well, the main purpose of this field is helping people through proper eating. You have to enjoy assisting patients, you have to love food, and see it as a source of pleasure. To me it's a mix of social bonding, art, science, better health and longevity.