NUTRITION PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module continues the development of nutrition, professional and communication skills started in BMS1034 and BMS1055. These skills are particularly focused towards the application of nutrition principles while having a deeper understanding of the individuals and communities that we work with. Students are taught together for the first half of the module, and then split into course specific content for the Nutrition and Nutrition & Dietetics programmes towards the end of the semester.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

JEARY Caitlin (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Health psychology and strategies for behaviour change


• Communication skills – individual consultations, group facilitation and written materials


• Nutritional assessment, drawing conclusions and care planning

Professional skills through practical work, such as team working and reflective practice.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning objectives for the module.

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Assessment 1: structured writing applying health psychology principles to a case study client. This assessment supports students to consider how the knowledge they are acquiring can be applied to realistic scenarios. Students are provided with a guidance sheet, mark scheme and have access to tutor support through the discussion forum and email. LO = 1,2,3


• Assessment 2: Production of a nutrition information leaflet for a lay audience, supporting students to consider how information is shared with a population. The topics of the leaflets are discussed in class so that students are clear on the aim and audience. Students are provided with a guidance sheet, mark scheme and have access to tutor support through discussion forum and email. LO = 1,3

Formative assessment for this module consists of:

• Communication skills workshop: A teaching and discussion session around effective communication skills and students are given the opportunity to practice aspects of this in class. They will work with peers to share experiences and support each other with ongoing learning, supporting resilience development. LO = 1,2,3,4


• Role Play: A facilitated session in which students work in pairs & are given a scenario for an individual nutrition consultation. They role play nutritionist & client to complete a consultation from beginning to end; introductions & rapport building, nutritional assessment, information provision, negotiating & agreeing goals, close. This gives students a taste of working as a nutrition professional. LO = 1,2,3,4


• Professional Practice: students are encouraged to complete self- assessments of their ongoing development, new skills and team working skills to improve reflection. This is an ongoing professional skill which supports students in their employment skills. LO = 1,4


• Diet Planning: Students develop a nutritionally complete meal plan for an individual from a food bank box, using knowledge of food products and cooking skills, portion sizes and nutritional content of foods, dietary analysis software. Through discussing their results and the challenges of achieving a nutritionally complete diet within restrictions, students become develop resourcefulness and problem-solving skills to work within a confined framework. They also apply cultural understanding and empathy to the client. This activity pulls together skills learnt in BMS1055 and BMS1034 plus this module so students can see how their skills have built over time. LO = 3,4


• Communication videos: students are provided with a variety of recorded nutritionist/dietitian conversations and use the module discussion boards to learn, reflect and share ideas around these communication skills. LO = 1,3,4

Feedback

Feedback is provided to students after summative assessments in the form of written feedback, both individual and cohort. Verbal feedback and peer reflections are provided in formative assessments, with engagement with tutors through the online discussion boards also.

Module aims

• This module aims to develop students into employable nutrition professionals of the future, with a focus on:
  
• - Enhancing professional and communication skills that were introduced at Level 4 and will feed into a professional placement year.
  
• - Providing an introduction to health psychology and progressing communication skills with these principles.
  
• - Considering how communities and individuals health can be impacted and changed by the action of professionals.
  

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

 The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop skills for practical application of theoretical knowledge. Some of this will be learnt in the module, and other aspects will be built upon from other modules. The learning and teaching strategy is aiming to develop students as independent learners and practitioners who are building ownership over their development and can join up the information they are learning on previous modules. Therefore, more learning is self-directed through the provision of on-demand content and guided reflections.

Teaching takes place in a variety of forms:

• Lectures – these will be taken by a variety of tutors and external speakers 


• Interactive workshops/tutorials – these sessions are taught in smaller groups and give opportunity for practicing skills with peers, reflecting and sharing ideas


• Self-directed learning (including learning from assessment) – this may be supplied by tutors in the form of on-demand content or reading in response to taught content and will also be learning driven by the student themselves.

Please be aware that timings are approximate and may change slightly.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS2080

Other information

The School of Biosciences is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience, in line with Surrey’s Curriculum Framework. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Employability: Students build reflection and professional practice skills, such as nutritional analysis in action and behaviour change. Transferable communication skills are enhanced, such as working with groups, producing written materials and interacting with clients. Empathy is developed through understanding social and personal perceptions around health and illness, which supports students to become more responsive practitioners.

Digital Capabilities: The online learning platform utilises multiple media forms to facilitate learning (video, reading, audio, discussion forums), often using the flipped approach. Students have further opportunity to grow in confidence of using nutritional analysis software and to interact with each other through discussion boards, which increases their appreciation of the nuances of digital communication.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: Students consider barriers to change for individuals and communities and ways to counteract these, both at individual and local level.

Resourcefulness and resilience: Reflection skills are encouraged to be used throughout the module, as well as continuing into placements and further study. Students are encouraged to apply their growing knowledge to practical situations through workshops and tutorials and undertake their own research to support decision making. This starts students on the path to becoming autonomous practitioners.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.