Susan Brantley, MS, RDN, LDN
House of Delegates (HOD) DirectorPOSITION | Skills/Attributes associated with the position | Examples of how I have demonstrated outcomes for each skill/attribute that qualify me for the position |
House of Delegates (HOD) Director |
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I have served in Academy leadership positions as a district and state president in Tennessee and as the Dietitians in Nutrition Support DPG Chair. My experience in meeting management is exemplified by my leadership at these levels. I have also served the Academy as a facilitator at previous HOD meetings. Because of my experience as both a clinical practitioner for 37 years and as an instructor in a dietetics program for 20 years, I feel I bring expansive insight into the educational requirements and needs for young professionals entering our field of dietetics. In addition to these qualifying experiences, my role as adjunct faculty at universities and colleges and as guest speaker for various organizations over the years has enabled me to be able to communicate effectively with other professionals and those in the community. I believe I have the qualities to be both a good leader for the Academy and a good listener for the membership. |
Employer | Title | Years Employed |
Carson Newman University | Adjunct faculty - Family and Consumer Sciences | 20 years |
South College - Knoxville, TN campus | Adjunct faculty | 5 years |
University of Tennessee Medical Center | Metabolic Support Dietitian/Coordinator | 37 years |
Leadership Position | Organization | Years Involved in the Organization | My specific leadership contributions, achievements and outcomes: | Leadership Skills used in this position: |
State President/President-Elect | Tennessee Dietetic Association | - | As Tennessee President-Elect, President, and Past President, I directed a committee of dietitians to develop an effective and profitable state meeting, one in my local district and a second in another district of the state. During my tenure, my team 1)updated job descriptions and adjusted requirements of the leadership positions; 2)established both student and professional poster sessions at annual meetings; 3)Developed and implemented a new member survey; 4) updated state website. | |
DPG Chair | Dietitians in Nutrition Support | - | While serving the DNS practice group as Chair-Elect and Chair, we 1)conducted a successful practice symposium in Dallas; 2) developed mentoring programs for dietitians new to the field; and 3) planned and implemented the first Advanced Skills Workshop in California which included skills in physical assessment, feeding tube placement by dietitians, and skills in Indirect Calorimetry measurement. This endeavor was successful and preceded other similar workshops across the nation. It was an innovative program that paved the groundwork for current nutrition focused physical assessments. | |
Member and Co-Chair | Joint Standards Task Force-AND & ASPEN | - | I served on the Joint Standards Task Force to develop and revise the Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitians (Generalist, Specialty, and Advanced) in Nutrition Support. During the most recent revision in 2014, I served as Co-Chair of the Task Force and managed discussions held through online sessions. We produced a document that reflected the evolving practice of nutrition support, and it was published in peer-reviewed professional journals. | |
Member & Chairperson,Nutrition Practice Poster Review Sub-Committee | American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition | - | As a member and Chair of this subcommittee, Nutrition Practice Poster submissions were evaluated for the annual ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week conference. The committee 1) reviewed submissions and designated those accepted for presentation; 2)recognized posters of significance; and 3)awarded posters each year that impacted practice. Many of these posters were eventually submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Posters were submitted from international sources as well as from the United States. | |
Chair -Pathway Development Task Force - Malnutrition Committee | American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition | - | I was honored to lead a group of professionals in the development of Nutrition Care Pathways for pediatrics and adults. These pathways 1)delineate actions to be taken by clinicians after nutrition screening indicates a client is at-risk for malnutrition; 2)outline steps to be taken when a comprehensive nutrition assessment is indicated;3) provides resources for identification, diagnosing and coding for malnutrition. I recently was given the opportunity to explain these pathways through a nationally presented teleseminar. |
What do you see as opportunities for the future of the nutrition and dietetics profession?
Over the years, I have witnessed the evolution of our profession, both as a clinician and as an educator. The important challenges we face include recruitment and retention of well-educated, confident individuals who feel empowered to lead in clinical nutrition, education, research and private practice. I am committed to the development of plans to address compensation for our profession to impact recruitment and investigating protection of our scope of practice to impact professional retention.
Campaign Statement
My priorities, if elected to serve in Academy leadership, would be recruitment of competent students through innovative education and retention of dietitians in our profession by focusing on value and enhanced scope of practice.