Unit Synopsis
This unit will explore the pathophysiology, clinical features and nutritional management of malnutrition and chronic diseases that you are likely to encounter in acute and ambulatory care settings as a future dietitian. These include nutrition deficiencies, weight management, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Within this unit, you will learn how to apply and translate clinical theories and evidence into practical nutritional care. Through the application of medical nutrition therapy within the nutrition care process, you will learn how to manage various medical conditions. You will spend a minimum of 20 days in placement.. During your placement, you will apply the theory and knowledge gained from your studies to deliver real "person-centred care". You will acquire the skills necessary for competency in the delivery of medical nutrition therapy to a level of safe practice that is deemed suitable for an entry-level dietitian. You will learn how to work respectfully with diverse clients to manage medical cases and recommend culturally safe and responsive strategies and interventions that suit client's needs and empower them to make informed health choices and return to a state of health and wellness.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 9 |
| Credit Points | 12 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.25 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Co-requisite:
Pre-requisite:
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. In-class Test(s) | 40% |
| 2. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | 30% |
| 3. Case Study | 30% |
| 4. Professional Practice Placement | 0% |
| 5. Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books | 0% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
No previous feedback available
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the role of nutrition in the pathophysiology and management of medical conditions in acute and ambulatory care settings
- Apply appropriate clinical nutrition assessment and screening tools
- Formulate individualised oral, enteral and parenteral nutrition support plans and behaviour change interventions
- Formulate appropriate nutrition care plans in the timely management of medical conditions in acute and ambulatory care settings
- Accurately document nutrition care plans consistent with industry and medical standards
- Apply the Nutrition Care Process within a nutrition care setting to demonstrate competency for entry-level dietetic practice as outlined in the National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia
- Demonstrate safe, professional, culturally appropriate, and ethical practice in communicating and working with First Nations Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse clients, other professionals and a variety of stakeholders.
- Domain 1: Professional Practice
- Domain 2: Expert Practice
- Domain 3: Research Practice
- Domain 4: Collaborative Practice
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - In-class Test(s) | • | • | • | ||||
| 2 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Case Study | • | • | • | ||||
| 4 - Professional Practice Placement | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| 5 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books | • | • | |||||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Communication | • | • | • | • | |||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 5 - Self-management | • | ||||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |