Boon Chuah found motivation to become a dietician close to home

Boon Chuah found the inspiration for her career close to home. In fact, she found it IN her home. Growing up in Malaysia, Boon watched as a sister was forced to manage chronic pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. “That motivated me to study how nutrition is related to the immune system,” said Boon.

It was a motivation that brought Boon to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where she studied to become a dietician and graduated with a Master’s Degree in nutritional sciences. That degree resulted in a position as a clinical and renal dietician at a rural hospital; she joined the Renal Center of North Denton in Texas about a year ago.

As a renal dietician, Boon provides nutrition assessments and diet education to hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients. It’s a job she finds fascinating for many reasons, including the windows it opens to learn about others. “I find it interesting to study what people eat in different locations around the world.”

The renal dietician plays a crucial role in strengthening patients, especially those just starting treatment.

“My greatest satisfaction is when patients are able to build their body protein up after being initiated on dialysis. Most patients are malnourished prior to being on dialysis due to the kidney failing. Sometimes they have misconceptions about diet when they are new on dialysis. For example, some may be afraid to eat cottage cheese when their appetite is poor. But I tell them it is OK to eat some cottage cheese rather than skip meals.”

Boon is happy to share great food sources, starting with protein such as lean beef, chicken, egg whites, fish, lamb, pork, shellfish, tofu, tuna (canned in water), turkey, veal, and wild game. She suggests thinking in “colors” to remember other good food to eat. For example:

• Green: Asparagus, lettuce, cucumbers, garden herbs, leeks, watercress
• Blue: Blueberries
• Red: Cherries, strawberries, radishes, red onions
• Orange: Tangerines, carrots
• Yellow: Pineapples, corn, onions
• White: Cauliflower, mushrooms, turnips, water chestnuts
• Purple: Eggplant

One challenge that patients face, Boon said, is related to limited financial resources. “They really want to eat renal-friendly diets, but they get worn down with no money to buy them. Another challenge is that some patients find it convenient to get a quick meal at a fast food restaurant instead of fixing their own, healthier meal at home.”

Boon has one advantage when it comes to facing these challenges: her fellow workers at Renal Center of North Denton. “It’s a great clinic where every staff member is very diligent in their work and there is great teamwork among the interdisciplinary team members in both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis clinic. All the nurses are very supportive of diet education to the patients. I am blessed to work with them.”

Job of the Week: Charge Nurse in North Richland Hills

This week’s featured job is for a “Charge Nurse” in North Richland Hills, Texas.

In brief: “The individual in this role supports the Clinical Coordinator or Facility Administrator on a daily basis assuming responsibility for safe and effective delivery of patient care. The Charge Nurse provides clinical oversight and leadership to licensed and unlicensed assistive personnel by providing direction, delegating appropriate tasks and monitoring compliance according to State and Federal regulations and Company policies and procedures and guidelines.”

A number of skills are required, including:

• Must have current and valid State professional nursing licensure
• Must have an Associates Degree in Nursing or Nursing Diploma.  Prefer candidates with a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.
• Shall have at least 12 months of clinical experience and have six months experience in hemodialysis subsequent to completion of the facility’s training program. The hemodialysis experience shall be within the last 24 months.
• Prefer CNN or CDN at time of hire or within 12 months of accepting position.
• Must have demonstrated record of and commitment to safety; and dedication to excellence.

Learn all the duties of this full-time post, as well as the qualifications you’ll need and how to apply, by visiting the job posting (#63322).

At Renal Ventures we take pride in providing high-quality outpatient dialysis care. Our employees have a commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients, their co-workers, and their communities. It’s a commitment we call the RV Difference.

Want to learn more about working at Renal Ventures, including all the benefits offered? Visit the Careers page on our website. Interested in seeing all the jobs available at Renal Ventures? Look here.

Here’s how to make sure your heart is healthy for Valentine’s Day

It’s that time of year again. Cupid seems to be everywhere talking about romance. Or is that just a card you read while shopping for that someone special?

Valentine’s Day is a good reminder that it’s essential for everyone, and especially for those with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), to pay close attention to their heart health, because kidney failure can cause issues that will impact your blood vessels and heart. It’s a fact: Heart disease is the major cause of death for people with CKD.

So we got in touch with Peggy Harum, a Renal Dietician with Texas Renal Ventures in Fort Worth, who walked us through some good heart health tips for those who have kidney disease.

Among several things Peggy discussed was the importance of controlling your phosphorus levels. High phosphorus levels can cause a loss of calcium in bones and damage to the heart. One way to keep the level down is to limit the amount of dairy (milk, chocolate, cheese, yogurt) you eat, as well as cutting back on beans, nuts and colas. Here are some other tips for maintaining a healthy heart.

If you have been told you have kidney disease and you are not on dialysis:

• Stop smoking
• Control your blood pressure: LESS than 130/80
• If you are diabetic, control your blood sugar
• See your kidney doctor routinely
• Start walking for exercise, with doctor permission

If you are on dialysis, all of the above, plus:

• Keep your phosphorus under control – take your binders – prevent calcification in your heart
• Avoid FAST FOOD: Did you know Phosphorus additives are ADDED TO FAST FOOD?
• Prevent thirst: Give up salt and salty foods
• If you are diabetic, ask about your Hemoglobin A1C