Self Assessment and Learning Plan

A big part of the first year of the Dietetics Program is to encourage us to start thinking about the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice. This is a comprehensive document that lists all the required skills and knowledge that we must have by the time we write our national entry to practice exam (CDRE), before becoming a Registered Dietitian. This document consists of a compilation of a large amount of competencies that are grouped into 5 main categories, Professional Practice, Nutrition Care, Communication and Collaboration, Population and Public Health and Management. The first look over this document was quite daunting, but once I took a more thorough look, I realized that there are many competencies that I have been working on previous to being accepted into the Dietetics Program.

While all these competencies must be met, it is  not feasible for me to focus on all of them at once. There are many competencies that I will learn once I am in fourth year and taking more practical clinical courses, and many of them I will learn once I begin my internship. As with any large task, it is important to work on things as soon as possible and in smaller chunks. There are a number of competencies that I can work on this coming year, and I have chosen two that I will focus on, with the goal of completing them by April 2015. Learning is ongoing, so my goal is to make the competencies strengths rather than gaps, and to keep working from there. The two competencies I have chosen to work on this year are:

1) Nutrition Care –> Identify signs and symptoms of nutrient deficiencies or excesses

This competency is one that I think is very important for nutrition practice, and it is a goal that I can feasibly reach by April 2015. There is so much information to learn during these few years, so I think that if I work on nutrition knowledge a bit at a time, I will learn more effectively. Having a thorough level of nutrition care knowledge will help me to be more confident and professional in my practicum.

For this competency I will undertake self study, and I will also speak to the Dietitian where I volunteer. If I create a list of specific nutrition deficiencies and excesses I want to study, this will keep me organized and help me towards my goal.

2) Professional Practice –> Demonstrate knowledge of provincial/territorial legislation, regulations and policies

At this point in my education I do not know much about Dietetics as a regulatory body, and I am unsure of exactly how we fit into policy making and legislation. As a future educator and advocate of nutrition, I think that this is an extremely important competency to begin to learn. I think it is important for dietitians to be active and vocal within the government, and in order to do this well I must acquire as much knowledge as I can about the existing state of our profession within the Provincial and Federal legislation.

This competency can be met by undertaking self study as well as speaking to fellow students and dietitians in the community. I participated in UBC’s Tri-mentor program last year, and I still remain in contact with my mentor, who is a private practice dietitian. She would be a good resource for me to use, since she will have a lot of knowledge related to legislation, regulations and policies.

If you would like to read more about my Self-Assessment and Learning Plan, please see below.

 

Self Assesment and Learning Plan 2014_2015