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Preparing for placements (for students) 

There is a lot to do when preparing for each practice education placement and the dietetic team work hard to make sure you are as well prepared as possible. The list below is designed to increase your awareness of our expectations and what tasks you are going to need to do.

• Make an appointment with your placement tutor for your pre-placement tutorial
• Collect tunics as arranged – you will be expected to wear them in most situations on placements. Please remember that in clinical settings you will always be expected to be bare below the elbows
• Keep checking your university email account, even during holidays
• If you have any learning or health needs, ensure you have placement-specific student support plan in place - this is particularly important for B and C placement

• Feel free to contact practice educators to arrange a visit, particularly if you have a specific disability or learning difference. This will help the practice educators to prepare well and consider any reasonable adjustment you may need
• Respond promptly to communications from practice educators
• Check the following in advance of your first day: time that you are expected to arrive and where you need to be
• If you are planning to travel to placement on a daily basis, you are strongly advised to do a 'practice run' at the time that you are anticipating to make the commute, to gauge how much time you need to allow to get there. Many students have changed their minds about commuting after they have done a test run. It is strongly advised that you do not commute for more than an hour as this can be extremely tiring and can negatively affect your placement performance
• Consider putting key names and contact numbers into your mobile phones – useful in the event of delays
• Familiarise yourself with the dress code and ensure you have appropriate trousers/skirts and shoes
• Familiarise yourself with the assessment tools before placement – take responsibility for you your own learning
• Please contact the practice educator as soon as possible in advance if you are likely to need any time off during placement for social events such as the wedding of a family member. You will be expected to make this time up. Please note that time off should only be for important events
• If you have any routine appointments such as for the dentist or optician arranged, please re-schedule them to before or after placement
• For those eligible to claim placement expenses, read the guidelines so that you know exactly what you are able to claim for and how much