Libsyn Directory

69 - Emma Ridley - Advocacy, communication and leadership as an ICU dietitian

Release Date: 09/23/2021

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 9

Mastering Intensive Care

Thank you for listening to the ninth and final episode of the Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta series. If you’ve listened to the series, you’ll know my friend Ed Litton and I entered a four-day stage trail running event, the Run Larapinta Stage Race, and ran, climbed, descended, scrambled and walked with 200 other enthusiastic participants along a mountainous and rugged trail in the spectacular red centre of Australia. Ed and I thought these conversations on the podcast might help others in setting and completing endurance exercise challenges, something we both prioritise in...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 8

Mastering Intensive Care

This is the 8th episode of the "Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta" series and if you’ve been listening to the previous ones, you’ll know that this episode is coming out after the four day stage race that fellow intensivist Ed Litton and I set ourselves the challenge of running many months ago. Two Intensive Care doctors, both novices at trail running, looking for something moderately hard, something we could do together, and something we could talk about on the show to hopefully inspire you and other listeners to go for a run or to set yourself your own exercise challenge....

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 7

Mastering Intensive Care

Fellow intensivist Ed Litton and I signed up for a big challenge 10 months ago when we registered to run in the Run Larapinta, a 4-day stage race in central Australia. We’ve both completed many endurance events, however neither of us have done any serious trail running nor have we ever run 130km in 4 days on a rocky and mountainous trail like the beautiful Larapinta trail in the Northern Territory of Australia. It’s now only a week away so Ed and I had a conversation to update each other on our recent training before answering 5 questions we thought were worth asking each other at this...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 6

Mastering Intensive Care

To help Ed Litton and I get really prepared for the Run Larapinta stage race we are only a few weeks away from competing in, today we bring a seasoned ultra trail running doctor on to the podcast to share her advice. In this sixth episode of the Mastering Intensive Challenges series, we welcome Dr Cheryl Martin, who is an Emergency Medicine specialist, a podcaster and has huge experience in trail running, including ultra marathons. Cheryl’s podcast, the Mind Full Medic podcast, explores health, wellbeing, optimal performance and professional fulfilment, with a focus on doctors and...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 5

Mastering Intensive Care

This is the fifth episode in the Mastering Intensive Care - Run Larapinta series. Ed Litton and I are back on opposite sides of Australia, and neither of us has had the perfect three weeks since we last chatted. There are now less than seven weeks until the event starts, so we chat about our training, then swing over to what we are each thinking about the logistical challenges we will be presented with. We hope you’ll enjoy listening to the conversation, even if you prefer the couch to your running shoes. If we can inspire you to get out for some exercise, that would be even better. Thanks...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 4

Mastering Intensive Care

Here is another episode in the Mastering Intensive Care - Run Larapinta series. For this one, I travelled to Perth to meet with my Run Larapinta co-participant Ed Litton and to head out for a few runs together over a three day weekend. We also set up the microphones to update each other with our preparations and to discuss our perspectives on the social aspects of exercise, mainly endurance sport. We talked about group training, family support, and even using the social media platform Strava to share inspiration. We hope you’ll enjoy listening to the conversation, whatever exercise you...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 3

Mastering Intensive Care

This is a follow on episode as Ed Litton and I continue our discussion about the Run Larapinta Stage Race we will be participating in soon. Ed and I tell each other how our running training is going. Then we talk about our general views on nutrition and sleep, especially as we lead into a multi-day endurance event. One of us has picked up a little niggle. And each of us has a different approach to what we consume during long runs. It might not be what we talk about on regular episodes of Mastering Intensive Care but we hope you’ll enjoy listening to the conversation, whether you run, walk,...

82 - Will Bonavia - An ICU trainee’s perspective on learning, culture and wellbeing

Mastering Intensive Care

This episode features the wise perspectives of an Advanced Trainee in Intensive Care Medicine, Dr William Bonavia. The discussion covers: Why he chose medicine and Intensive Care His training journey and his learning strategy What makes a good ward round Learning from colleagues The principles of good communication and collaboration The value of work being fun Making mistakes Dealing with the pressures of the job His thoughts on sleep, exercise, resilience and burnout Gender inequity in training The future of his career Tips for fellow trainees Will Bonavia is an Intensive Care Trainee at...

Mastering Intensive Challenges - Run Larapinta - Episode 2

Mastering Intensive Care

In this second of a different style episode, Ed Litton and I continue our discussion about the Run Larapinta Stage Race we will be embarking on in August 2023. Ed and I talk about our preparation and then tell each other why we run, and what we get out of it. Ed is a multi-sport endurance athlete whose reasons for getting out in nature are deep and truly inspiring. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing this conversation, whether you run, walk, cycle, hike, work out in the gym, or do whatever is your style of physical activity. Thanks for listening. Andrew Davies ...

80 - Tub Worthley - A pioneering “Grand Master” of intensive care

Mastering Intensive Care

This episode features the memories, experiences and wisdom of Dr Lindsay ‘Tub’ Worthley, AM. The discussion covers the following: Tub’s training to become an intensivist when no specific training existed His experience at a time when Australian ICUs were in their infancy The difference between the beginning and the end of his clinical career His eventual transition to retirement His writing of textbooks, scientific papers, editorials and a memoir What he learned about humanity in the ICU Working and communicating with various team members Enthusiastic leadership and the importance of a...

More Episodes

Mastering Intensive Care is back after a lengthy break with an episode featuring senior ICU dietitian Dr Emma Ridley.

Emma is a Senior Research Fellow and a NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC) at Monash University in Melbourne, where she leads the Nutrition Program.

Emma has 16 years of clinical dietetic experience, including as a senior dietitian in the ICU at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and over 13 years of research experience, including the awarding of her PhD. Her research interests include energy requirements across the hospitalisation period, the clinical application of indirect calorimetry and the effect of optimal nutrition delivery on short and long-term outcomes in ICU patients.

Emma is a long-time colleague of mine, someone I have huge respect for, and a woman that seems to fit a lot into a busy life and career. I was keen to talk to Emma for the podcast so I could ask about topics such as how she sees dietitians best fitting into the ICU team, what her thoughts are on communication between different ICU staff roles and what is required for a dietitian to be a valuable advocate for ICU patient nutrition. Emma also has some important insights from the difficult experience of having her recently newborn son admitted to the NICU.

This episode is not just for dietitians. Emma is such a wise and thoughtful healthcare leader that there are pertinent perspectives in this conversation that will help doctors, nurses and practitioners in any Intensive Care role. The list of topics Emma discussed include:

How she became a dietitian in Intensive Care
Her reflections on the pace of an ICU
The importance of dietitians and doctors understanding each others “language”
How she feels dietitians best fit into the ICU team
Advocating for ICU patient nutrition at the bedside
The importance of dietitians being present at the ICU ward round
Working with the different members of the ICU team
Optimal communication between colleagues
The importance of getting to know your colleagues
Talking to patients and their families
Why she was fascinated by research and how this has helped her clinical practice
Why she feels research allows her to have a greater impact
The benefits of embedding nutrition research in an ICU
Her interest in nutrition at the time when ICU patients are transitioning out of the ICU
The differences between leadership, mentorship and sponsorship
The effects of the pandemic on her role
Her work to assist nutrition for critically ill patients with COVID
Managing personal safety and wellbeing during the pandemic
The experience of her newborn son being admitted to the NICU
Fitting everything in to a busy life
The value of work flexibility and how this affects her clinical work capacity
Her closing advice to less experienced ICU practitioners

Thanks for listening to my conversation with Emma Ridley.

Andrew Davies

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About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast aims to inspire and empower you, through conversations about the human side of Intensive Care, to bring your best self to the work, with a focus on compassion, collaboration and personal wellbeing.

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Links related to Emma Ridley

Dr Emma Ridley at ANZIC RC

Emma Ridley on Twitter @ICUnutrition

ANZIC Research Centre

Links to other resources (in order of mentioning)

ANZICS Clinical Trials Group

Mastering Intensive Care podcast - Episode 5 with Jamie Cooper

Guideline for Nutritional Management of COVID patients

Media and Medicine Program at Harvard Medical School

Links related to Mastering Intensive Care podcast

Mastering Intensive Care podcast