Amanda Gerson Career Portfolio

Case Study Presentation

NFSC 670: Clinical Nutrition

Skill Area: Clinical Nutrition

Assignment Title: Case Study Presentation: Traumatic Brain Injury & Metabolic Stress

 What I learned: In this assignment I learned how to correctly use the nutrition care process to complete a nutrition assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring, and evaluation of a pediatric patient with traumatic brain injury after a motor vehicle accident and metabolic stress. Further, I learned to accurately calculate enteral nutrition needs for a pediatric patient, and also calorie, protein, and fluid needs for a child who is critically ill.

 Reflection of the assignment: This assignment was challenging for myself because in the course we do not discuss pediatrics so therefore I had to do a lot of outside research of my own. In the end, I was pleased I was assigned a pediatric case because it allowed me to enhance my knowledge of providing nutrition care to a pediatric undergoing metabolic stress. In addition, I was able to learn more of traumatic brain injuries and the specifics of metabolic stress I was unfamiliar with. There are many components as a dietitian to assess when providing nutrition care in a clinical setting and this was a great practice in doing so. 

Reflection to the profession: As a dietitian in a clinical setting it must be one of the most difficult environments to work in, especially in the ICU setting. It is crucial to evaluate all pieces of a patient’s medical, social, and nutritional history, in addition to present pertinent information such as lab values and injuries. In essence, a case it like a puzzle a dietitian must put together in order to form the correct nutrition diagnosis and intervention.