XNH448-1 Leadership in Nutrition and Dietetics Practice
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | XNH448-1 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | Completion of 288 cp of XN45 units and XNB444 OR XNB445 OR XNB446 OR XNB447. XNB444, XNB445, XNB446, XNB447 to be completed in the same study period |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,192 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,704 |
| International unit fee | $5,784 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | XNH448-1 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | Completion of 288 cp of XN45 units and XNB444 OR XNB445 OR XNB446 OR XNB447. XNB444, XNB445, XNB446, XNB447 to be completed in the same study period |
| Coordinator: | Fiona Willer | fiona.willer@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Leadership, management, advocacy and entrepreneurship are key requirements for competent professional practice. This is true across all domains of clinical dietetic practice, individual dietetic case management, foodservice management, community and public health nutrition. This capstone unit provides you an opportunity to reflect on your whole of course experience, and develop your career plans and to integrate your whole-of-course knowledge and skills to devise innovative solutions for dietetics of the future.
You will complete this unit while undertaking your WIL in XNB444, XNB445, XNB446, and/or XNB447, with 36 hours of placement time from your WIL contributing to the volume of learning in XNH448-1.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply principles of management and entrepreneurship in nutrition and dietetic services.
- Apply critical and creative thinking and collaborative practice to effective problem solving around professional issues in nutrition and dietetics
- Interpret and reflect on professional values, codes of ethics, and lifelong learning practices as they apply to diverse and evolving contexts in nutrition and dietetics.
- Identify the qualities of leadership as applied in a professional context.
- Demonstrate competence as an entry level dietitian.
Content
Major topics include: professionalism, leadership theory and practice, management of change, initiative assertiveness, total quality management, evaluation of nutrition and dietetic services, business planning, ethics, quality tools, working in diverse and/or complex settings, marketing and networking in the profession. Applying evidence and strengths based best practice approaches in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health care, valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing.
You will also develop your career plans, to demonstrate your commitment to excellence and safety to practice. In this unit you will also complete a tailored employability module to add to your course e-Portfolio.
Learning Approaches
At the beginning of the year you will map a personalised learning plan so you can complete your WIL commitments and participate in a series of workshops, seminars and online forums offered flexibly across the year (in conjunction with the second multi-component unit XNH448-2). In this unit you will be provided the opportunity to engage with leaders in the profession in the form of guest lecturer presentations and workshops. This unit will conclude with an end of course conference and networking event to celebrate your accomplishments and showcase achievements across the final year of the program to other members of the nutrition and dietetic profession and student peers across all years of the program. During this time you will be given the opportunity to participate in focus groups and other evaluations to reflect and provide feedback on your 'whole of course' experience.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Formative feedback on components of your e-portfolio will be provided by academic staff and WIL supervisors as you progress through this unit in workshops and on WIL. Areas identified in need of improvement will be discussed with you prior to submission of your final e-portfolio.
For your professional plans, you will be provided with formative feedback from your peers and academic staff in the form of an online discussion on your business pitch prior to submission of your final work. You will be encouraged to speak to your unit coordinator with any questions or concerns about the assessment items. Responses to frequently asked questions will be made available to all students through Canvas announcements.
Assessment
Overview
You will engage in a range of activities in this unit, with the first assessment focused on preparing you for the practical aspects of planning a private practice, and/or new business venture in nutrition and dietetics. In the second assessment you examine your capabilities and plans as a reflexive practitioner in nutrition and dietetics and prepare for recruitment processes typical in the field. In the third assessment, you will showcase your leadership, excellence and competence in nutrition and dietetics and bring together all your WIL competency statements (with supervisor verification and feedback and artifacts of sample work), along with other materials you have developed across your course in a narrated portfolio.
Information included on Canvas provides detailed criteria and tasks for completion of the assessment. You are encouraged to check your work against the criteria to ensure all aspects are completed. This multi-component unit will provide feedback on the assessment pieces due in XNH448-2 and is graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Work in both this unit and XNH448-2 must be completed to obtain final credit points. If you are at risk of an unsatisfactory grade, you will be provided with formative feedback and support systems to give you the opportunity to demonstrate satisfactory progress towards competence.
Your final grade for XNH448-2 will be applied to XNH448-1 so that both unit components contribute to your Honours grade.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale and S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Nutrition and dietetics business planning
You will develop a business concept for a nutrition and dietetic service, or product that you will develop across the year. You will first present your work in the form of a pitch where you will be provided formative feedback from a variety of sources which may include your peers, external partners and academic staff prior to finalising your full business concept as infographics, to be displayed in the end of year Nutrition and Dietetics Student Conference. You will form groups of two to three to complete this assessment.
This is an authentic assessment as these ways of presenting and testing business concepts are common in private enterprise, when seeking investors and establishing partnerships before commencing business operations.
The template for your Business Concept Plan is adapted from resources recommended for use by all businesses in Australia.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Professional career planning in nutrition and dietetics
You will prepare written responses to a range of stimuli in relation to:
- cultural responsiveness and dietetic practice, utilising evidence and strengths based approaches in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health care, integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing.
- simulated job interview
- career and professional development planning,
- your leadership skills and capabilities
A formative feedback round (verbal or written) is offered to you for each piece prior to submission.
This assessment is authentic because it involves tasks that directly link to professional performance in real-world contexts and aligns with the credentialing requirements of the APD program as required by Dietitians Australia to maintain competency.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio
You will prepare a personalised e-portfolio to demonstrate your leadership and excellence as an evidenced based, ethical nutrition and dietetics health professional. Your e-portfolio will include samples of evidence of your competence from your WIL units along with other artefacts of initiatives and activities you have engaged in along the course of your study that highlight your unique attributes as a creative, reflexive and culturally responsive nutrition professional. In semester 1, you will be provided formative feedback on your e-portfolio with recommendations given for improvement.
Evidence of Competence and artifacts from your WIL will be verified by your WIL unit coordinator and placement supervisors.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page for specific guidelines.
Threshold Assessment:
To achieve a passing grade in this assessment you must successfully meet the minimum standard in all components of the e-portfolio. Each section must be completed and substantiated with appropriate, relevant evidence that clearly demonstrates your competence as an entry-level dietitian.
Claims about your learning, skills, and achievements must be explicitly linked to examples from your coursework, WIL experiences, or professional development activities. Unsubstantiated or incomplete submissions will not meet the threshold for a pass. This assessment is a requirement for course completion and eligibility for entry into the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) Program.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Blue Card
A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.
Resources
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.XN45 Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours)
- Apply advanced theoretical, technical and cultural knowledge and skills in food, nutrition and dietetics, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, tailored to respond to a diverse range of contexts and audiences.
Relates to: Nutrition and dietetics business planning, Professional career planning in nutrition and dietetics, Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio - Critically analyse and apply evidence-based research and practice to generate informed, client-centred and sustainable solutions to complex current and emerging food, nutrition and dietetic problems.
Relates to: Nutrition and dietetics business planning, Professional career planning in nutrition and dietetics, Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio - Communicate and translate complex food and nutrition information effectively, safely and inclusively using a range of oral, written and digital technologies and formats, responsive to the diverse cultural, social and cognitive needs of clients, interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders and the broader community.
Relates to: Nutrition and dietetics business planning, Professional career planning in nutrition and dietetics, Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio - Enact inclusive, clinically adept and culturally responsive client-centred practice as a reflective, accountable and ethical professional, working autonomously and collaboratively to manage and lead innovative and entrepreneurial advances in food, nutrition and dietetics.
Relates to: Nutrition and dietetics business planning, Professional career planning in nutrition and dietetics, Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio - Conduct research with some independence that challenges, advances, builds capacity and assures quality in food, nutrition and dietetic practice, disseminating findings with individuals, interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders and communities.
Relates to: Nutrition and dietetics practice portfolio