VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System
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Rotations and Supervised Practice
- DI internship, for both track options, begins in August and ends in March.
- Interns complete all rotations at the VASNHCS and its affiliate sites.
- Interns are scheduled for a minimum 31-week program. Each intern will engage in 40 hours of supervised practice weekly, typicall Monday to Friday.
- Interns will typically match the hours and schedule of the preceptor assigned.
- No vacations are built into the program schedule at this time.
- Additional time outside of the internship is required to complete assignments, readings and projects.
- Outside employment is not recommended. Interns may be scheduled to work some holidays and weekends.
- Interns may be scheduled off for Federal holidays, depending on the assigned rotation.
- Federal holidays include: Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inauguration Day, and Washington's Birthday.
- Some sick leave is excused however, excessive absence must be made up to meet the ACEND hour requirements.
Orientation: 1 week
Food Service and Management: 6 weeks
Clinical Management: 1 week
Clinical Nutrition: 15 weeks
- Long Term Rehab (2 weeks)
- Acute Care and Mental Health (2 weeks)
- Critical Care (2 weeks)
- Outpatient/Primary Care (3 weeks)
- MOVE! Weight Management (2 weeks)
- Speciality including diabetes, GI and Hospital in Home (2 weeks)
- Northern Nevada Medical Center/Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center (2 weeks)
- Home Based Primary Care and Homeless clinic (2 weeks)
- Women, Infants and Children (1 week)
- Nevada Diabetes Association Teen Camp (1 week)
- Truckee Meadows Community College (1 week)
* 1 week inpatient, 1 week outpatient, 1 week elective
Curriculum Details
The curriculum is based on the 2022 Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Eligibility Requirements and Accreditation Standards for entry level dietitians, as well as the mission, philosophy, goals, and objectives of the program and the knowledge and skills required for entry-level dietetic practice. Professional staff within the VASNHCS Nutrition and Food Service Department actively participate in the development and administration of the DI program and serve as program preceptors.
Our Registered Dietitians are highly trained and experienced to meet all preceptor requirements, contributing to curriculum development within their specialty areas, and completing ongoing evaluation to ensure rigorous program expectations are upheld.
Throughout the internship, our skilled interdisciplinary healthcare team - including physicians, nurse managers and practitioners, clinic specialists, therapists, and pharmacists - provides guidance and expertise that enhance the training experience.
Affiliate locations used for specialty rotations are carefully screened, selected and continually evaluated to ensure they meet program expectations and provide high-quality learning opportunities. Staff at these affiliate sites serve as preceptors for their respective rotations and contribute to curriculum development for those experiences.
Clinical Experience: The clinical experience is divided to include rotations to give the interns broad based, in-depth experiences in clinical care. In addition to general clinical rotation, interns will rotate through specialty areas, which include nutrition support, general medical and surgery, Ambulatory Care clinics, geriatric, rehab and psychiatry for the concentration in Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).
Management: The management experiences are divided into clinical and food service systems management, designed to give the intern experience in both clinical and food service management and leadership situations. In depth experience involving food service inventory, production, and delivery systems, clinical and food service staff supervision and training, professional communication and presentation skills, and financial management are incorporated into our rotations.
Community and Specialty Areas: The community nutrition rotation is planned to give the intern experiences in applying the principles of nutrition to various groups of people in the community environment.
The curriculum of the VASNHCS dietetic internship provides learning opportunities to develop hands-on, real-world skills to gain the confidence and knowledge to become entry-level dietitians. Our interns actively participate as part of interdisciplinary healthcare teams, attend professional meetings, present professional case studies and in-services to staff, calculate and manage enteral and parenteral feedings, develop and deliver group classes, build and refine counseling and education skills, supervise staff in a food service setting, participate in research, and complete administrative and management functions like conducting quality assurance or process improvement. These experiences prepare graduates for success in entry-level clinical, administrative and supervisory positions in a variety of areas such as: clinical nutrition, wellness, marketing/sales, long-term care, weight management, foodservice, and community nutrition.
Internship Graduation Requirements
The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) establishes requirements for eligibility to take the entry-level registration examination for dietitians. Current requirements include academic preparation, completion of a minimum of a master's degree, completion of an ACEND accredited supervised practice program and confirmation of academic practice requirements by verification. Verification of academic and didactic requirements is necessary for entry in the VASNHCS Dietetic Internship. Completion of the internship allows the student to meet the second requirement of CDR (completion of an ACEND accredited supervised practice program). Graduates of the internship are eligible to take the Registration Exam for Dietitians upon successful completion of the program. Attainment of the RDN credential also establishes eligibility for certification and/or licensure at the state level. In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. More information about state licensure requirements can be found at this link: State Licensure*
Internship Program Completion Requirenents
- Intern completes 31 weeks of supervised practical experience.
- Intern completes all assignments and projects by established guidelines.
- Satisfactorily completes the requirements for each rotation.
- Completes staff relief experience with an overall satisfactory performance rating based on established criteria.
- Attends all workshops and seminars scheduled during the year.
- Please note that no credit will be given for previously obtained learning or work experiences prior to entering the supervised practice portion of the dietetic internship program.
MS Degree at UA Requirements
The Master of Science in Human Nutrition program requires 30 credit hours, including a Capstone experience. Students must choose a curriculum track (Generalist, Community, or Clinical) and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Dietetic interns will be eligible for the Registration Examination for dietitians after receiving a verification statement of successful completion of the internship from the program director. Eligible candidates are submitted through REPS (Registration Eligibility Processing System) to CDR within one week of graduation. Intern graduates are responsible for submitting their demographic information online prior to graduation. Candidates will receive authorization to take the exam shortly thereafter.
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