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Health placements

Nutrition and Dietetics

Nutrition and Dietetics Placements

All students enrolled in a Nutrition and Dietetics degree (BND or MND) are required to undertake practical placement which usually occurs in the final year of their degree. Prior to commencing placement all students must complete the NSW Health verification process.

As it can take up to five months to complete all of the components of the verification process, it is your responsibility as a student to ensure that you have met these requirements.  Failure to do so may prevent you from attending your first health placement and therefore may hinder progress within your course.

Please contact the UOW Verification Team if you have any questions about the verification process.

Please contact the Nutrition and Dietetics Placement Team for all other placement questions.

Preparing for placement

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) provides student compliance services for the University of Wollongong.  ISLHD have created a Student Compliance Web page that details the Forms and Documents required for Student Compliance.  Supplementary information can be found below.

It is recommended that you can start the verification process as soon as possible as it can take up to five months to complete all of the requirements. Do this by taking the following steps.

1. Obtain an Australian National Police Check (NPC). An Australian NPC can be purchased through all State or Territory Police Forces, the Australian Federal Police or a number of Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) accredited bodies. 

Before purchasing your NPC, please consider the following:

  • Most ACIC accredited bodies’ police checks need to be validated within three (3) months of purchase. Failure to do so will mean they are no longer valid and you will need to purchase a new check.
  • If you plan to attend a health placement in the ACT, it is recommended that you obtain your NPC through either NSW Police or Australian Federal Police (and not any of the other ACIC providers listed).
  • A valid NPC must be held for the duration of your placement/s.
  • If you have a charge or a conviction listed on your National Police Certificate, you must also apply for a Clinical Placement Clearance; the application process is detailed on the Student Compliance Web page.

International Students must also provide a National Police Check from their home country or any country they have resided in since turning 18 years of age.  If they cannot provide this police check, they can sign the Overseas Student Statutory Declaration as detailed on the Student Compliance Web page. Please note, this Statutory Declaration can only be completed after arriving in NSW.

2. Complete the NSW Health forms as included on the Student Compliance Web page, these include:

  • Student Undertaking / Declaration
  • Tuberculosis (TB) Assessment Tool
  • Code of Conduct Agreement

3. Download the Vaccination Record Card for Health Care Workers and Students and take it to your GP or NSW Health Staff Clinic for them to complete.

4. Collate evidence of your vaccinations, including any relevant serology reports (blood test results).

Review the tips and links on the Student Compliance website regarding “What evidence do I need?”, “What constitutes evidence?” and other hints on what is required.

Please note: For Hepatitis B vaccinations, the minimum requirement is for students to have documented evidence of receiving at least the first dose of Hepatitis B vaccine.  If you meet all other requirements, and have had your first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine, you will likely be given temporary verification approval by NSW Health.  If this is the case, please send your Vaccination Record Card and any other evidence to the UOW Verification Team for processing. 

If temporary verification status is approved it will last for 6 months and you will be able to commence placement during that time.  You will still need to complete the full series of Hepatitis B vaccinations within that 6 month period to gain full compliance.

5. Scan all of your documents, including a copy of your UOW Student ID Card, into a PDF format. Please ensure that your documents, in total, do not exceed 8MB in size.

6. Take the ‘Ready for Verification’ Quiz on the NSW Health Verification Readiness Moodle site.

7. Using your UOW email address, send all documents to the UOW Verification Team uow-verification@uow.edu.au.

Remember to: 

  • Keep the total size of your email below 8MB
  • Use your UOW email address to send your documentation to the UOW Verification team
  • Include your Full Name, Student Number and your Course Discipline in all correspondence with the UOW Verification Team.
  • Keep all of your original verification documentation in a safe place. You may be asked to produce certain documents prior to commencing placement, even after you have become fully verified by NSW Health, particularly if you are placed in a non-NSW Health facility.  You will also need to produce most of these documents to a future employer.  Your student compliance will not carry over into the work place.  It is your responsibility as a student to keep these documents and produce them when requested. 

Contact the UOW Verification Team uow-verification@uow.edu.au for any questions or further assistance.

NSW Health strongly recommends and prefers that all students attending or planning to attend a placement in NSW Health obtain their COVID-19 vaccination, in consultation with a General Practitioner if required.
 
Students can make a booking for vaccination by visiting the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker, which gives them access to a number of COVID-19 vaccination clinics across NSW including GP and NSW Health clinics. When booking their appointment, students need to identify as a ‘health care worker’. All students will need to provide proof of occupation, which can be in the form of a university ID card or an enrolment confirmation letter from the University.

Working With Children Check (WWCC)
WWCC is not usually required for Nutrition and Dietetics placements. However, some interstate and non-government organisations may require a WWCC. The placement organisation or dietetics clinical placement coordinators will notify students if they require a WWCC.

Students are required to sign that they have read, understood and agree to adhere to the NSW Health Code of Conduct and the UOW Code of Professional Experience.

As stated in the NSW Health Code of Conduct, students must dress in a way that is considered professionally appropriate for the work they do and complies with the placement site dress standards. More detailed information about dress standards can be obtained from the placement site.

Additional information

Costs of accommodation and travel to placement are the responsibility of the student.

Clinical placement grants are sometimes available through Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) webpage and NSW Health clinical placement grants. Please check the relevant sites for further information.

Students undertaking a placement in a rural or remote area may be eligible for placement scholarships annually released by different organisations, such as NSW Health and SARRAH. Students are encouraged to explore options that may be applicable to their placements and will be supported by the Placement Coordinator in the provision of required evidence/documentation that may be needed to support their application.

There are currently no international placement opportunities in Nutrition and Dietetics.

The University has in place policies and practices which outline what is expected of you whilst you are on your placement.

If you have any difficulties whilst on your placement, please contact your relevant placement coordinator for assistance.

Please view the policies and practices which apply to students when on placement.

Please contact the team for further information.