Selection of Supervised Practice Sites

Applicants/Students, with the assistance of the NutraCo faculty team, must secure all needed supervised experiential learning (SEL) sites and preceptors in the local area where they plan to complete their SEL hours. Students must submit the Final SEL Schedule tab of the Rotation Tracker Google Sheet prior to the start of any rotations. The Google Sheet must be updated within 48 hours regarding any changes to preceptors, rotation sites, and/or assignment submissions. This for consists of three tabs:

1. SEL Planning – to be used to track locations and preceptors that have been contacted. Students are to fill out all information as indicated on the tab for every rotation. 
2. FINAL SEL Schedule – to be used as the final official list of SEL locations, preceptors, number of hours, and affiliation agreement tracking. The student must immediately alert NutraCo faculty if there are changes to any secured rotations. Facilities and preceptors should be added to this document as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of the semester before the scheduled experience.
3. Course Map – to be used as a guide for course registration.

Any updates regarding preceptors and/or rotation sites must be indicated in the Tracker and communicated to the NutraCo team within 48 hours of receiving notification that the preceptor or rotation site is no longer available, or that there has been a change in schedule. 

Failure to follow any of the above indicated policies will result in a warning. Continued failure to adhere to the above policies will result in a probationary mark.

The NutraCo faculty team will help guide students in selecting qualified SEL sites and preceptors as follows:

• Selection of Supervised Practice Sites
  • Ability to provide student experiences in accordance with program requirements.
  • Ability to provide a competent preceptor as defined in each SEL experience. 
  • Site adheres to state and federal regulatory requirements. 
  • Submit signed Affiliation Agreement between site and NutraCo-Graceland University Partnership Graduate Program (the Program) as needed.
  • NutraCo faculty approval to ensure all requirements have been met.
• Selection of Preceptors
  • Appropriate professional credentials or license to ensure potential preceptors meet state and federal regulations for the area/rotation in which they will act as a preceptor, such as RDN with preferably at least one-year of work experience post-credentialing, or a qualified Food Service Director/Supervisor (DTR, CDM, CFPP, ServSafe Certification, etc.).
  • Full-time employee at site, but will accept part-time employee if a qualified secondary preceptor supervises the student when the initial part-time preceptor is not available.
  • Adequate education for the SEL rotation for which they will provide guidance.
  • Submission of resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  • Description of continued competency appropriate to precepting responsibilities in the past 7 years.
  • Completion and submission of the Preceptor Qualifications Form in its entirety.
  • Approval by NutraCo faculty to ensure they are qualified to implement the program’s curriculum to achieve/complete program objectives, SEL experiences, required assignments, and student learning outcomes.

Affiliation Agreements

The NutraCo-Graceland University Partnership Graduate Program requires a written and signed Affiliation Agreement for facilities or preceptors in order to provide supervised experiential learning to students in our program. Supervised experiential learning is a program requirement of accreditation standards. In addition, a facility or preceptor may waive the required formal Affiliation Agreement process, but this must be in writing and sent to the Program Director prior to the student’s start date for the rotation.

The site may opt to use their own Affiliation Agreement form or revise the NutraCo ACEND Accredited Programs (NAAP) form, which must be approved by the Program Director before it is authorized. Affiliation Agreements must be signed and by authorized representatives from the site and NutraCo staff before the intern can begin a rotation. Each party will receive a copy of the signed agreement. An Affiliation Agreement Addendum must be signed for sites that NutraCo’s Dietetic Internship has an active Affiliation Agreement in place to reflect the agreement extending to Graduate Program students. NutraCo-Graceland University Partnership Program will maintain all signed Affiliation Agreements, or any written requests to waive the formal Affiliation Agreement process in their files. 

Payment for Preceptors

The NutraCo-Graceland University Partnership Graduate Program does not include payment for preceptors as part of the program’s financial requirements. When seeking preceptors, applicants/students should ask if they seek payment, and if they do, they should include this as an additional cost of the program, payable by the student.

Tips for Securing Preceptors

Students are responsible to identify preceptors in their preferred geographic area. NutraCo-Graceland University Partnership Program faculty will assist if the student experiences difficulty securing supervised experiential learning sites. The following tips are provided as guidance in securing supervised experiential learning locations.

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a list of potential preceptors. Login to the Academy’s Website, sign into your account, and search for a preceptor by location and practice area. 
• Consider searching on job boards, such as www.indeed.com, and type in “dietetic intern” to see if there are any available supervised experiential learning opportunities near you.
• Reach out to your professors, colleagues, family, and friends for potential leads or suggestions.
• If you live in any of the geographical locations where NutraCo conducts business, the Program Faculty may be able to give you leads for preceptors who work for NutraCo. Please contact the program faculty for more information.
• Contacting a potential preceptor
  • Obtain the phone number to call your potential preceptor. A phone call is preferred over an email.
  • Call at least three times. Be sure to leave a call back number when leaving a voicemail message.
  • Prepare a written script to include a greeting, state your name, state you are seeking a preceptor for a Graduate Program in nutrition and dietetics, describe the rotation for which you are seeking preceptorship (clinical, long-term care, food service management, community, or concentration), the length of the rotation, and briefly explain the requirements of the rotation.
  • Consider utilizing this Email Template if you only have access to a potential preceptor’s email address. Send a follow-up email if you have not heard back from your prospective preceptor within 5 business days.
• If the preceptor wants to meet you first, send them the paperwork/forms prior to the meeting via email. This will give them time to review the information, complete the necessary forms, and ask you questions before you actually meet. Remember, your prospective preceptor is very busy, and you want to expedite your meeting.
• If your prospective preceptor is not able to help you, ask if they have suggestions for other potential preceptors in the area.
• Once the preceptor has agreed to host your SEL experience, you will need to ask them to fill out the Preceptor Qualifications Form. A form is required for each preceptor at the SEL location.