Rachel Harken, MS, RD, LDN
Part-time Instructor
Mercy Hospital School of Nursing |
I am a part-time instructor at the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing where I teach Nutrition 101 to first-year nursing students. I teach the course only once a year as I am mostly staying at home with my two young children right now. Before my children were born I was a clinical instructor in the coordinated program in dietetics and nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh.
I thoroughly enjoy teaching and it has been interesting to change my teaching setting from the university to a hospital nursing program. It is a challenge at times to decide what nursing students will need most in relation to food and nutrition once they are out working in the field. It is even more difficult to make curriculum decisions and squeeze everything in once I learn the different career paths my students are interested in taking! I focus mainly on the nutrients and the core concepts of nutrition, lifecycle nutrition and nutrition in various disease states.
I became interested in nutrition at the end of my sophomore year college. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh but opted to enroll at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. I have always been fascinated with the human body and physiology, and I started out at SMU as a pre-med major. I decided in my freshman that I did not want to be a doctor. Unfortunately there are not any allied science courses or degrees offered at SMU. I happened to take a course in nutrition (offered through the anthropology department) and I was hooked – I had found my profession! Once I decided that I wanted to become a registered dietitian I transferred to the University of Pittsburgh.
I graduated from Pitt and decided I hadn’t gotten my fill of Texas. I worked in Dallas in long-term care and then in a specialty acute-care setting. After a few years, I was ready to work toward my Master’s degree and returned to Pitt. I worked as a clinical instructor while getting my master’s and stayed on at Pitt after finishing my degree. As a clinical instructor I worked mostly with the senior students who were completing their clinical education and training hours. I also taught a summer course and parts of other courses. I really enjoyed going to the clinical sites to see the students in action.
Although I am only working part-time I stay active and involved in dietetics. I have served on the Pittsburgh Dietetic Association’s Board of Directors every year but one since 1999. I have held various positions on the board both appointed and elected. It has helped me to stay up to date and to network with my peers. I highly recommend staying active and serving on a local or state board if given the opportunity.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
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