Unit rationale, description and aim
In this final full-time practice placement unit students will be provided with the opportunity to take a tangible step towards their dietetics career path. Students will be expected to demonstrate consolidation of theoretical and practical learning through practising competently in a placement environment of interest. In addition, this unit will support students to present completed work in a conference format where students will be expected to prepare an abstract for consideration by the student-led conference organising committee and then submit work of a publishable standard. Students will also be expected to establish a relationship with a mentor and construct a plan for ongoing professional development following completion of their course. This unit aims to support students to demonstrate final competence required for entry-level practice as a dietitian, and who are ready to enter the workforce.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Consistently demonstrate the dietetic practice att...
Learning Outcome 01
Demonstrate an advanced solution-focused approach ...
Learning Outcome 02
Prepare and present on work at a professional, pub...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
This unit includes topics related to the development and demonstration of professional dietetic practice and competence according to the Accreditation Standards of Dietitians Australia. These are described under the heading ‘Building professional dietetic practice’ in each unit outline and build on topics delivered synchronously and progressively throughout the degree. Students will have opportunities for collecting evidence of competence in these areas.
Building professional dietetic practice
- reflection and evaluation of practice, peer support and assessment
- acknowledges, reflects and understands own values, beliefs, attitudes, biases and assumptions privilege and power, at the individual and systems level, and their influence on practice
- scope of practice and standards of care, codes of conduct
- continuing professional development
- attributes (empathy, flexibility, adaptability, resilience, ethical, respectful, demonstrates integrity, honesty, fairness, critical thinker)
- workload and time management, prioritising workload
- excellence of practice
- feedback cycles
- client-centred approach to practice
- digital literacy/technological proficiency
- culturally safe and responsive practice (requiring emotional, spiritual and cultural intelligence)
- active listening, interpersonal and interviewing skills
- collaboration and communication skills with stakeholders
- systematically acquires, evaluates and applies findings into practice
- appropriate decision-making
- critical, proactive problem-solving approach to practice
- reflection of own personal health and wellbeing
- communication skills for conflict resolution
- taking responsibility for own actions
- documenting in accordance with accepted industry standards
- resource, team worker, leader
- appropriate nutrition diagnoses/decision-making
- client-centred approach to practice
- peer education, sharing new knowledge
- competent practising dietitian - consolidation
Expanding the role of the dietitian
This unit requires the completion of 30 days of placement and participation in 4-day student-lead conference. Content delivery is arranged as required to support these placements and the underpinning theoretical components. This content includes:
Project planning
- Conference’ organisation
- Conference presentation skills
Lifelong learning, supervision, and mentor-mentee
Both professional practice and performance will be directed by the university and the appointed placement supervisor at the host organisation, through a pre-defined and monitored set of criteria which encompass:
- ability to perform elements of individual case management of clients, completion of defined project or project element/s, or other defined placement activity
- professional practices/attributes to be demonstrated whilst undertaking the experience
- ability to seek, respond to and provide feedback from clients (carers etc.) the healthcare team, the community, other stakeholders, and supervisors
- overall student performance throughout the placement
Assessment strategy and rationale
Three assessment tasks are sequenced to progressively support students' learning and development of professional competence through authentic assessment.
Assessment task 1 (graded hurdle) is an extension of the professional practice portfolio where, in addition to continuing to collect evidence of developing professional competence to practice, students will reflect on the final assessment of placement and articulate plans for lifelong learning, supervision and mentoring required to become a Provisional Accredited Practising Dietitian. This task is a hurdle to ensure students demonstrate the competency standards required by Dietitians Australia.
Assessment task 2 requires students to constructively apply their learning and feedback to apply theoretical knowledge through provision of a major case study associated to professional practice placement.
Assessment task 3 is an extension of assessment task two, and requires students to demonstrate their ability to synthesise, prepare and present their work at a publishable standard at a conference.
There are two ungraded hurdle requirements for this unit: attendance and participation in the student-led conference at the end of semester, and the successful completion of 30 days of professional practice placement.
Overview of assessments
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate that they have achieved each learning outcome, passed any graded or ungraded hurdle tasks and obtained a total mark of 50% in the unit as the minimum standard.
Completing 100% of placement hours is a requirement to pass this unit. Students are required to submit a medical certificate or statutory declaration for any professional experience placement hours missed. An interim grade of “IP” will be made if 100% attendance at the professional experience placement is not achieved.
Assessment 1: Professional practice portfolio (Gr...
Assessment 1: Professional practice portfolio (Graded hurdle)
Enables students to gather evidence to demonstrate competence to practice, and critically reflect on supervisor’s report of placement.
*Graded hurdle
20%
Assessment 2: Multimedia case study assessment t...
Assessment 2: Multimedia case study assessment task
Enables students to demonstrate their advanced ability to plan and implement interventions to improve food and nutrition-related health.
40%
Assessment 3: Multimedia assessment task Enable...
Assessment 3: Multimedia assessment task
Enable students to demonstrate their ability to synthesis, prepare and present their work at a publishable standard.
40%
Ungraded hurdles
Ungraded hurdles
Successful completion of 30 days of placement
Successful completion of 30 days of placement
**Ungraded hurdle
Participation and attendance at student-lead conf...
Participation and attendance at student-lead conference
***Ungraded hurdle
*If a student has not achieved a mark of ≥ 50% for the graded hurdle, one re-attempt may be offered to allow demonstration of an appropriate level of competency. The offer of one re-submission will only be made if the student has also successfully completed the ungraded professional practice placement hurdle.
**If a student has not successfully completed the placement ungraded hurdle, additional placement time (up to one third of total placement time) may be offered to allow demonstration of an appropriate level of competency.
*** If a student does not attend or participate in the Student-led conference, the next opportunity to successfully pass the ungraded hurdle will be offered when the unit is next offered.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The unit theory will be delivered prior to practice placement. The placement component of this unit will be delivered intensively over 6 weeks. Work related to major assessments from this placement will be presented at the end of semester during ‘conference week’. The learning and teaching strategy adopted aligns with the sequencing of the learning outcomes and consists of three interlinked stages that are designed to provide students with a rich learning experience. The unit begins with approaches designed to support further consolidation of specialist knowledge in project planning as students complete preliminary planning for their final ‘conference week’ that will take place at the end of the teaching and placement period. Following this, students will complete their final practice placement, reflection and professional practice portfolio, before participating in the conference planning and participation. The approaches used to facilitate students’ learning include online modules and face-face workshops, practice placement and conference. Overall, the approaches used in this unit have a constructively aligned developmental sequence designed to progressively, and logically, support students learning in ways that maximise the perceived (and actual) relevance and value of each stage. As an overarching strategy, this is expected to engender high levels of engagement, efficiency, and effectiveness in students’ study behaviours, and to maximise their learning achievements. This strategy and approaches will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit. Learning and teaching approaches will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in learning activities.