Learning Lounge: Expanding Your Impact as a Dietitian

Many clinical dietitians focus primarily on bedside care, but their expertise can extend far beyond the patient room. In this session, a surgical ICU and nutrition support dietitian shares how clinical practice can lead to opportunities in teaching, mentorship, leadership, writing, and community engagement. Through real examples including mentoring dietetic interns and students, presenting ICU nutrition education to nurses, coauthoring a textbook chapter with a surgical colleague, participating in hospital initiatives, and providing community nutrition education, attendees will see practical ways to expand their influence. This talk will encourage dietitians to take ownership of their role and use their expertise to contribute to the profession, their institutions, and their communities.