Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
National accreditation requirements by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) will require a master's minimum to practice as an Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)as of January 1, 2024.As predicted when these national guidelines were implemented, enhanced academic preparation and associated financial burden where students self-pay graduate/professional school-level tuition is disproportionately impactingaccessibility of underrepresented persons to earn the professional degree that is now required. In response,we developed acombined academic and supervised practice program called the Masters in Dietetics and Nutrition (MDN).RDNs are trained in a multi-disciplinary manner to provide nutrition care across the healthcare continuum. For example, their counseling implements evidence-based dietary patterns that improve cardiometabolic health (e.g., glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure). The emergence of precision nutrition has driven the call for RDNs to advance their knowledge and practice to tailor nutrition recommendations based on individual's unique genetics, race/ethnicity, and health status. RDNs specializing in precision nutrition will be better equipped to manage diet-related disorders, including leading causes of death (e.g., heart disease, cancer, diabetes) that disproportionately affect Indigenous and People of Color. However, a critical gap for effective dietetics practice exists because persons of color are underrepresented among RDNs. The field is 80% White, fol-lowed by 6% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Black/African American, 5% Asian, and 2% Othercompared to the US population (18.9% Hispanic/Latino, 13.6% Black/African American, 6.1% Asian, 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander). Employment demand for RDNs is also projected to increase 7% from 2021-31, but a shortage of RDNs to fill positionsor advance to a terminal degreeis a concern.To address this gap in dietetics practice, we must empower students from underrepresented and disproportionately affected groups to develop a highly-qualified and diverse generation of RDNs skilled at precision nutrition. This NNF application will establish 6 Fellows, each financially supported for 2 academic years, in a self-pay, professional Masters degree program that has limited financial assistance directed to students. It will also thematically focus on Precision Nutrition for Dietetics Practice consistent with: (1) recognition that dietary recommendations are poorly generalizable to broad populations, (2) patients from underrepresented backgrounds prefer to receive healthcare by clinicians who are from a similar background,and (3) increasing cultural humility/competency improves health outcomes through increased patient adherence. This application is therefore an opportunity to empower those who are disproportionately impacted from dietetics education and practice while helping to train a diverse and highly-qualified next generation of RDNs.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
60%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The major goals and related objective include the following.Goal 1. Promote the accessibility of underrepresented persons to graduate education in dietetics through the Masters in Dietetics and Nutrition (MDN).Objective 1. Recruit and graduate 6 new MDN students from underrepresented groups with outstanding records and interest in precision nutrition TESA Human Nutrition.Objective 2. Provide intensive mentoring and engage students in precision nutrition research and outreach.Objective 3. Foster NNF students' clinical assessment and nutrition care skills in targting communities with existing health inequities.Goal 2. Train a diverse and highly-qualified next generation of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) skilled at precision nutrition.Objective 3. Foster NNF students' clinical assessment and nutrition care skills in targting communities with existing health inequities.Objective 4. Track career placement and accomplishments up to 5 years post-graduation.
Project Methods
The Methods of this project will allow for an integration of data from a multitude of sources, with an emphasis on objective, quantitative measures such as graduation rate, pass rates for the national RD registration exam, and scores on performance evaluations in supervised practice. Progress of fellows will be tracked across each semester of the program, with numerous opportunities for formative and summative feedback and evaluation.Efforts that will be used to cause a change in knowledge, action, and conditions of the target audience (underrepresented students) emphasizes the delivery of science-based knowledge through the MDN curriculum that includes formal classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, and supervised practice experiences. The MDN is a Future Education Model program, as designated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, that signifies that our program meets accreditation standards and competencieswith advancing the profession and protecting the public. The 59-credit hour programencompasses the required competency-based education (CBE) that integrates classroom learning with supervised experiential learning to foster "work readiness" behaviors and skills.The integrated curriculum benefits students because expe-riential learning and didactic coursework occur in a single degree program. In 24 months, gradu-ates earn their MDN degree, fulfill 1000 hours of supervised practice, and are eligible to sit for the national registration exam for RDNs. For this project, the MDN curriculum will be enhanced to highlight electives that will train students on specific Precision Nutrition skills. The MDN uses innovative teaching methodologies, including active learning, simulation, standardized patients, interprofessional education, entrepreneurial pitch presentations, etc.EvaluationObjective 1. Recruit and graduate 6 new MDN students from underrepresented groups with outstanding records and interest in precision nutrition TESA Human Nutrition.Assessment Method: A. Pre-screening of applicants and interview of top candidates. Preference amongst qualified applicants will be givn to those from underrepresented groups. B. Graduation rate.Objective 2. Provide intensive mentoring and engage students in precision nutrition research and outreach.Assessment Method. A. Participation in research lab group meetings and activities hosted by MDN faculty capstone advisor. B. Completion of oral examination (capstone) and capstone paper. C. Present capstone project poster at national or international conference. D. Participation in leadership and outreach initiatves with conference planning and supervised high-school or undergraduate mentoring.Objective 3. Foster Fellows' clinical assessment and nutrition care skills in targeted communities with exisitng health inequities.Assessment Methods. A. Completion of supervised practice hours in rotations that target services to communities with health inequities. B. Fellow Performance Evaluation in Precision Nutrition Rubric.Objective 4. Track career placement and accomplishments up to 5 years post-graduation.Assessment Methods. A. Exit Survey. B. National exam for RDN pass rate reports (from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). C. Alumni Survey and annual communication via email or media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn) that includes career placement data.