15 Dec 2022
Are you considering a career in Primary Care as a First Contact Dietitian? The BDA is here to support you to move into this exciting, emerging area of practice. In this article, we hear what a day might look like as a First Contact Dietitian*
08.15am – I log in to the clinical system to see who is booked into my clinic. My clinics are set up to run face to face, all are 30-minute appointments with 50% booked on the day and 50% booked in advance.
08.28am – My screen changes to alert me that my first patient has arrived, having been booked in from reception triage just this morning. I press the key to call them into the clinic room and have the four minutes I know it takes them to walk down the corridor to read their notes to get an idea of why they are booked in to see me.
08.32am – Jessica is 24 years old and has abdominal cramps and bloating. I take a full history of her symptoms and explore Jessica’s Ideas, Concerns and Expectations1. Jessica worries about the bloating as on days when it is bad, she has had people ask if she is pregnant. Jessica and I agree that we will conduct some initial blood tests and when we have these results, we can agree next steps. I order the agreed blood tests on the clinical system and book a follow up appointment for 10 days’ time. Jessica thanks me for my time and lets me know that she feels reassured.