The Nutrition Care Process or NCP is the process dietitians follow when documenting in the medical record. There are 4 steps to the Nutrition Care Process:

• Nutrition Assessment (A)
• Nutrition Diagnosis (D) 
• Nutrition Intervention (I)
• Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation (ME)

These steps guide your documentation. The note format is called ADIME.

In this episode, you'll learn: 

• The difference between the Nutrition Diagnosis and Medical Diagnosis
• The steps of the Nutrition Care Process
• What a PES statement is and what goes into each part of the statement (hint: P = Problem, E = Etiology, S = Signs/Symptoms) 
• How your documentation should flow like a story. The Nutrition Diagnosis is connected to the Nutrition Intervention and the Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation are the goals for the patient - you follow-up on these to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.

And you'll learn a helpful tip on what to do when the Nutrition Diagnosis is hard to figure out. 

Here's a glance at this episode:

[3:50] The assessment is where all the important information about the patient is gathered and evaluated

[5:00] The NFPE is used to identify the presence of malnutrition

[7:52] The difference between the medical and nutrition diagnosis

[12:00] A breakdown of the Nutrition Diagnosis categories

[18:20] An example on how to work through a case with multiple problems and how to choose the most pertinent nutrition diagnosis

[22:00] A review of PES statements - the wording and format

[32:00] What to document when a patient doesn't have a nutrition problem or diagnosis

[33:12] A helpful tip to use when you're having a hard time figuring out the nutrition diagnosis 

Common roles in management are fair game on the RD exam. Dietitians often take on leadership and management roles therefore you have to understand the basics. This episode focuses on some everyday management responsibilities.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What job descriptions are, how they're used in the workplace, and the role they play in the recruitment process
• The different types of work schedules
• The role unions play and the job advancement process within a union
• The importance of performance appraisals
• What an FTE is, how to calculate FTEs, and how FTEs are used when managing budgets

You'll also get some tips on how to increase your chances of your resume making it through the screening process so it lands in front of the hiring manager. 

BONUS: Be sure to download your FREE FTE Cheat Sheet here. Math is a visual thing. This cheat sheet will help you understand the basic calculations for FTEs so you feel more confident going into the exam. 

Here's a glance at this episode:

[04:50] Work schedules for the staff and the different types of employee schedules

[08:50] Union roles in a company/organization and the role of the collective bargaining agreement 

[14:10] Hear a scenario of an employee who made a mistake and how you, as a manager, would work through the issue. Learn the steps you'd take to resolve the issue

[19:20] What's an FTE, how it's used and examples on how to calculate FTEs. Learn the difference between Absolute and Adjusted FTEs.

Case Studies are the best way to put concepts into practice. That's exactly what we're doing in this episode. 

Hyperthyroidism and Chronic Kidney Disease are two conditions that might pop up on the RD exam. Working in dietetics, they're also conditions you might come across more often which is why you should know the impact it has on an individual. Plus, many people have more than one medical condition. Knowing what to focus on as a dietitian, helps you achieve the best outcomes for your patients/clients. 

This is what you'll learn in this episode:

• An overview of hyperthyroid and hypothyroidism including the symptoms and labs values to monitor
• An overview of chronic kidney disease and how GFR is used to classify the stage of kidney disease
• The steps to take when seeing a patient and working through a case study including going through the medical record
• How to approach conversations with patients and why Motivational Interviewing techniques are a must

And, if you're looking for a resource that breaks down parenteral nutrition calculations, I've got you covered. You can find a link to an amazing resource that will help you nail these calculations on the exam here. 

You can also follow me on instagram @jananichollrd. Send me a message with any topics you'd like to see covered on the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast. You're not alone. 

Dietitians have a very important role in so many areas of nutrition. Keeping food safe is key when working in food service and one of the best ways to keep food safe is by following a HACCP plan. 

The RD Exam is an exam that covers the vast areas of nutrition to make sure dietitians have a basic, entry-level knowledge in nutrition. Food safety and HACCP are fair game on the exam. 

In this episode, I interview Nick Padula, an amazing dietitian with 7 years experience in food service management. Nick has been through many fun and challenging times working in hospital food service. He recently decided to pivot and left food service management to start his own business, LBC Nutrition. You can learn more about him and his business at www.lbcnutrition.com and can find him on Instagram @lbc_nutrition.

This is what you'll learn in this lesson:

• An overview of HACCP and what it stands for
• The types of contaminants that can end up in food and make people sick
• How to easily breakdown scoop sizes
• A little history on why food safety is a priority in food service

One of the goals of this podcast is to break concepts down and make studying easier so Nick and I created a free cheat sheet summarizing the topics covered in this podcast. You can get your free cheat sheet here. 

Here's a glance at this episode:

[00:35] Looking an example of why temperatures are so important and an overview of the proper cooling process for food that is cooked ahead of time.

[04:15] Breaking down HACCP, what it stands for and the critical control points where temperature and time must be monitored to make sure food is safe.

[08:40] Summary of minimum cooking times for various foods as well as the holding temperature requirements. 

[10:00] An easy way to determine the number of ounces in each scoop size.

[11:00] The process and guidelines for receiving food to make sure the food entering the department is safe.

[14:00] Reviewing the order food should be stored on shelves in the refrigerator - a sure thing health inspectors and surveyors will look at.

[16:09] Nick shares a story that resulted in the development of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt.

Management theories and leadership styles are fair game on the RD exam. They're also good to know as you start your career as a Registered Dietitian. 

This episode covers the differences between autocratic, democratic and bureaucratic leadership styles as well as Mintzberg's Managerial Theory. 

No matter what you end up doing, whether you work for someone and have a boss or you own a company and are the boss, being mindful of how you conduct yourself and the type of leader you are makes a huge difference to not only the people you work with but also to your customers. 

An amazing RD2Be requested this episode and I couldn't wait to break it down for you because the purpose of this podcast is to help listeners just like you. If you have a question or concept you want covered on the RD Exam Made Easy podcast, send me an email at [email protected] or send me a DM on Instagram @jananichollrd. 

In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, you'll learn all about Nutrition Screening Tools. The role of the dietitian is so incredibly important. Having a screening tool in place helps identify patient's who are at high risk of malnutrition. 

Your work as a dietitian matters.

And to make things a little easier for you, I created a cheat sheet summarizing these tools for you. Get your free cheat sheet here. 

It's Q&A Tuesday where I break down questions to help you prepare for the RD Exam. This episode not only gives you the answer a fellow interns question, I also show you step by step how to break down questions using critical thinking skills that you can use when taking any exam. 

The question today looks at 4 different conditions to determine which one is primarily dependent on diet modification. You can't memorize a question like this - you need to break it down and that's exactly what I show you.

If you have a question you want featured on the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, email me at [email protected] or send me a DM on Instagram @jananichollrd. 

And if you haven't yet downloaded your free copy of How to Create a Study Schedule, be sure to do so here. 

Nutrition support is one of those topics that can be confusing for dietetic interns and new dietitians. 

This episode clarifies the difference between tube feeding (enteral nutrition) and parenteral nutrition by breaking down key aspects of each type of nutrition support. While the abbreviations "TF" and "TPN" both start with the same letter, it doesn't mean they're the same. 

Nutrition support questions are fair game on the RD exam. 

To break this concept down even further and make things easier, I created a free cheat sheet explaining the difference between tube feeding and Parenteral nutrition. Get your free copy here:

The Difference between Tube Feeding and Parenteral Nutrition

Lactation and Human Milk is not only a topic that might show up on the RD Exam but it's also something that dietitians should have a basic understanding of especially if you want to work with moms and pediatrics. Even more than that, as dietitians, being an advocate for breastfeeding gives new moms the support they need while ensuring infants are getting the best nutrition. 

When human milk isn't available, infant formula is the alternative. In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, you'll learn the difference between human milk and standard infant formula. 

By the end of this episode, you'll know the hormones involved in lactation as well as the amazing properties in human milk - the reason why it's often called liquid gold. 

If you want to get serious about setting a study schedule that works for you so you can get organized with an intentional study plan, head on over and grab your free copy here:

How to Create a Study Schedule

Learn why and how to create a study schedule that will keep you on track so you feel ready to pass the RD exam. 

My process for creating a study schedule will help you stay focussed and motivated to keep going. 

After you listen to this episode, you'll have everything you need to get started with your personalized study schedule. And to make things even easier for you, get your free copy on how to create a study schedule here:

How to Create a Study Schedule