NUTR29012 - Dietetics Practice and Communication

Showing: 2026 HE Term 1
General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit extends your knowledge of the nutrition care process and individual case management. You will develop practical skills in nutrition assessment, food service, counselling and professionalism. This will include: (1) conducting nutrition screening and physical assessments; (2) therapeutic menu design, recipe modification, menu and meal time reviews, (3) delivering a dietetics consultation using client centred counselling skills; and (4) developing your leadership and management capabilities. You will have the opportunity to observe and practice these skills during the term (in person or remotely) through the CQUniversity Student Clinic and also transform this learning through case studies to other contexts including aged care, disability and mental health services. Your ability to deliver culturally safe care will be extended by developing capabilities in trauma informed care and clinical yarning. This unit includes a 2-week intensive residential school on the Rockhampton North campus to ensure you have the practical skills ready for your professional placements.

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-requisites or pre-requisite

  • NUTR29002 Individual Case Management

Pre-requisites

  • NUTR28002 Community Nutrition and Dietetics Practice
  • NUTR28001 Food Systems
  • NUTRS28005 First Nations History and Health

 

 

 

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 Compulsory Residential School
View Unit 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).

Assessment Overview

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. Written Assessment 40%
2. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) 30%
3. Written Assessment 30%
4. Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books 0%
5. Professional Practice Placement 0%
6. Portfolio 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%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

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.

Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Critically apply expert dietetics knowledge to independently conduct and interpret nutrition screening and nutritional assessments for individuals across the lifecycle.
  2. Conduct a menu and mealtime experience review in an aged care setting assessing nutritional and therapeutic adequacy, cultural relevance, resident preferences, and the overall dining experience.
  3. Facilitate a dietetics consultation using client centred counselling techniques to support behaviour change and self-management within an inter-professional care context to improve nutrition and health outcomes.
  4. Critically appraise and initiate evidence and strengths-based approaches in First Nations health care, valuing First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing in professional nutrition and dietetic practice.
  5. Create appropriate professional documentation to communicate effectively within an inter-professional team across the continuum of care in a range of health and community settings.
  6. Demonstrate professionalism across all areas of dietetics practice, including leadership, advocacy and resilience, enabling competence to navigate possible health system challenges, such as, delivering culturally safe services.
  7. Critically reflect on your current practice documenting fulfilment of the National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia (DA, 2021) in your e-portfolio and identifying areas for ongoing professional development in consultation in your personal development plan with the academic team.

Learning outcomes of this unit are linked to the following domains of the 2021 National Competency Standards for Dietitians in Australia:

  • Domain 1: Professional Practice
  • Domain 2: Expert Practice
  • Domain 3: Research Practice
  • Domain 4: Collaborative Practice
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Written Assessment
2 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
5 - Professional Practice Placement
6 - Portfolio
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Professional Level
Advanced Level
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
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Professional Level
Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8