BND3102 - Introduction to dietetic practice - 2017

This unit uses chronic disease as the foundation and basis for dietetic students to develop their core dietetic practice assessment skills whilst learning and applying core knowledge of chronic disease related to nutrition and dietetic practice. There is an emphasis and focus on person centred care and simulation provides a key platform for learning in this unit. A formative and summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) sits within this unit to assess students readiness for placement. Students are introduced to the healthcare system and a range of health care settings via a one day/week placement for part of the semester. Food service competencies (Operating Systems and Menu standards) are introduced and integrated practical experiences in the healthcare environment supports learning across this domain.

The key themes explored in this unit are Theme 1: Personal Development and Professional Practice, Theme 3: Fundamentals of Health and Disease, Theme 4: Food from Science to Systems coupled with partial integration of content and application from Theme 2: Determinants and Influences on Population Health and Nutrition.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Describe the role of diet in the aetiology, prevention, and management of major lifestyle related chronic disease.
2. Apply and integrate knowledge of chronic disease into nutrition assessment and management plans using case based learning, simulation and placement experience in the healthcare environment.
3. Develop and extend core dietetic practice skills - including interpretation of data, collection and analysis of dietary data, nutrition assessment and intervention strategies.
4. Develop working knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting to begin practicing safely and professionally.
5. Apply food service, food science and food system knowledge to individuals and healthcare settings.
6. Communicate appropriately and broadly using a range of methods.
7. Extend teamwork skills in the academic and practice settings.
8. Reflect on their practice and extend self-awareness, insight and cultural competency.

Students will undertake an embedded placement experience within a healthcare setting of one of the key placement providers for Monash University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. This will be a total of 4 days in Weeks 1-6 of the semester, which includes 2 days specifically related to food service experience. The aim of this embedded placement is to orientate and familiarise students to the healthcare environment including medical history documentation, following patient journeys, observing healthcare teams, practice linked to chronic disease and food service operating systems.

• Summative OSCE (25%)
• Written exam (35%)
• Assignments (40%) (Hurdle)

This unit will run over Weeks 1-6 of semester with an average of 48 hours per week allocated including contact and private study hours. The majority of time allocated will be contact hours with remaining time for private study.

See also Unit timetable information

Evelyn Volders

Nutrition and dietetics

Nutrition science

A student must have passed a minimum of 96 credit points of units deemed satisfactory and relevant in content and depth by the Nutrition and Dietetic Department Selection Officer in conjunction with the Unit Coordinator.

BND3101 and must be enrolled in courses 3404 or 4530.