Kaylee Hough
Kaylee Hough earned a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State in 2022. She currently works as a long-term care clinical dietitian at two facilities near Bradenton, Florida. She also covers duties as a clinical dietitian on a remote team within Morrison Healthcare, where she assists acute care facilities with providing nutrition care.
Why did you pursue a degree from Penn State Nutritional Sciences?
I chose to pursue a degree from Penn State in nutritional sciences and become a registered dietitian due to the huge life changing impact that proper nutrition had on my overall mental and physical health. In high school, I struggled with disordered eating habits that ultimately tarnished my relationship with food and led to obsessive behaviors surrounding food. Working with a registered dietitian, I was able to heal my relationship with food and transition to a life where food was able to positively impact my health and nutrition status.
Ultimately, I chose to pursue my degree at Penn State due to the tight knit group of nutrition students and professors at the University. The culture within the nutritional sciences major was supportive, full of resources, and felt like one big family. The resources and networking opportunities at Penn State still impact my career to this day.
How would you describe your current position and what impact(s) are you seeking to make?
In my current position, I manage two long-term care facilities as a clinical dietitian where I provide nutritional care to a variety of residents with complicated health needs and considerations. In this position, I work alongside the interdisciplinary team to assist in providing quality nutrition care. Some of my roles include helping doctors diagnose and treat malnutrition in the older population, managing nutrition support, treating pressure ulcers, closely monitoring dialysis patients, assisting in quality-of-life measures for hospice patients, attending clinical meetings, monitoring weight trends, participating in QAPI, and ensuring each resident is provided with individualized, quality care. In this position, I strive to enhance each resident’s quality of life through nutrition care that is personalized to meet their unique health care and quality of life needs.
How did your degree from Penn State help you to get to your current position?
My nutritional sciences degree from Penn State provided me with all the knowledge and resources that I needed to succeed in my dietetic internship and as a dietitian. The content covered throughout the MNT courses at Penn State provided me with in-depth knowledge regarding clinical nutrition and allowed me to be successful in my dietetic internship and beyond.
All of the professors at Penn State are extremely knowledgeable in nutritional sciences and provided incomparable support to each student. In addition, the unique on-campus experiences at Penn State provided me with the opportunity to expand my knowledge in the areas of food service, community, research, and clinical nutrition.
What would you describe as the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge in the field?
The biggest opportunity within the field of nutrition is how diverse it is. As a dietitian, you could work in the areas of renal, sports nutrition, clinical nutrition, outpatient, inpatient, community, research, retail, media, long-term care, food science, food service, and so much more—the opportunities are endless. In other words, the field will never get boring as there are always new areas to learn and explore.
The biggest challenge that I face as a dietitian is the current compensation concerns within the field and fighting for fair pay as a healthcare practitioner. Dietitians are typically underpaid and undervalued in their roles; therefore, it is vital to advocate for fairness and respect in the field.
What advice do you have for other graduates just starting out?
I would recommend getting as many experiences as possible! No experience is a bad experience, and they will all shape your knowledge and capabilities in the future. I’d also advise new graduates to never be embarrassed or ashamed to ask questions, as the only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
Lastly, I would remind other graduates to never give up on their dreams and continue working hard as it truly will pay off one day!