When I started practicing clinically, I was not set up to order lab tests for my clients for several years. I had to be an excellent historian to be a good nutrition detective.
Some nutritionists in New York and other states can’t run labs. Even though I do labs now, I still highly value a good and thorough history taking process with patients. By diving into diet history, health history and signs and symptoms we can learn so much about our patients.
Dig in! Don’t take medical diagnosis at face value. A diagnosis is just a label it does not tell you anything about underlying factors. A deeper dive is necessary to understand how nutrition and lifestyle impacts the illness your patient is experiencing. Be curious and ask into the phenomenon. “How do you experience IBS?” Or anxiety, chronic fatigue etc
You may not know how the information you gather is relevant at first but be patient for the tapestry to emerge.
In this video. I dive into the seven qualities of a symptom to help you with your history taking skills and detective work.
1.Location
2.Quality
3.Quantity/severity
4.Timing
5.Circumstances
6.Remitting and exacerbating factors
7.Associated factors
Gain confidence in your clinical nutrition skills in our monthly Clinical Working Group! Led by an experienced CNS supervisor and clinical nutritionist: share a case from your functional medicine clinic, gain health and nutrition resources and insights, collaborate with your supervisors and other nutrition graduates, and learn how to incorporate functional nutrition coaching skills with your clients to help them meet their long-term health goals.
Have questions? We’ve got you! Check out our Frequently Asked Questions about our personalized nutrition Mentorship Program and meeting the SPE requirements.
Comments