Sorry, I feed people who don't eat

Whenever people know I am in my ICU rotation, they have this question mark on their faces-- why are you in the ICU and what are you doing there? Hmm, because people need nutrition or else they die too! Okay, not as extreme, but it is my job to also educate these people that I do more than just telling what people to eat and modifying recipes (-_-"). In fact, that's not what I do.

When people can't eat by mouth, they need alternate form of nutrition - enteral (putting a tube through their nose or directly to their stomach or small intestine) or parental nutrition (through vein). I enjoy sitting in rounds, knowing what is up with the patient right away, learning about their medical condition and the ICU setting, and writing and adjusting nutrition accordingly.

Three weeks of ICU came to an end. First week at Surgical ICU, second week at Medical ICU and third week at Neuro Surgical ICU. It is a depressing setting to work in. I saw so many people pass away in the last two weeks. I saw a patient's heart rate became a flat line on the monitor. I saw a patient who should be let go yet still suffering because family could not make a decision. I saw a patient who passed away peacefully sat on her bed in her room. I saw the attending talking to the mother about her child's medical condition. I saw a brain dead patient. I saw so much.