By: Amanda Sauceda
Now that I am in my third week of my nutrition therapy rotation everything is coming together nicely. I think I got the layout of the hospital down now and am finding my way around pretty good. But there is still one thing that I can never seem to find when I want and that is patients’ charts!!
When I think back to the challenges that I heard the interns before me talk about no one ever mentioned the difficulties one has with trying to find a patient’s chart. Whenever I go to pull a patient’s chart and I look through the rounder where all the charts are located its little cubbyhole is always empty. It never fails that the first chart I look for is never there. I usually go down my list and pull the first one that I am able to find but sometimes it’s so hard just to find one that is there. Usually if the chart isn’t in the rounder it might be with one of the nurses or a doctor or a pharmacist or a speech therapist… the list can go on and on. If that is the case then you just got to search on to try and find another that is not in use. Although sometimes you might find yourself flipping through a chart only to have someone peer over your shoulder and then you hear them say “Oh you have so and so chart the doctor needs it.” Then your stuck with having to give up your hard earned prize so the doctor can have it. This is why when I get the chart I try to write down all the important information like labs and medications on my diet list. Now if someone comes for my chart I can give it up without having to wait and write up my assessment since I have all the relevant information.
So playing the game of musical charts is one thing that people won’t always tell is a challenge of being an intern and this problem doesn’t end once you’re an RD either. But as I get more comfortable with assessing patients and find a rhythm not finding a chart or getting one taken from me shouldn’t throw me off too much.
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