DIETETIC 709A/B : Professional Skills 3

Medical and Health Sciences

2024 Semester One (1243) / Semester Two (1245) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Advances effective communication skills to optimise nutrition, health, well-being for individuals and communities. Integrates and appraises the dietetic process as it applies to clinical and dietetic practice. Critically evaluates the scientific principles of clinical nutrition to enable the translation of the evidence to best practice. Apply communication and organisation principles, which will ensure effective, management and leadership within varied environments.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DIETETIC 708 Restriction: DIETETIC 706 To complete this course students must enrol in DIETETIC 709 A and B

Course Contacts

Course director: Andrea Braakhuis
Course co-ordinator: Clare Wallis

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Health Sciences

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Apply nutrition knowledge and dietetic expertise, reasoning and judgement to nutritional assessment, intervention, monitoring and evaluation (Capability 5.1, 6.1, 6.2 and 8.1)
  2. Implement evidence-based nutrition and dietetic interventions to prevent, treat and manage food and nutrition-related diseases, injuries and conditions and to optimise health and well-being (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1 and 7.1)
  3. Use effective client-centred oral and written communication strategies to optimise nutrition, health, wellbeing and performance outcomes (Capability 1.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Demonstrate safe, effective, legal and ethical nutrition and dietetic practice (Capability 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 8.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Medical Nutrition Therapy Placements 30% Individual Coursework
Medical Nutrition Therapy Prescribing Module 10% Individual Coursework
Public Health Placement 15% Individual Coursework
Food Service Systems Placement 15% Individual Coursework
ePortfolio (Medical Nutrition Therapy, Food Service Systems & Public Health) assignment 30% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Medical Nutrition Therapy Placements
Medical Nutrition Therapy Prescribing Module
Public Health Placement
Food Service Systems Placement
ePortfolio (Medical Nutrition Therapy, Food Service Systems & Public Health) assignment

Students enrolled in this course are required to carry out a variety of practical and clinical work across the three domains of dietetic practice; they must satisfactorily complete all required formative and summative work to the standard that the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences requires. Where weakness is identied in a component of this course, students may be required to undertake appropriate remediation course(s) in addition to the requirements of the programme.

Workload Expectations

This course is a 30-point course spread over two semesters (DIETETIC 709A/B) where students develop professional skills in dietetics through practical placements and assessment to work towards the Professional Standards and Competencies for Dietitians.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes:

Campus & Online Experience

On-campus attendance or at the student's respective placement location is required at all scheduled activities including placements and workshops in order to complete all required components of the course and meet the requirements of the NZ Dietitians Board. Learning activities including workshops, clinics, and formative tasks may be moved online if required due to COVID alert levels.

The activities for the course are scheduled across the year from February to November as advised by the course director/co-ordinator; this is outside of the standard University semester timetable. Students will be advised in a timely manner of placement and workshop dates; this will be via Canvas and, if required, individual email. All completion dates and deadlines for assessment will apply within this period with specific dates advised on Canvas.

Learning activities including workshops and (consented) clinic activities will be available as recordings as and when appropriate (depending on the confidentiality status of those involved).

Where possible, workshop material will be released in advance throughout the course. This will be stored on Canvas for students to refer back to. There will be some instances where this can not occur and information will be uploaded in as timely manner as appropriate.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

PowerPoint and other relevant les used for delivery of tutorials, workshops and simulation will be available through CANVAS. These may be abridged at the discretion of the lecturer.

Canvas also includes relevant information required for all placements including medical nutrition therapy placements in both the Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand and clinic environment, public health and food service systems.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Throughout the year, the class representatives meet with the course director and course co-ordinator to discuss any feedback received. This in addition to feedback received via the SET tool are considered by the teaching team and actions taken accordingly.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Students in the Nutrition and Dietetics specialisation must meet the applicable tness to practise requirements, as outlined in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences’ Fitness to Practice Policy. In addition, there is a Code of Professional Conduct for Student Dietitians for all students. In Year 1 of the MHSc (Nutrition & Dietetics) students will have read and agreed to adhere to both of these; they remain valid for DIETETIC 709A/B.

This course consolidates your professional skills in your training to become a dietitian. Student dietitians need to adhere to the Dietitians Board Code of Ethics and Conduct: https://www.dietitiansboard.org.nz/Policy-Guidelines/.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.