Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 4, 2021

Ask the Expert Susan Pruitt, clinical dietitian PRN, Clinical Nutrition Help for healthy eating Susan Pruitt is a clinical dietitian PRN in Nutrition Services at Kootenai Health. To learn more about clinical nutrition, visit KH.org/nutrition-services , call (208) 625-6493 or email nutritionoutpatient@kh.org . Q What is the role of nutrition in health care? Nutrition plays a vital role in keeping us physically and mentally healthy for everything life throws at us. It is the basis for our body’s ability to function; our heart to beat and lungs to breathe. Without nutrition—carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals—we would literally cease to exist! I can’t think of one process in the body where nutrition isn’t a component. Hospitalized patients are at risk for developing nutrition deficits. Studies show this can increase days in the hospital, resulting in delayed wound healing and increased risk of infection and readmission. Nutrition plays a key role in decreasing those risks. Obesity has received a lot of publicity through the years, but we also have to look at malnutrition or undernutrition. Those who are malnourished are more likely to be hospitalized and have prolonged hospital stays. They are at increased risk for serious infections, slower wound healing and higher mortality rates. Your partner inhealth A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is an expert in nutrition. At Kootenai Health, the clinical dietitian assesses a patient’s nutrition status and develops an individualized plan to help meet the patient’s nutrition needs based on severity of illness and disease state in order to minimize nutrition deficits. RDNs require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, although many have master’s degrees. All dietetic students are required to go through an accredited didactic (classroom learning) program and dietetic internship with 1,200 hours of practice prior to taking the registration exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Dietitians must maintain their registration through continuing education requirements. Dietitians work in various settings, including health care, public health, education, research, government, business, commercial industry and private practice. Rising health care concerns and the push for prevention have led dietitians to become core members of health care teams. While genetics and environmental factors play big roles in our health, so does nutrition. It is something we have more control over, something we can tangibly improve. It impacts our immunity, mental and physical health, quality of life and longevity. Today, dietitians are integrated into all facets of health care, from preventive medicine to prenatal and end-of-life care, along with everything in between. In an age of “There’s an app for that,” we can also say “There’s a dietitian for that.” There are so many things we don’t have control over, but small changes in nutrition can make a huge difference over time in our health journey. Resources • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics • American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 22