Course:FNH483
| Dietetic Internship I | |
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| FNH 483 | |
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| Instructor: | Karol Traviss |
| Email: | karol.traviss@ubc.ca |
| Office: | FNH 240 |
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| Classroom: | |
| Important Course Pages | |
| Syllabus | |
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Description
FNH 481, 482 and 483 are dietetic internship courses that provide opportunities for students to meet the requirements of the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP), entry to practice standards for dietitians in Canada. The three courses involve a total of 10 months of fulltime practice education placements in British Columbia dietetics profession practice settings (FNH 481 – 4 months, FNH 482 – 4 months, FNH 483 – 2 months).
Course Prerequisite
5th year standing in the Dietetics Major
Course Context
Course is required to meet graduation requirements for and is restricted to students in the Dietetics Major.
Instructor: The course curriculum is overseen by members of the UBC Dietetics Team: Karol Traviss, Senior Instructor (Dietetics Program Leader), Tamar Kafka (Dietetics Education Coordinator) and Kara Vogt (Dietetics Practice Educator). Field-based Registered Dietitians coordinate and supervise student learning experiences in practice settings, using program curricular material.
General Course Objectives
FNH 481, 482 and 483 are designed, along with campus-based professional practice courses FNH 380, 381 and 480, to meet the internship/practicum performance indicators outlined in the ICDEP document. A Competency Coverage Chart summarizes competency performance indicator coverage in the program’s professional practice and internship courses.
Format
The courses include 8 learning modules (the full set of modules and forms are posted here):
- Orientation – 1 week
- Nutrition Care I (foundational skill development) – 6 weeks
- Nutrition Care II (advanced) – 12 weeks
- Nutrition Care III (relief) – 4 weeks
- Management – 8 weeks
- Population and Public Health – 4 weeks
- Elective – 2 weeks
- Research – 2 weeks
Each module has specific performance objectives and learning activities aligned to ICDEP.
Due to scheduling logistics, individual students complete the modules in variable order.
Student Evaluation
FNH 481, like all of the program’s internship courses, is competency-based. Students are evaluated on a pass/fail basis.
Within each scheduled placement, students are evaluated by their assigned Registered Dietitian preceptor (direct supervisor of their practice education experiences). Evaluation criteria (based on the entry to practice proficiency definition in the ICDEP document) are included within module documentation. The program offers training opportunities to preceptors to support them in their role in student evaluation. Evaluation involves assessment of performance related to module-specific performance objectives as well as a summative assessment of whether the intern has successfully completed the placement. An evaluation meeting takes place between the intern and student and preceptor on the final day of placement.
In addition to preceptor evaluation, student self reflection, evaluation and goal setting are required components of each module.
Each student receives a mid-point and final evaluation during the internship year, which is prepared by the internship site’s designated internship coordinator (a health authority employee with a university clinical instructor appointment) using UBC-provided forms aligned to ICDEP.
Students failing to meet the requirements of a placement or module are referred to the site’s designated internship coordinator and members of the UBC Dietetics Team to formulate a remediation plan. In the event of ongoing performance issues, members of the Dietetics Team become involved in planning next steps, which could involve independent study, additional placement time, or in the case of severe and unresolvable issues, course failure. Due to limited placement resources available, the maximum allowable total internship extension time is typically 4 weeks.
Course Resources
Students require ongoing access to textbooks, course notes and other resources from their 3rd and 4th year dietetics courses.
Throughout the internship year, students utilize the online services of UBC and health authority libraries. Students are required to perform literature searches as needed to address emerging learning needs and the requirements of specific modules.