Handbook

Core requirement

Students must be able to manage their own responses and behaviour to work effectively in a range of learning environments with diverse people and tasks. This includes the capacity to be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback. Students should also be able to work with others in a team or group environment and make and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals in order to complete tasks or for professional practice.

See also Student behaviours policy for more information.

Course-specific requirement

Dietetics students will work collaboratively with peers in classroom environments, and with a range of stakeholders in professional placement settings. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and those they interact with, there are a number of expectations that must be demonstrated during the course to signal their ability to perform in a workplace setting. Students are expected to seek, respond to and provide effective feedback. They must demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and resilience, and they are expected to accept responsibility for and manage, implement and evaluate their own emotions, personal health and wellbeing. Students must demonstrate professional conduct and accept responsibility for their own actions.  They should consistently demonstrate reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors. Students are expected to demonstrate integrity, honesty and fairness, and to use negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

Dietetics students will work collaboratively with peers in classroom environments, and with a range of stakeholders in professional placement settings. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and those they interact with, there are a number of expectations that must be demonstrated during the course to signal their ability to perform in a workplace setting. Students are expected to seek, respond to and provide effective feedback. They must demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and resilience, and they are expected to accept responsibility for and manage, implement and evaluate their own emotions, personal health and wellbeing. Students must demonstrate professional conduct and accept responsibility for their own actions.  They should consistently demonstrate reflective practice in collaboration with supervisors, peers and mentors. Students are expected to demonstrate integrity, honesty and fairness, and to use negotiation and conflict-resolution skills when required. Students should acknowledge, reflect on and understand their own culture, values, beliefs, attitudes, biases, assumptions, privilege and power and their influence on practice. The must work respectfully with diverse clients in choosing culturally safe and responsive strategies to suit the goals, lived experiences and environment of clients.

 https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/maintaining-professional-standards/ncs/

Core requirement

Students must be able to locate, acquire, retain and apply knowledge as part of their learning and for assessment. They must have the ability to sustain their attention over a designated period, maintain their focus in a variety of learning environments and remember information long enough to complete tasks in a reasonable and safe timeframe.

Course-specific requirement

Dietitians and dietetics students require focus and sustained attention in all work activities. For example, in an individual case management setting, students will be required to gather information from a range of sources (clients, other health professionals, medical notes, peer-reviewed literature and practice guidelines) to inform their nutrition care plans. This involves application of a range of skills in tasks that are sustained over significant periods of time. To successfully complete their studies and perform as dietitians, students will be required to demonstrate that they can: (1) systematically search for, evaluate, interpret and apply findings from food, nutrition, dietetic, social, behavioural and education sciences into dietetic practice; (2) apply problem-solving skills to create realistic solutions to nutrition problems or issues; (3) collect, analyse and interpret relevant health, medical, cultural, social, psychological, economic, personal, environmental, dietary intake, food systems and sustainability data when assessing nutritional issues of clients; (4) collect, analyse and interpret qualitative and quantitative research, evaluation and quality management data.

https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/maintaining-professional-standards/ncs/

Core requirement

Students should possess the ability to interact with visual, auditory or tactile inputs sufficiently to manage their learning environment and to meet professional performance needs.

Course-specific requirement

Dietetics students require sufficient visual acuity to assess nutritional status of clients. They require sufficient ability to interact with visual as well as auditory and tactile inputs to identify and assess risks, incidents and errors to maintain personal and client safety. Dietetics students require sufficient auditory ability to engage in effective active listening, interviewing and interpersonal skills. They require sufficient tactile ability and visual acuity to undertake physical patient assessments and to manipulate and assess the sensory characteristics of food.

 https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/maintaining-professional-standards/ncs/

Core requirement

Gross motor skills: Students should possess the strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs.

Fine motor skills: Students should possess the manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs.

Course-specific requirement

Dietetics students are required to utilise a range of relevant technology and equipment efficiently, effectively and safely. This includes participating in food preparation activities using manual equipment (eg. knives) as well as large appliances. Students are also required to complete anthropometric measurements using a range of equipment requiring fine motor skills such as calipers and tape measures, and gross motor skills such as stadiometers.

https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/maintaining-professional-standards/ncs/

Applicants will be required to hold a valid Police Check which is renewed annually. Students will have access to a reduced fee when applying via a La Trobe University provider. For more information on what a police check entails, refer to the Victoria Police website.

Prior to commencing a placement, students are required to meet all of the requirements of the degree in relation to immunisation. Students must visit a medical practitioner who will complete and sign the Immunisation and Health Record form.

Depending on a students immunisation history, the overall costs for vaccination may be up to AUD$1030. Students are responsible for all costs incurred. Further information will be provided post enrolment.

Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC). There is no cost for a volunteer WWCC. For more information and costs refer to the Working with Children Check Victoria website.

Prior to commencing a placement, students may be required to complete a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) worker screening check. For information please refer to the Services Victoria website. Further information will be provided post enrolment.