MCCCD Program Description

Medical Nutrition Therapy Practicum Laboratory

Course: FON245AB

First Term: 2020 Fall

Laboratory 2.5 Credit(s) 10.0 Period(s) 0.0 Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: C = Co-op rate per RFP

Description: Practicum experience under the supervision of a registered dietitian. Application of principles, knowledge, and skills required for the delivery of medical nutrition therapy. Perform nutritional screening, assessment, monitoring, and evaluation for common and complex medical conditions, medical documentation, patient interviewing and counseling, and education in health promotion and disease prevention.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Interpret and apply medical record information to individual nutrition screenings and assessments. (I, V) 2. Apply knowledge and skills in interpersonal communication, interviewing, and public speaking to nutritional screening, assessments, counseling and educational sessions. (I, V) 3. Perform and document nutrition screenings, assessments, and intervention. (I, V) 4. Provide nutrition care for individuals of diverse ages, cultural, and religious backgrounds. (II, V) 5. Select, monitor, and evaluate standard enteral nutrition regimens; e.g., to meet nutritional requirements in a medically stable patient where recommendations/adjustments involve primarily macronutrients. (III, V) 6. Perform nutrition assessments for individual patients/clients with complex medical conditions; e.g., renal failure, multi-system organ failure, and trauma. (IV, V) 7. Assess, educate, counsel, and monitor patients/clients in disease prevention, health promotion and medical nutrition therapy for common conditions, e.g., hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and diverticular disease. (IV, V) 8. Design and implement nutrition care plans as indicated by patient`s health status. (V) 9. Develop, measure, and document outcomes for food and nutrition services and practice. (V) 10. Develop and conduct education and training sessions for target populations. (V) 11. Provide dietetics education in supervised inpatient and outpatient settings. (V) 12. Participate in multidisciplinary team conferences to discuss patient/client treatment and discharge planning. (V) 13. Participate in coding and billing of dietetics/nutrition services to submit for reimbursement from public or private insurers. (V)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Practice and observe basic medical nutrition therapy A. Medical terminology review B. Medical records 1. Types 2. Documentation C. Patient interviews 1. Purpose 2. Open vs. closed questions D. Water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance 1. Hydration and fluid requirements 2. Hormonal control 3. Fluid/electrolyte imbalances 4. Acid-base balance/imbalance 5. Laboratory values E. Nutritional status 1. Malnutrition a. protein/energy b. anthropometric measurements c. laboratory values 2. Other indicators a. hydration status b. muscular response c. strength/endurance d. acid-base balance 3. Risk factors a. medications and treatment b. physiological status c. pathological and genetic conditions d. social, psychological, and economical factors F. Diet evaluation 1. Dietary intake measures 2. Diet adequacy G. Patient counseling and education 1. Theories and approaches 2. Interpersonal communication 3. Interviewing 4. Educational sessions II. Participate in nutritional care for special populations A. Pregnant/lactating 1. Monitoring 2. Nutritional requirements 3. Nutritional assessment 4. Complications B. Pediatric 1. Infant 2. Preschool child 3. School-age child 4. Adolescence C. Long Term Care 1. Geriatric 2. Rehabilitation D. Vegetarian 1. Types 2. Risks and benefits E. Cultural and religious III. Participate in and observe nutrition support A. Routine and transitional diets 1. Individual nutrient and energy needs 2. Routine hospital diets 3. Techniques to increase nutrient and/or energy intake B. Enteral Tube Nutrition 1. Indications and contraindications 2. Types 3. Components/formulas 4. Assessing nutrient and energy needs 5. Delivery regimen 6. Monitoring 7. Complications 8. Transitional feeding C. Parental nutrition 1. Indications and contraindications 2. Types 3. Components/formulas 4. Assessing nutrient and energy needs 5. Delivery regimen 6. Monitoring 7. Complications 8. Transitional feeding IV. Participate in nutritional care for specific conditions A. Allergies 1. Prevention of sensitization 2. Diagnosis 3. Treatment 4. Drug therapy B. Upper digestive tract disorders 1. Approaches to common symptoms 2. Nutritional assessment 3. Types and treatment 4. Dumping syndrome C. Malabsorption 1. Diagnosis 2. Nutritional assessment 3. Special diets D. Large intestine 1. Types and treatment 2. Diets for ostomy patients E. Diabetes mellitus 1. Types 2. Monitoring 3. Drug therapy 4. Diet/meal planning 5. Pregnancy F. Cardiovascular disease 1. Types 2. Treatment 3. Drug therapy 4. Drug/nutrient interaction G. Renal failure 1. Nutritional assessment 2. Diet plan 3. Predialysis 4. Hemodialysis/peritoneal dialysis 5. Drug/nutrient interaction H. Critically ill 1. Nutrient requirements 2. Types and treatment 3. Enteral versus parenteral support I. Inborn errors of metabolism 1. Nutrition support 2. Primary imbalance in metabolic relationships 3. Types and treatment 4. Drug therapy V. Specific competencies in supervised practice applications A. Patient care 1. Conduct general health assessments 2. Conduct and document nutritional screening, assessment, and evaluation for common medical conditions 3. Assist with nutritional screening, assessment, and evaluation of patients with complex medical conditions 4. Participate in the nutritional care for individuals of diverse ages, cultural, and religious backgrounds 5. Implement and design nutrition care plans 6. Initiate client/patient referrals when appropriate 7. Monitor and evaluate nutrient intake and progress 8. Complete required documentation for long term care patients; e. g. assessment, MDS, RAP, and care plan 9. Develop, measure, and document outcomes for nutrition services and practice 10. Supervise translation of nutrition into foods/menus for target populations B. Nutrition support 1. Implement routine and transitional feeding plans 2. Participate in selection, monitoring, and evaluation enteral regimens 3. Participate in selection, monitoring, and evaluation of parenteral regimens C. Education 1. Educate patients in disease prevention and health promotion 2. Conduct an educational session for a target group with a common medical condition 3. Provide dietetic education/counseling in an inpatient clinical setting 4. Provide dietetic education/counseling in an outpatient setting 5. Revise or develop educational materials D. Professional development and growth 1. Perform ethically in accordance with the values of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) 2. Participate in performance review and self-evaluation 3. Participate in multidisciplinary team conferences to discuss patient/client treatment and discharge planning 4. Participate in coding and billing of dietetics/nutrition services

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: May 28, 2019

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.