Course:FNH380

Professional Dietetics Practice I
FNH 380
Section:
Instructor:	Karol Traviss
Email:	karol.traviss@ubc.ca
Office:	FNH 240
Office Hours:	Tues 12-3pm
Class Schedule:	Fri 12:00-1:50pm
Classroom:	FNH 50
Important Course Pages
	Syllabus
	Lecture Notes
	Assignments
	Course Discussion

Syllabus

File:FNH 380.pdf

Course Description

FNH 380 is a one-credit, one-term course, required for all students in the Dietetics Major. It includes guest speakers, discussions, and assignments that introduce students to the dietetics profession, expose them to dietetic practice environments and interprofessional teamwork, and assist them in establishing a personal learning plan to work towards achieving competencies for entry level dietetic practice.

Rationale

To successfully complete an accredited dietetics program, students must achieve national entry to practice competencies, as outlined in the document, Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP). All students should familiarize themselves with this document (http://pdep.ca/files/Final_ICDEP_April_2013_(1).pdf). The components of the ICDEP addressed in professional practice and internship courses are highlighted in the UBC program competency coverage chart.

The UBC Dietetics professional practice courses (FNH 380, 381, and 480) expose students to foundational knowledge and skill building activities during the campus component of the program to prepare them for the internship year and entry to professional practice. The courses emphasize collaborative and reflective approaches, which are essential for practice.

Format

This is a mixed-mode delivery course featuring lectures, workshops, and applied assignments. Hour 1 is instructor-planned and Hour 2 is a student-led tutorial designed to promote reflection and engagement related to the profession.

Required Course Resource

NOTE: In lieu of a course text book, all students in the course are required to become student members with the Dietitians of Canada (http://www.dietitians.ca/About-Us/Become-A-Member/Overview.aspx). Resources from Dietitians of Canada will be referred to regularly during the course. Note: there is a fee associated with membership.

Additional course resources are posted on the Connect website, accessible via http://elearning.ubc.ca/connect/. Please check back regularly as resources will be added throughout the term.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Utilize a blog to share a professional profile, reflections, and key accomplishments;
Utilize communication and collaboration skills in the planning and oversight of a 50-minute in-class tutorial;
Describe key features of the Dietetics Major, including the internship component;
Describe the roles and responsibilities of dietitians in various practice settings;
Compare and contrast the communication, food preparation, and meal service procedures in acute and residential care facilities;
Identify benefits and challenges of, and strategies for enhancing inter-professional team work in health care;
Strategize to address common dilemmas arising in dietetic practice due to personal beliefs and experiences;
Demonstrate awareness of the client experience of being diagnosed with and living with a nutrition-related disease or condition;
Apply knowledge of the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice towards development of a self-assessment and learning plan;
Describe the function of and opportunities for involvement in key regulatory and professional organizations related to dietetics;
Reflect upon the value of networking with peers who are future professional colleagues;
Utilize peer review to refine approaches to professional work.

Course Schedule

Class	Topic	Speaker(s)
1	Introductions and orientations to the course Planning for Hour 2 tutorial sessions	Karol Traviss
N/A	Optional blog setup tutorial (room FNH 40)	Duncan McHugh
2	Orientation to the Dietetics Major	Karol Traviss
3	Professional associations and the dietetics student	Sonja Kupka (Dietitians of Canada) and student organization reps
4	The experience of being a patient/client	Guest facilitator and Sarah Makepeace
5	Working effectively with patients/clients	Karol Traviss
6	Role of dietitians in community/public health Strategies for dealing with dilemmas arising in practice related to personal beliefs or experiences (small group discussions using case studies)	Barbara Crocker (Vancouver Coastal Health) and Karol Traviss
7	Role of the clinical dietitian in acute, residential and clinical settings	Frances Johnson and RDs (Providence Health)
8	Role of dietitians in population health Strategies for dealing with dilemmas arising in practice related to personal beliefs or experiences (small group discussions using case studies), cont.	Lisa Forster-Coull (BC Ministry of Health) and Karol Traviss
9	Site visit debriefing Role of the dietitian in foodservice administration	Tiffany Yeung (Sodexo)
10	Unique roles for dietitians	Nicole Fetterly (Choices Market) and Vashti Verbowski (Private Practice)
11	Interprofessional activities debriefing (panel discussion)	Student panel
12	Key concepts in being part of a regulated health profession	Fern Hubbard (College of Dietitians of BC)
13	Course wrap-up	Karol Traviss

Assignments

Assignments and due dates are summarized below. See written assignments for additional details. All assignments are due at the end of the day on the due date (i.e., midnight).

Assignment	Due Date
1. Dietetics Blog Students prepare a professional practice course blog to introduce themselves to the class community, and share a professional profile, reflections, and key accomplishments. Blog is used in FNH 380, 381, and 480.	Blog setup: Friday September 20, 2013 Posts and uploads: per individual assignment requirements
2. Tutorial Session Leadership Working in small groups, students plan and oversee one of the Hour 2 course tutorial sessions during the term.	Review and discuss plan with course instructor one week prior to scheduled session Lead tutorial session: Schedule to be determined on day 1 of class Blog post: Monday following scheduled session
3. Interprofessional Reflections Students enroll in the College of Health Disciplines Interprofessional Passport program and participate in and reflect upon at least two interprofessional education activities during the term (one assigned and one chosen by the students).	Blog post (Health Interprofessional Mixer): Monday September 23, 2013 Blog post (activity 2 - student chosen): Friday November 8, 2013 note: if the chosen activity is later in the term than this, please contact the course instructor to request an extension
4. Networking Reflections Assigned pairs (or triads) of students network with an assigned year 4 mentor at least one meeting to help them transition into the program and make the best of their learning experience.	Blog post: Friday October 4, 2013
5. Site Visit In groups, students visit either an acute or residential care site where they meet with a dietitian and/or manager and learn about communication, food preparation, and meal service procedures as well as dietitian roles.	Draft report to host sites: Friday October 18, 2013 Final report from your group to be posted on your Dietetics Blog by Friday October 25, 2013, along with your personal reflections
6. Self-Assessment and Learning Plan Students perform a self-assessment of their knowledge and skills against the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice and develop a learning plan for the academic year with peer input.	Swap self assessments and draft learning plans with networking partner: Friday November 1, 2013 Required items under the Learning Plan page and the Experiences page must be posted on your Dietetics Blog by Friday November 22, 2013
7. Reflective Self-Evaluation Students reflect upon their achievements in relation to the course learning outcomes and articulate plans for further learning.	Friday November 29, 2013

Evaluation and Grading Procedures

Student performance in this course is evaluated on a pass/fail basis, in alignment with how competency attainment is assessed during the internship year. To pass the course, students must:

Attend all classes:
- as a reminder, attendance is mandatory at professional practice courses
- please arrange personal appointments and activities so you can be in class for the scheduled time
- if you are seriously ill or have a similarly significant reason for being absent, contact the course instructor (in the event of illness, medical documentation will be required)
Be punctual (it is unprofessional and disruptive to class guests to arrive late)
Actively participate in all course activities
Contribute in an equitable manner to assigned group work
Complete all assignments to a professional standard (stated criteria met)
Consistently demonstrate professional practice and communication competencies (as dietetics is a professional program, to remain in good standing, students must demonstrate appropriate professional behaviour at all times - see Policy 1.15, and behave in accordance with the document, Required Skills and Abilities for Students in the UBC Dietetics Major).