Kat Nowak shares her about her role at CUH working as a paediatric dietitian specialising in PICU and surgery and gives advice to anyone who's looking at becoming an AHP.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey – when did you join, what positions have you held here?
I joined CUH in September 2020, in between the major lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. I started as a band 5 adult dietitian in the Oncology and Critical Care team, where I worked across many clinical areas, including the neurosciences, neurorehabilitation and DME wards.
In February 2022, I transitioned to my first role in the paediatric team. I started in the specialist diabetes team and general paediatrics, before specialising in PICU and surgery.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
My role allows me to work within multi-disciplinary teams to support patients and their families during the challenging experience of a hospital admission. Witnessing my patients' recovery, their discharge out of the ICU, and going home is incredibly rewarding. It is a privilege to work with the patient’s family to support them during the inpatient admission and help with optimising patient’s recovery at home.
I also enjoy the educational aspect of my role, whether it involves discussing general healthy eating, implementing specific dietary modifications due to medical conditions or allergies, or addressing common nutrition misconceptions.
I am proud to be part of the diverse workforce at CUH and I deeply appreciate the ongoing efforts to create and maintain an inclusive, welcoming and supporting environment for patients and staff.
What advice would you give to someone who is starting their AHP career journey?
It takes time to settle into a new role and build up confidence, especially if it is your first job as a qualified professional, so trust the process, ask for help and ensure to rest and do things you enjoy in your free time to help you maintain a good work-life balance.
Some things we see at work are difficult to process, speaking to your supervisor or mentor can make it a lot easier!
And finally, be proud of what you do, you play a vital role in patient care!