DIETETIC 708 : Professional Skills 2

Medical and Health Sciences

2024 Semester Two (1245) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Integrates professional communication, organisation and management skills that will enable students to work effectively as dietitians. Students will apply nutrition knowledge, dietetic expertise, judgement and reasoning to the nutrition assessment, intervention and evaluation of nutrition and dietetic process plans. Applies the principles of food service systems and public health to optimise nutrition, health and well-being.

Course Overview

Further develops professional communication and organisation/management skills that will enable students to work effectively as dietitians. Progresses the knowledge and skills required to develop competency in the nutrition and dietetic care process as it applies to clinical practice, including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nutrition and dietetic interventions, and introduces the principles of food service management ranging from food safety and hygiene to the development of menus for therapeutic diets. Includes practical placement in the domains of clinical and applied nutrition, and foodservice management in partial fulfillment of the professional course accreditation requirements of the New Zealand Dietitians Board.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: DIETETIC 707 Restriction: DIETETIC 705

Course Contacts

Course director: Rajshri Roy; r.roy@auckland.ac.nz

Course administrator: Sayaka Chen; sayaka.chen@auckland.ac.nz

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. Use and apply evidence-based nutrition knowledge and dietetic expertise, reasoning, and judgment to optimise nutrition, health, and wellbeing. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  2. Develop and justify clinical decisions using the nutrition care process that underpins the delivery of effective clinical nutrition care.1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2 (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  3. Manage food service systems to optimise nutrition, health and wellbeing (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Design effective management plans using appropriate skills and methodology to optimise service quality (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 8.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 25% Group & Individual Coursework
Assignments 25% Group & Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Assignments
Assignments
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For DIETETIC Professional Skills courses 707 and 708, you can expect 70 hours of lectures, 70 hours of tutorial, 130 hours of reading, preparing for/completing assessments and self-directed learning, and 330 hours on practical placements.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance and participation

Attendance at all scheduled classes in courses of the Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics is compulsory. This includes all lectures, tutorials, laboratories, workshops, placements, timetabled visits, and clinical/practice activities. If you are absent from a scheduled class, you must provide the course director with a medical certificate, or other evidence that supports your reason for absence. We will randomly take attendance throughout the semester and these will be unannounced and at varied times to ensure the class attends the entire session. More than 15 minutes late counts as non-attendance. In most cases, you will find it difficult to complete the placement activities if you fail to attend tutorials and workshops. Always consult your Course Director or Academic Director if you are planning overseas travel near the beginning or end of the semester.

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.

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.

SET reports have not been released yet. 

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.

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.