module specification

Placement 1 is a 2 week placement providing the opportunity for students to observe and begin to develop core skills in implementing the dietetic care process with individuals in a variety of settings.
Students should normally attend 100% of the placement. If sickness results in absence from placement, students will be expected to make up an agreed number of hours or repeat the placement, subject to discussion between the HEI and lead practice educator. This will take into account current performance and potential effects on future progression.  Any occupational health requirements related to prolonged sickness absence should be managed through the HEI provision.

Brief Guidance Notes:

• Students will work the same hours as a full time member of staff.  Some flexibility may be required to allow for out of hours work. Students should normally have 3 hours per week as dedicated study time.
• Students should normally attend 100% of the placement. If sickness results in absence from placement, students will be expected to make up an agreed number of hours or repeat the placement, subject to discussion between the HEI and lead practice educator. This will take into account current performance and potential effects on future progression.  Any occupational health requirements related to prolonged sickness absence should be managed through the HEI provision.
• Where significant health problems have arisen an occupational health assessment will be required at any time prior to or during the placement.
• Student services are available to provide counselling and other support mechanisms as required. Students will have to take action on advice from their placement and university staff.
• If students have additional learning needs identified on placement such as a requirement for maths study skills or have specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia they will be required to take appropriate remedial action prior to their next placement placement. Guidance and support will be offered by the university through the Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) and placement tutor.
• Students who have requirements which impact on their ability to take up placements in particular locations (due to a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act (2010)) should register with the university’s Disability and Dyslexia Service as recommendations relating to reasonable adjustments made by this service will also be considered at the time the student is selected for allocation.  Placements have experience of managing additional needs and reasonable adjustments will be put in place.
• Students have the opportunity to indicate on their placement application form any carer responsibilities which may impact their ability to take up specific placements.  Students must provide details of their carer responsibilities and provide supporting evidence to their Placement Tutor prior to the point of allocation.  Students should outline clearly how their carer responsibilities impact on their placement selection and what features are required of the placement.  Providing this information will not guarantee that the student will be allocated to one of their preferences but the student’s circumstances will be considered at the time the student is selected for allocation.
• This module does not provide academic credit but successful completion is an essential requirement of the course to ensure that students are eligible to apply to the register of health and care professionals on completion of BSc (Hons) Dietetics and Nutrition/PG Diploma Dietetics and Nutrition.
• Students are not usually eligible for a repeat attempt of Placement 1. If an individual student fails to achieve the learning outcomes of placement 1 the student should be counselled and advised on an alternative course route.

All students
I. Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Catering from the Charted Institute of Environmental Health Officers or an equivalent qualification. 
II. A current enhanced DBS Certificate for the Adults' and Children's Workforce which has checked both the Adults' and the Children's Barred Lists.
III. Cleared for non-EPP activities by an approved Occupational Health Service.

Students should normally have passed:
Undergraduate
HN4005  Human Nutrition for Dietitians     
DI5050 Catering and Infection Control*
Postgraduate
NF7039, Nutrition, Food Science and Catering*

* For the purposes of eligibility for Placement 1 a provisional pass prior to Subject Standards Board approval will be accepted.

 The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. Specifically it aims to provide students with opportunities to observe and understand the required knowledge, skills and professional attributes to implement nutrition & dietetic care with individuals in a variety of settings.  It also aims to provide students with the opportunity to  practice skills at an appropriate level in the application of the nutrition & dietetic care process.
Furthermore this module also aims to provide students with the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility.

The specified learning outcomes will be developed around a framework based on the following subject matter:

• Observation of the use of the Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process by Dietitians, with individuals in a variety of settings
• Observation of how Dietitians interpret current professional conduct documents through their dietetic practice and opportunity to demonstrate professional behaviour
• Development of skills in gathering information for use in the assessment stage of the Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process

 Students will be guided in their learning using a combination of observation, guided tasks and activities, private study, discussion and feedback

In relation to patient/client assessment phase, students will be able to:

1. Show awareness of the sources of information available to be used by dietitians
2. Identify how a dietitian selects and utilises appropriate information from a range of sources 
3. Demonstrate appropriate skills in gathering information from a range of appropriate sources

In relation to the nutrition & dietetic diagnosis, students will be able to:

4. Show  awareness of how the dietitian uses the information gathered and critical thinking to formulate and justify a nutrition & dietetic diagnosis

In relation to patient/client intervention, planning and implementation, students will be able to:

5. Explain how the dietitian uses information gathered and critical thinking to formulate and justify dietetic management goals
6. Explain how the dietitian uses information gathered and critical thinking to develop and implement a dietetic action plan to achieve the management goals

In relation to monitoring and evaluation, students will be able to:

7. Explain how the dietitian reviews, monitor and evaluates dietetic interventions.

In relation to professional attributes, students will:

8. Demonstrate consistent professional behaviour in accordance with the legal and ethical boundaries of the dietetic profession and the requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council

 In order to pass Placement 1 the student must have successfully met the learning outcomes through attendance and completion of the associated activities.
The student must demonstrate this through the completion of a portfolio (word count?) containing:
- Evidence of observed professional practice
- Documentation from a facilitated case discussion including a completed Nutrition and Dietetic  Care plan and supervisor evaluation
- Evidence of completion of activities relating to gathering information for use in the assessment  stage of the Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process
- A reflective piece regarding learning from Placement 1

Students are not usually eligible for a repeat attempt at Placement 1. If an individual student fails to achieve the learning outcomes of placement 1 the student should be counselled and advised on an alternative course route.

British Dietetic Association (2008) Code of Professional Conduct (Online) Available at https://www.bda.uk.com/publications/professional/code_of_conduct_bda_2008 (Accessed at 10 June 2013)
Food Standards Agency (2002) McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods. Sixth Summary Edition. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
Gandy J (2014) Manual of Dietetic Practice, 5th Edition, Wiley-Blackwell
Donaldson, R.J. (2002) Essential Food Hygiene. London: The Royal Society of Health.
Health & Care Professions Council (2013) Standards of Proficiency – Dietitians [Online].  Available at:  http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/1000050CStandards_of_Proficiency_Dietitians.pdf (Accessed: 10 June 2013)
Health Professions Council (2008) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics [Online].  Available at:  http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10003B6EStandardsofconduct,performanceandethics.pdf (Accessed: 10 June 2013)
British Dietetic Association (2012) Model and Process for Nutrition and Dietetic Practice [Online].  Available at http://members.bda.uk.com/profdev/profpractice/modeldieteticpractice/ModelProcessDieteticPractice.pdf (Accessed: 10 June 2013)

<<follow the above referencing style for websites too.. ?
e.g. Hpc-uk.org, (2014). HCPC - Homepage (Health and Care Professions Council). [online] Available at: http://www.hpc-uk.org/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2014].
Tool to use: https://www.citethisforme.com/