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Supervised Practice

Supervised Practice Hours: 

NSP 6123 Practicum I                                 Food Service                                                          180 hours

NSP 6223 Practicum II                                Food Service                                                          180 hours

NSP 6323 Practicum III                              Community                                                             180 hours

NSP 6424 Practicum IV                              Clinical                                                                      270 hours

NSP 6524 Practicum V                               Clinical                                                                      270 hours

TOTAL:    1080 hours*

* These are minimum hour requirements; totals could be slightly higher for some rotations, depending on the calendar dates and schedule.

Successful completion of each practicum, as noted in the syllabi, requires the student to:

  • Attain 75% average on all graded activities.
  • Achieve all competency requirements, including academic and professional behavior standards, with acceptable score of 3 or above on rating scale of each rotation evaluation tool
  • Fulfill all designated hour requirements. All hours will be recorded and tracked using the Typhon management system (Required element 8.1c).

If you fail to complete the required hours, you will receive an “I” until the hours are fulfilled in a timely manner, which would be before the next practicum begins. If you do not fulfill the hours, you would receive an “F.” You cannot proceed in the program, meaning you would have to drop out, apply for admission to the program again and resume at the beginning of the practicum in question, provided there is space available in the program.

Professional activities (promoted by the dietetics program) which you attend count toward supervised practice hours for the semester in which they occur. There will not always be professional activities available. These activities will be recorded in the conference log within the Typhon management system (Required element 8.1c).

Other class activities as determined to be appropriate by the program may count toward supervised practice hours. For example, case studies or simulations utilized in the classroom setting may be allowed at the discretion of the practicum instructor. Alternate activities will be noted on the evaluation and time sheet within the semester they occur using the Typhon management system (Required element 8.1c).

Preceptor Selection Criteria: Students are responsible for securing their own sites and preceptors. For students located in the areas surrounding Arkansas State University and in areas where the faculty have connections, potential preceptors and sites have been identified. Students are not required to choose these preceptors or sites. However, the number of local students accepted into the program may be limited based on local preceptor and site availability and at the discretion of the program director.    

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has created Find a Preceptor Database. The Find-a-Preceptor Database search feature allows program directors and potential or current students, who are members of the Academy, to search for and contact preceptors willing to teach students within their practice area.

Preceptors may include:

  • Registered Dietitians (RD / RDN) (Required for clinical rotations)
  • Licensed Dietitians (LD), Certified Dietitians (CDN)
  • Nutritionists
  • Registered Nurses (RN), Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
  • Physicians’ Assistants
  • Food Service Directors (Schools, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, etc.)
  • Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
  • Administrators (such as in a nursing home or assisted living)
  • Others will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that regardless of the discipline, all credentials and experience will be evaluated for appropriateness and relevance to the rotation and experiences the student will be completing. There are some experiences that you are required to complete, that must be supervised by Registered Dietitians, but in other cases the preceptor may be a member of a team that is involved in nutrition and dietetics issues with patients or clients.

A-State does not require you to have preceptors identified as a part of the application process, but a list of preceptors must be provided to the program director before you begin your first program course. Faculty will evaluate potential preceptors within 1-2 weeks to determine if they are appropriate. Upon approval, the program director will initiate the affiliation agreement process with the preceptor and site and obtain resumes, CVs, copies of professional credentials, and Preceptor Qualification forms (Appendix).resumes.  

General Selection Criteria for Supervised Practice Preceptors:

  1. Preceptors must have the education and experience needed to provide appropriate guidance for supervised practice experiences. Preceptors must be licensed, as appropriate to meet state and federal regulations, or credentialed, as needed, for the area in which they are supervising students.
    1. Clinical preceptors, for Practicum IV (in-patient acute, subacute, long-term care, outpatient) and Practicum V (in-patient acute, subacute, long-term care, outpatient) are required to be RDs. Community preceptor may be either an RD or hold a nutrition-related position.
    2. The food service preceptors may be extension personnel, a food service manager or supervisor, a Certified Dietary Manager, or a professional with a health promotion background. The RD credential is not required.
    3. For all rotations: The preceptor and/or another RD on staff must be available the
      entire time of the rotation.
  2. A prospective preceptor must demonstrate the desire to take on the extra responsibility of students including assignments, teaching, mentoring, evaluations and time management skills.
  3. A prospective preceptor must demonstrate communication skills (orally and written) and
    collaborate with the program director and faculty on a continual basis.
  4. A prospective preceptor must demonstrate good people skills and the desire, patience, and understanding to teach students the required knowledge and skills.
  5. A prospective preceptor must support the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics practice standards and changes and preferably is a member of the Academy, if an RD.

A prospective preceptor must be willing to use the Typhon system for tracking hours and completing student evaluations.

 

Rotation Site Guidelines: Students complete 1,080 supervised practice hours: 360 in foodservice settings, 180 in community settings, and 540 in clinical settings. All rotations/hours should be in person. Telehealth positions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Potential Sites for Food Service: The food service management (FSM) rotation will be a facility that will provide the student with exposure to multiple aspects of food service management. FSM rotations may be completed at a hospital, long-term care facility, school nutrition services program, or university dining service. Other food service sites can provide food service hours but check with the program director if you are unsure.

Potential Sites for Community Nutrition: The community rotation should be completed at a facility with a primary focus on nutrition and community/public health. Recommended community sites include, but are not limited to: SNAP, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Food Distribution Program (food bank), WIC, Commodity Supplemental Food program, Congregate and Home-Delivered Meal Programs, and grocery stores with dietitians on staff. Other community nutrition sites can provide community nutrition hours but check with the program director if you are unsure.

Potential Sites for Clinical Nutrition: Clinical rotations will be at a facility that exposes the student to a variety of experiences with different disease states. Recommended facilities include: large hospitals, small community hospitals, or long-term care facilities, outpatient center, or dialysis center. At the end of the rotation, the student will be able to function as staff relief with minimal supervision. The student should be able to spend a minimum of two weeks at any clinical site.  Other clinical nutrition sites can provide clinical nutrition hours but check with the program director if you are unsure. The clinical facility or facilities must be able to provide the student with access to all the activities to meet the clinical competencies.

Vaccination & Health Requirements: Many sites require proof of vaccinations and an annual TB skin test. The program must have proof of vaccination for MMR, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and an annual TB skin test.

**While Arkansas State University encourages students to get the vaccination for COVID-19, Arkansas State University does not require proof of vaccination for COVID-19 for students to receive educational services.  However, many student activities may involve travel to other non-campus locations or participation in programs governed by rules that are not imposed by Arkansas State University. For example, these may include participating in clinical rotations at off campus health care sites or participation in athletic events governed by conference rules. Students need to be aware that in addition to other requirements that may be imposed on them, these activities may require that students present proof that they are vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate. **

**Failure to comply with any site requirement may result in delay of program progression or graduation.  The program is not obligated to find alternative placement sites due to a student’s failure to follow site requirements. **

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