Rotation Description: Will include rotations in general medical care, surgical care, oncology, neurology, cardiology, cardiovascular, ICU, outpatient nutrition, renal and trauma care. Dietetic Interns will work alongside registered dietitians, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, case managers, speech language pathologists, wound care professionals, nutrition services team members and more to learn how to appropriately care for patients and provide comprehensive assessments to support nutritional goals. The culminating experience will be operating within staff relief at entry-level capacity for at least one week at the end of this rotation. This will be demonstrated via appropriate medical nutrition therapy/nutritional care for individualized patients with minimal corrections noted from preceptors, appropriate understanding of the nutrition-focused physical exam, appropriate prioritization of patient nutritional risk and appropriate demonstration of collaboration within the health care teams.

Rotation Description: Interns will work alongside registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, nurses and others to learn how to appropriately care for patients and provide comprehensive assessments to support nutritional goals in the outpatient setting through our outpatient medical nutrition therapy program. Interns will obtain additional skills within motivational interviewing, nutrition counseling, medical nutrition therapy, and associated interventions to support quality patient care. Students will observe and conduct as many outpatient clinical care sessions as able during the rotation, under the supervision of the registered dietitian. The culminating experience will be successfully leading a patient care session as observed by dietitian preceptors, and provision to preceptors of assignment which will include key takeaways demonstrating how preparation occurred, what skills were implemented and interventions utilized, along with how this ties in fully with the nutrition care process.

Rotation Description: Interns will focus primarily in the community departments housed through McLeod Health. Interns will work with individuals within Project Search, Nurse-Family Partnership, FoodShare and Access Health. Interns will have experience in creating lesson plans and teaching community nutrition education classes, teaching group classes, food pantry management, food insecurity navigation, women’s and children’s nutritional care and maternity programs. Partnerships are being pursued with various community partners to allow for additional experiences. During this rotation, interns will come to understand the community nutrition opportunities in our local area, our state and the nation, gaining a deeper understanding of how nutrition in the community can impact the people living in communities. Dietetic interns will gain experience in understanding the complexities that rural healthcare is faced with when learning of these programs. The culminating experience will include demonstration of understanding community nutrition CRDNs, by successfully leading a community nutrition event paired with an oral presentation for preceptors demonstrating understanding of community nutrition and key components for success within this sphere.

Rotation Description: Interns will primarily be in the hospital food service setting, and partnerships with local school districts are being pursued to offer school foodservice experiences. Interns will learn how to apply what they’ve been learning in their DPD to foodservice operations within large-scale operations. Interns will work alongside patient services leadership, culinary leadership, human resources, clinical nutrition and nutrition senior leadership to learn how to provide safe, nutritionally adequate nutritional services to 500+ patients 3x/day in addition to thousands of employees. Interns will come to understand forecasting, safe food handling, principles of hiring and training staff, interviewing techniques, tray line operation, therapeutic menu compliance and patient customer service skills. The culminating experience will include successfully completing key projects throughout the rotation, including preparation of a disaster planning menu, staff training, and development of nutritionally appropriate meals for those who may be food insecure. Projects will be assessed by preceptors for demonstration of understanding the intent behind each associated CRDN.