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Nutrition & Food Service
Open House Information

For more information
contact:
Sharon P. Foley, MS, RD, LD
Director, Dietetic Internship
(708) 202-2343
sharon.foley@va.gov

Curriculum of the Dietetic Internship Program

Orientation

The first two weeks of the internship are spent in a general orientation. Interns receive an in depth introduction to the internship program, the department's organization, policies and procedures, and an overview of the philosophy and goals of the hospital. The interns are introduced to the Food and Nutrition staff as well as key administrators in the facility. Staff members teach classes on nutritional assessment, nutrition counseling, documentation in the medical record, and food service systems.

Food Service Systems Management

The Food Service Systems Management experience is eight weeks in length. This is followed by a two-week Management experience in which interns work with various managers (section chiefs) of the department and complete several management projects. These experiences allow interns to participate in:

• Forecasting patient meals

• Purchasing food and equipment

• Food production operations and advanced delivery

• Patient meal service (in a centralized and decentralized food service setting)

• Assessment of staffing needs

• Employee education and training

• Supervisory controls

• Budget planning

• Sanitation and safety inspections

• HACCP procedures

• Planning and execution of special meal functions

• Quality and Performance Improvement activities

• Marketing functions

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Clinical Dietetics

The clinical dietetics experience is 21 weeks in length. During the clinical rotations interns:

• Develop a working knowledge of medical terminology, disease states, and medical/surgical procedures

• Assess the nutritional status of patients

• Interpret laboratory values

• Analyze food-drug interactions

• Provide nutritional counseling to patients and teach patient education classes

• Develop nutritional care plans

• Document recommendations in the medical record via computer

• Monitor the effectiveness of nutrition services provided

• Function as a member of the healthcare team

• Serve as a nutrition resource for healthcare professionals and patients

The clinical rotations are sequenced to build upon the basics and show progression toward assumption of professional responsibilities.

Clinical Practice is conducted in the following areas:

• Cardiology

• Intermediate Care

• General Medicine

• Oncology/Hematology

• Geriatrics

• Surgery

• Spinal Cord Injury/Rehab Medicine

• Mental Health

Interns progress to more specialized areas of nutrition practice which include:

• Renal

• Pediatrics

• Nutrition Support (parenteral and enteral)

The culmination of the clinical experience is a three-week Staff Relief rotation in which the intern assumes the role and responsibilities of the staff dietitian.

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Community Nutrition

The Community Nutrition experience is five weeks in length and includes experiences in the following areas:

• Hospital Based Primary Care (HBPC)

• Ambulatory Care - Outpatient Nutrition Clinic

• Women, Infant, Children (WIC) Clinics, Department of Public Health

• Wellness Rotation at a Fitness Center

• Vital Bridges

• USDA - Downtown Chicago Offices

When working in the HBPC rotation, interns accompany the dietitian to the patient's home to observe food preparation, feeding problems, and provide counseling for each individual case. Interns develop interviewing and counseling skills when in the outpatient nutrition clinic and provide services to outpatients in the diabetes, lipid, and various other clinics. Interns also assist the dietitian in promoting nutrition education to the public through publications in the media, public appearances at health fairs, and provision of group presentations in the community. The WIC Clinic experience allows the intern to work with perinatal women, infants, and children. The community wellness rotation focuses on providing nutrition education services to clients at a fitness facility. Interns going to Vital Bridges will experience the coordination of the Meals-On-Wheels food program for HIV and AIDS patients as well as do some counseling. When working with the USDA, interns will get involved in the planning and evaluation of nutrition education programs. Overall, interns learn the role of the nutritionist working in a variety of public health agencies and programs in the community.

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Graduate Study and Classes

Dietetic interns are required to take two graduate level courses (four semester hours) from the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University Illinois at Chicago (UIC). These courses include: HND 570 Clinical Nutrition III (Critical Care Nutrition) and HND 541 Research on Clinical Nutrition Problems.

Interns who have already earned a Master's Degree in Nutrition will be required to complete these courses but will not be held responsible for tuition. Each intern will complete a major research project during the year, which will be developed in partial synchronization with the Research Methodology course. Interns will receive guidance on their study/project from staff members, other healthcare professionals and the internship director. The research component constitutes a large part of the curriculum and requires substantial work outside of the normal work week. Classes from UIC are held either at Hines or at UIC. Applicants who have already attained a Masters Degree will be required to complete these courses but no graduate credit will be assigned and no tuition will be required. Tuition is non-refundable from students.

The internship curriculum also requires interns to attend weekly lectures, workshops, seminars, field trips, and classes covering all areas of dietetics. Hines Dietetic Internship Program works in conjunction with the other Chicago are internship programs to plan and sponsor most of these workshops and seminars.

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