UNH Dietetic Internship
Philosophy
The practice of dietetics encompasses the application of principles of food and the nutritional sciences to maintaining and achieving the health of both individuals and groups, as well as individuals who would benefit from the management of disease through nutritional intervention. The dietitian who is prepared as a generalist is capable of performing and supervising all aspects of food production and service. The generalist dietitian is also prepared to provide nutrition education related to eating habits and food choices of healthy individuals and groups, as well as the care of individuals who require dietary management of disease. The dietetics practitioner is a Registered Dietitian who is formally recognized as having professional competence.
The practice of dietetics includes Standards of Professional Practice, which define desirable and achievable levels of performance for entry level practice. These standards are not requirements; rather, they are broad statements describing the minimum expectations of dietetics professionals in providing nutrition services to the public. The Standards of Professional Practice characterize the competency levels of entry-level dietitians and are included below:
- Provides quality service based on client expectations and needs
- Effectively applies, participates in or generates research to enhance practice
- Effectively applies knowledge and communicates with others
- Uses resources effectively and efficiently in practice
- Systematically evaluates the quality and effectiveness of practice and revises practice as needed to incorporate the results of evaluation
- Engages in lifelong self-development to improve knowledge and enhance professional competence
The Six Standards of Professional Practice of the American Dietetic Association have been integrated into the mission statement through the program philosophy, which states that the Standards of Professional Practice are the basis of practice for the competent dietetic practitioner. The mission statement and philosophy are the basis for the program goals, listed on the program goals page.
Our Mission Statement
The mission statement of the University of New Hampshire's Dietetic Internship is "to recruit and educate a mix of both traditional and non-traditional students who meet the program's admission criteria, and to function as capable, competent entry level generalist dietitians in clinical nutrition, foodservice management, and community nutrition services." This is accomplished by providing a quality educational experience that includes the development of competencies and skills through supervised practice consistent with the Standards of Education as defined by The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association.
