Terina Du Plessis

• Gained transferable skills in nutrition assessment, nutritional diagnosis, intervention, care plan development, monitoring, evaluation and patient education for individuals with complex medical concerns, a range of comorbidities and/or specialized nutrition care needs in in- and outpatients.
• Used a client-centered approach to guide and counsel patients and clients on lifestyle modifications needed to achieve optimal health goals and dietary management strategies.
• Communicated effectively with physicians, speech-language pathologists, nursing staff and other health professionals in the team regarding nutrition orders and interventions needed for patients.
• Determined and educated patients on vitamin- and mineral supplementation.
• Performed full nutritional assessments.
• Calculated nutritional requirements to assess adequacy of diet and nutrition support.
• Evaluated patient's nutritional status through laboratory test results interpretation.
• Documented patient progress notes on electronic medical records (ConnectCare).
• Provided group education (virtually) for patients at the Adult Bariatric Specialty clinic.
• Attended daily interdisciplinary meetings to discuss patient care plans.
• Screened census daily to prioritize inpatients according to nutritional risk.
• Communicated with registered dietitians regarding transfer of patient's care to other wards or facilities.
• Guided individuals in food selection, preparation or menu planning based upon nutritional needs while in hospital.
• Educated patients on enteral nutrition in the home nutrition support program on appropriate tube feeding regime, managing nutritional complications and tube site care.
• Calculated and adjusted enteral nutrition tube feed type and rate for inpatients.
• Calculated parenteral feeding regimen requirements.
• Selected appropriate textural and therapeutic diet modifications.

• Graded undergraduate student’s quizzes and exams
• Provided basic academic support and grading enquiries to students.

• Assisted an individual student on the autism spectrum in the kindergarten classroom with daily tasks and activities
• Assisted kindergarten students with physical and personal care needs, class lessons and other classroom activities.

• Supervised elementary school aged children while having lunch in their class and clean up and sanitize their tables afterwards, and during their lunch recess outside, in the gym or in different flex spaces inside the school.

In Private practice setting:

• Developed nutrition plans addressing individual patient conditions, including weight management, chronic lifestyle diseases (Diabetes Mellitus, Heart disease etc.), food allergies, pediatric patients, digestive disorders, kidney disorders etc
• Counseled clients on making positive behavior changes
• Evaluated unique nutrient and energy requirements for each patient based on BMI, lifestyle and individual medical issues.
• Educated clients to evaluate food labels
• Evaluated and monitored progress of clients in reaching their health goals through dietary changes.
• Maintained updated knowledge through continuing education and training.
• Ordered and interpreted patients' laboratory results
• Administration of medical insurance claims/ payments/ outstanding accounts.
• Managed employees (casual dietitians) and receptionist; managing payroll; general running of practice
• Volunteered at a non-profit organization serving people affected by HIV and AIDS, where I provided nutritional education on a weekly basis on various HIV related conditions and topics for people who were served by the organization.

In rehabilitation and acute hospital settings:

• Provided nutritional care to patients (Increased needs after long-term ICU stay/ Uncontrolled Diabetes/ Dysphagia/ malnutrition/ enteral and parenteral feeding/ diet transition/ kidney failure/ kidney stones/ cancer/ post-surgery/ cardiology)
• Liaised with food service unit of the facility about patients with special diets
• Collaborated with multi-disciplinary team
• Upon discharge, if necessary, I provided patients, their families or caregivers with nutritional advice and a care plan to manage their condition at home or at a long-term care facility