All Dietitians

Rice Noodles with Chicken and Oyster Sauce by Jane from California

If you ask Jane what she enjoys most about her job as a DaVita dietitian, she’ll tell you it’s all about her patients. “I really enjoy motivating patients to take charge of their own health,” she shares. “I am very empathetic and I care about my patients.  I guess it shows in my interactions because some patients have commented on how much they appreciate having someone who cares working with them."

Originally from China, Jane chose the field of dietetics while attending University of California, Berkeley. "I loved the classes in nutrition, so I decided to change my major from biochemistry to nutrition during my senior year."

After graduating, Jane worked as a cardiac dietitian for 15 years before joining DaVita in 1994. Since then, she has found her work as a renal dietitian to be both challenging and rewarding.  "I think the most challenging aspect of my job is trying to encourage patients to be compliant with a low phosphorus diet and take their binders," she says. "But then the reward comes when they are stable and feeling good."

Jane makes a difference in her patients' lives by teaching them to eat healthy. She draws from a variety of information available on the DaVita website, along with the networking and support of her teammates who are continually coming up with new ideas.

“We’ve found that different patients respond to different approaches. We have had contests in our clinic, Monday-Wednesday-Friday versus Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday patients/teammates. We involved all the teammates to help patients improve their outcomes."

And while improving patient health is a serious priority, Jane and her teammates also like to enjoy a good laugh along the way. "I think the most funny thing that happened was when we asked our patients “What is your favorite animal?’ One of our oldest patients, who is 91-years old, said that her favorite animal was ‘a good looking man!’”

Now here’s something you’re sure to enjoy—Rice Noodles with Chicken and Oyster Sauce—from Jane’s homeland, China, to your home.

Recipe

• Rice Noodles with Chicken and Oyster Sauce