Course description
Programme description
Taught modules cover Diet Therapy, Principles of Clinical Science & Therapeutics, Communication & Health Promotion, Professional Practice, Advanced Diet Therapy & Medicine, Food Service & Catering Management and Management Health & Social Policy.
In addition, you will undertake three practical placements, December to January (four weeks), May to July (12 weeks) and October to December (12 weeks). Your first two placements will be followed by a consolidation period and the last by final exams. Successful completion of examinations and placements will make you eligible for registration as a dietitian in the UK.
Students on the MSc programme will complete a research project between January and July.
Programme format and assessment
Core lectures; tutorials; interactive seminars; food service and diet therapy practicals; case study-based learning. Assessed by coursework, presentations and written examinations; portfolio-based placement assessment.
Programme modules for MSc, PG Dip Dietetics
Advanced Diet Therapy & Medicine (Core Module)
The Module aims to develop students' understanding of the management of more complex clinical conditions, and their knowledge of appropriate dietetic practice. Following the college-based course and placement the student should understand the basis for medical and dietary management of patients with clinical problems affecting the GI tract, renal and hepato-biliary system, with multiple pathologies, those who have undergone surgery and trauma, those in special care conditions, and paediatric disorders. The students should also be able to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate nutritional care and dietetic advice for patients and clients with the above conditions.
Diet Therapy (Core Module)
Aims: - to provide students with an insight into the practice of diet therapy and prepare them for clinical placement. - to equip students with an understanding of the rationale behind the modification of dietary intake and how these modifications can be applied in the prevention, investigation and treatment of disease. At the end of the course the student should: 1. Understand the reasons for modifications of food and nutrient intake which may be necessary for the investigation, prevention and/or management of disease. 2. Understand the principles of dietary assessment in a clinical context and be able to take a diet history. 3. Be able to prepare simple nutrition care plans; to plan diets and modify menus and recipes to provide appropriate dietary advice for patients according to individual requirements and disease state. 4. Be familiar with all routes of feeding including enteral and parenteral feeding methods. 5. Be familiar with the range of special dietary products available including products for enteral and parenteral feeding and be able to integrate these into patient feeding plans.
Food Service & Catering Management (Core Module)
The module aims to equip the students with a knowledge of basic food preparation methods, meal planning and food service systems and the management procedures needed to ensure provision of safe, nutritious food. After studying the course the student should: 1. Understand the principles of catering management within the NHS. 2. Be aware of the differing methods of food service and implications for the nutritional quality and safety of food. 3. Be aware of nutritional standards for catering services and how they are developed, implemented and monitored. 4. Be aware of the provision in the UK for feeding the elderly and school children. 5. Understand the principles of menu planning for different situations and groups of people and be aware of the cost implications of food/ingredient choices. 6. Be in possession of the Basic Food Hygiene Certificate of the CIEH. and be competent in : 1. Basic cooking skills 2. Choice of foods for meals UK style and for ethnic groups 3. Choice of foods re healthy eating policies 4. Portion size estimation 5. Nutrient content estimation
Health Promotion & Communication Studies (Core Module)
Aims: - To provide students with an insight into theoretical framework of effective communication. - to facilitate the development of practical skills in communicating with individuals, groups and other health professionals. - to enable students to integrate ideas from educational theory and the study of communication techniques into the specific context of health promotion. At the end of the course the students will: 1. have an understanding of the nature and importance of communication skills in health care practice , including inter-professional communication. 2. develop practical skills in communication for use in their dietetic practice; including oral communication with groups; written communication appropriate to different situations including medical notes. 3. be able to identify barriers to communication and ways in which these can be overcome. 4. begin to assess their own effectiveness as communicators and develop strategies to facilitate personal development in this area. 5. be aware of educational theories and models of health behaviour related to patient learning and the development of health promotion strategies. 6. be aware of the range of visual aids available and demonstrate the ability to select the most appropriate for a particular situation. 7. be aware of the organisation of health education and health promotion services in the UK. 8. be able to prepare material for use in a health education context. 9. be able to plan and give a short presentation on a nutritional topic designed for a lay audience.
Management, Health & Social Policy (Core Module)
Aims: - to promote an understanding of the social factors that shape an individual's lifestyle, the health and social policy issues which relate to these and the administrative implications of specific policy options. - to introduce students to management theories and the organisation and management of the National Health Service. After studying the course the students should: 1. Be familiar with the trends related to the demographic, social and economic aspects of life in Britain, particularly those aspects which impinge directly on health. 2. be familiar with the current system of provision for health care, education and social services (including funding, organisation and entitlement). 3. have considered critically alternative options for provision of services with specific reference to systems used in other member states of the EC. 4. Understand the functions of management. 5. Be aware of techniques of effective management, personal and institutional. 6. Have some insight into the organisation of the National Health Service and its management procedures in relation to business planning, tendering and contracting, quality, standards, audit and clinical governance.
Principles of Clinical Science and Therapeutics (Core Module)
This unit will enable students to develop an understanding of how disease is caused, investigated and managed, and show how dietary treatment is integrated into all forms of management. At the end of the course students should: 1. have an understanding of the health/disease continuum and the difference between aetiology and risk factors. 2. have an understanding of the pathological processes leading to common conditions and appreciate the different methods of disease classification and their uses. 3. understand the ways in which patients are investigated to achieve a diagnosis and be able to critically review the underlying scientific evidence for diagnostic tests. 4. develop a detailed knowledge of diseases which routinely require dietary management. 5. be familiar with medical abbreviations and terminology. 6. understand how drugs can be used in the treatment of disease. 7. know the functions and contraindications of drugs used in the treatment of conditions which also require dietary management. 8. understand how drugs used in the management of conditions requiring dietary modification can modify the activity of various body systems and how this can give side effects. 9. have an understanding of the framework of medical care and the role of therapeutic dietetics to enable effective interaction with other members of the medical team.
Professional Practice for Dietitians (Core Module)
Professional Practice aims to introduce students to the attitudes, skills and behaviour required of healthcare professionals in relation to patients, the public and fellow professionals. This involves both lectures and three clinical placements (A, B and C). In addition to discipline specific material, this course will include Inter-Professional Education (IPE) with post-graduate students from other disciplines (medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy). IPE aims to: - Give an overview of the role and impact of communication between health professionals and patients and relatives - Introduce the key ethical concepts of confidentiality, truth telling and autonomy. - Demonstrate the explicit link between ethical practice and effective communication. - Outline some of the problems in communication between healthcare professionals, patients and relatives. - Outline how communications between health professionals and patients effect patient outcomes. At the end of this course the student will: - understand the meaning of professional behaviour in a healthcare context; including the requirements of the Dietitians Board Statement of Conduct and key ethical concepts such as confidentiality. - be aware of the different roles of Registered Dietitians. - be aware of the importance of evidence-based practice in dietetics - understand the principles and purpose of research, audit, evaluation and systematic reviews in clinical nutrition & dietetic practice. - have the knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of dietetics in acute and community settings. - be competent to practice as a dietitian having achieved the outcomes related to the key characteristics described by the Dietitians Board of the Health Professions Council.
Research Project - Dietetics
This comprises a major piece of research. The aim is to introduce students to the design, execution and analysis of individual research. The project is presented as a written research report. Research usually begins in January of the second year (after the written exams), and the report is submitted in July.
