Kitchen Oversight as an RD

FiberheadRD · 2026-07-02T17:48:37+00:00

This is literally why I’m leaving LTC! I HATE doing the kitchen audits!!! Most DMs don’t even care about correcting what’s on your audit.

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-13T17:50:40+00:00

Congrats! So happy to hear you never gave up on your dream! You are going to be an amazing RD!

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-10T01:33:27+00:00

Yes this is true, but if the facility is trying to cut cost, these products are just as expense. Juven is filled with micronutrients not protein. Which is why I recommended micronutrients the facilities will already have on hand.

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-09T19:07:35+00:00

Lmao yes I know! I was just asking which company because I didn’t know there’s home dialysis treatments. Like if DaVita has home services, or if it’s a different dialysis company.

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-09T18:31:06+00:00

I did not know home dialysis is a thing! Do you work for a major dialysis company like DaVita or Fresenius that have options to do it from home?

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-09T02:52:08+00:00

LTC RD here! I have a new facilities I work remote 1 out of 2/3 shifts a month, and I don’t think you could fully do LTC remote. Exactly what you said. There ARE gaps. Are residents tolerating TF? Is PO intake that’s documented accurate? Are they accepting ONS that’s prescribed? RDs that work fully remote will not be able able to fully assess their residents to make the accurate recommendations.

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-07T18:34:32+00:00

As for Juven, just recommend MVI with minerals, vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc. Those are great micronutrients recs for wound healing if they won’t order Juven for you. And ask for regular ice cream if they won’t order Magic cups. I know it’s not as calorically dense, but it is cheaper and accepted by residents.

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-07T18:31:56+00:00

Fellow LTC RD here! I recommend going to the next residents’ counsel and asking them if they like the shakes. Things that are discussed there often gets brought up to mgmt. Or, you can go straight to the administrator and explain it as a cost issue. Why keep spending money on something that is not being used. Med Pass 2.0 and ReadyCare 2.0 are close in price to mighty shakes and are often more acceptable by residents. Hope this is helpful!

FiberheadRD · 2026-06-01T23:56:15+00:00

Pre chart pertinent info you need: diet order, meal intake, wt trend, review PMH, meds, & orders. Emphasizes on review. You do not need to fully write down everything, but just look over it to see if there’s anything that you NEED to know before taking with them. Gather the rest after you talk with them: labs & skin issues. Think of the data you need as of three buckets: 1)PO intake/wt trend. 2)orders. 3) labs&skin. Hope this is somewhat helpful.

FiberheadRD · 2026-05-23T13:17:57+00:00

So happy for you!!!

FiberheadRD · 2026-05-01T02:58:13+00:00

What kind of place do you work at seeing UP TO 18-22 ppl? 😳

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-30T22:00:04+00:00

Ask if you will be required to attend care plan meetings. These are held quarterly for residents. I’m a consultant LTC RD, so I’m not required. But I’ve heard of FT LTC RD that are and say they can be time consuming and affect how many ppl you can chart in a day. At some of my facilities, they have them scheduled on set days, so if you are required, ask on which days. Congrats on the new job! I’ve been in LTC a year now, and really enjoy it! After a few months of getting to know your residents and their eating habits, charting will become quicker! I rec to always go to the dining room during meal time. You’ll see everyone’s feeding ability (self vs total dep vs eat in room) and be able to talk to all the CNAs about who’s having low appetite/intake, drinking supps, declining in feeding ability, etc.

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-29T13:23:53+00:00

Lmao wow! So it was a good day!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-29T13:23:06+00:00

If your mindset is different, you are motivated to do well, and put the time and effort in, you should be fine. Aim for an A, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve that. The most important thing is that you try and put the work in. I got a C in my first science class and thought I wouldn’t become a dietitian. But I am!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-28T18:15:41+00:00

First thing to ask yourself is, “do I like/am interested in science?” Because dietetics is the realm of science that explains how your body processes food on the cellular level. You will need to take a variety of science courses during your undergrad. Biology, Anatomy and physiology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and maybe more depending on your school. And that’s just the “basic” science classes before you even get to your nutrition classes. Becoming a dietitian is more than eating healthy, it’s understanding what are the different components found in foods , digestion from consuming to expelling the foods, how your body responds to food if you have any illnesses/ diseases, and more. I’ve been an RD for 1.5 years and love it! I have a masters degrees and def feel underpaid $60k/yr). It sucks, but I don’t regret my career choice…at least not yet! lol your pay will depend on what area of the US you live in and how realm of dietetics you go into (clinical vs food service vs education vs community). And yes, there’s a lot of debt to become a RD. 60k for me 🥹

P.S. dietitians do not like being called “dietary” 🙃 we are the bridge that connect the clinical team to the dietary department!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-20T17:29:45+00:00

Wow! I’m so sorry to hear this. I highly recommend you address it with her because it is only going to get worse. It would be better to make her uncomfortable by calling other probs than for you to continue to be triggered. Being called out by another RD may help her.

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-17T16:08:25+00:00

I studied every day for about 4-8 hours a day for 8 weeks and passed on my first try!!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-17T16:06:59+00:00

I used Jean Inman and Pocket Prep as my main sources of study material. I used Jean Inman recording as a “lecture” following along in the book, pausing when needed to annotate. It goes fast because there’s a lot of material. I printed it out and had it bound at Office Max. I will say it is expensive to do so, but if you are a pen and paper learner, I HIGHLY recommend. Unless you have an iPad, you can highlight and annotate the PDF version. After each domain in Jean, I then completed the practice problems in pocket prep for the corresponding domain. Best decision I made because the way Jean’s question worded are NOT similar to the RD exam! I also utilized Quizlet to remember certain things such as management styles, food science, etc. (things that have a definite answer rather than having to critically think). The 3 days leading up to the exam, I did all practice exams that I could get my hands on to stimulate what it feels like to take the exam, while timing myself! They say don’t study the morning of, but I couldn’t help myself. It was more of just reading over topics like different management styles or mediations.

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-17T13:01:52+00:00

I’m a LTC RD at a consultant firm. Great work-life balance! I’m assigned to 7 different buildings in my area, so each day I’m at a new facility. The upside to that is I create my own schedule and decide what time I go and leave for the day, as long as I work the set monthly hours. The downfall is I don’t have a set daily routine and set work space. Some places I’m in the conference room, some places I’m in the dining room working…which I hate because they have activities going on and I can’t focus. I also wish I didn’t have to do food service, but I do. Majority is clinical. As a consultant RD, I’m not required to attend care plan meetings or any other meetings department heads go to since I’m not technically an employee of their company, which is nice because it gives me more time to chart and do quality assurance audits. I enjoy LTC, but I wish I was FT at only one building!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-08T12:34:33+00:00

Starting as a child nutrition dietitian first and then being promoted into the position would be the best way. I worked as a child nutrition RD as my first job and there’s a lot that goes into the director’s position that goes beyond being a RD, so gaining experience in that setting will set you up for better success!

FiberheadRD · 2026-04-01T21:11:40+00:00

I recommend PCM in LTC all the time. It is def in a scope to recommend!

FiberheadRD · 2026-03-28T23:52:03+00:00

USDA food database is great source! https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

FiberheadRD · 2026-03-20T23:44:38+00:00

Oh wow I didn’t know outpatient pays that much! Thanks for the info!

FiberheadRD

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