Vicki M. Ross, RN, PhD is the incoming Chair of the Nutrition Support Nurses Section of A.S.P.E.N. and has over 30 years of experience as a Nutrition Support Nurse.
What is your current job title and work location?
Currently, I am the Nutrition Support Nurse Scientist at Truman Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
What is your educational background?
I am a registered nurse with a PhD in nursing from the University of Kansas where I was able to focus my research efforts on catheter related infections and home parenteral nutrition.
How did you get involved in the field of clinical nutrition?
During my graduate education, I heard about a nutrition support team at Truman Medical Center that functioned as an inter-professional, collaborative team. This was the early 80s and I signed up to learn more about this novel inter-professional group that made decisions about nutrition support care based on their critique of the evidence. Nutrition support and evidence-based inter-professional practice has been a passion of mine since working with the Metabolic Support Team of Beth Lyman, Mary Lou Patterson, Jack Smith, Paul Cuddy, Howard Kremer and Beatty Pemberton.
What specifically do you do in your current position?
I serve as a mentor to Kelly Gonzalez, our new APRN, as she learns about nutrition support. As Kelly moves into the role, I will be transitioning out of my clinical role of seeing nutrition support patients and focusing more on my research and teaching role.
Why did you become involved in A.S.P.E.N. and what are the benefits of being involved?
A.S.P.E.N. is the organization for inter-professional, nutrition support nurses. In addition to two of the best nutrition support journals and the annual Clinical Nutrition Week that is second to none for education and collaboration, A.S.P.E.N. provides the connections to ask and help answer the important questions about nutrition support.
What recommendations would you give to a nurse just starting her/his career?
Nutrition is basic to patient care and to everything nursing. Nurses just starting their career will find the support they need by joining A.S.P.E.N. and the nursing section where they can join our monthly conference calls to discuss the goals and opportunities for nutrition support nurses.
