The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a 12 month Internship Program with an opportunity to earn graduate credit. The program prepares interns for entry-level positions in the dietetic profession by providing learning experiences in management, community nutrition and medical nutrition therapy. The program will offer two concentration areas: Medical Nutrition Therapy with a critical care focus and the other in Public Health/Nutrition Education Outreach. The intern will choose a concentration area upon entering the supervised practice component of the internship and can only complete one concentration area.

Upon completion of the program the interns will meet the Competency Statements for Entry-Level Dietitians as identified in the Accreditation Standards of Education of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and are eligible for active membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and to write the registration examination.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dietetic Internship Program is currently granted Accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312/899-0040, Ext. 5400. CADE Is the only accrediting agency for dietetics education recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).

In order to become a registered dietitian an individual must complete a three step proess. They are:

1. Complete the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Didactic Program in Dietetics academic requirements plus a mimimum of a Bachelor's degree
2. Complete an accredited/approved supervised practice program
3. Pass the Registration Examintion for Dietitians

Mission

The mission of the Dietetic Internship Program is to produce a competent graduate with an integrated theoretical and practical education who can utilize critical thinking and analytical skills to perform successfully as an entry-level dietitian who implements the Standards of Practice. Integral to the program is the cooperative effort of facilities whose dietitians are experienced in providing educational opportunities for students and are dedicated to the training of future professionals.

The Dietetic Internship Program will assist those individuals who strive to become registered dietitians and will help to meet the need for dietitians in both rural and urban areas in Nebraska. The program will also contribute to the number of dietitians who have obtained master’s degrees.

Goals

1. The program will prepare students who are competent and ready for an entry level position.
a) The program will have a minimum of an 80% pass rate over a five year period, on the dietetic registration exam for first time takers.
b) Eighty percent of the employers will indicate agree or strongly agree that program graduates had the skills necessary for an entry level position.
c) Eighty percent of the graduates will complete the professional development portfolio within one year of taking the registration exam.
2. The program helps to meet the needs for dietitians in both rural and urban areas of Nebraska and beyond it’s borders and contributes to the number of dietetic professionals with graduate degrees.
a) Ninety percent of the interns that begin the DI, will complete all the program requirements within 18 months.
b) Over a five year period, 80% or more of the DI graduates seeking employment in the field of dietetics will successfully find employment within three months of completing the program.
c) Over a five year period, 80% or more of the dietetic internship graduates will complete their Masters or PhD degree within five years of entering the DI.

Philosophy

The Dietetic Internship Program will provide a challenging educational experience for the development of future professionals. Professional competence and productivity require self-motivation and initiative to continuously assess oneself and seek learning opportunities. Interns are responsible for utilizing educational opportunities in order to develop and enhance their professional competence.

• Learning opportunities are unlimited and the intern is expected to take advantage of these abundant opportunities for growth. The curriculum is merely a starting point from which interns launch their individualized plan for development.
• The faculty-intern relationship is a mutually respectful one in which both can learn and grow. Faculty will facilitate professional development through constructive feedback and respectful guidance.
• Professional development is an ongoing process which continues throughout a career.
• As professional development is an ongoing process, so is the development of the internship program. Intern, faculty and preceptor input is actively sought, encouraged and used in continuous quality improvement.
• It is import to recognize individual differences in knowledge and experiences and to design learning activities to accommodate these differences.