Health and Technical Standards

All students enrolled in the MSCN program must have certain abilities and skills in the following six areas in order to fully participate in the curriculum: Observation, Communication, Motor, Intellectual, Behavioral, and Environmental. All requests for accommodation will be referred to the Office of Disability Access (ODA) for review and recommendation. The ODA will determine appropriate accommodation based on documentation and individual needs. For additional information, please refer to the Student Affairs Policy Manual (UNT Health Policy 7.104).

1. Observation: Candidates must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in learning activities within the nutrition and health sciences. They must also be able to accurately observe patients both at a distance and close at hand. The ability to observe is further enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.
2. Communication: Candidates must be able to communicate professionally and clearly, both orally and in writing, with patients, families and healthcare teams, and must be able to interpret nonverbal cues and describe changes in moods, activity and posture.
3. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. A candidate should be able to execute movements which are reasonably required to complete nutrition-focused physical exams, obtain anthropometric measurements, and perform food preparation tasks. A candidate may be required to lift heavy objects of up to 25 lbs. (e.g., pans of food, cases, or bulk-packed food), push equipment (i.e., loaded carts or tray racks), handle sharp equipment or utensils (i.e., knives, commercial slicers), carry materials (e.g., food items, books, laptop), and work with hot surfaces (e.g., grills, steamers, and kettles). These tasks require coordination of both gross and fine motor skills, balance, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
4. Intellectual: Candidates should possess conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities. These include obtaining measurements and performing calculations, critical thinking, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, a critical skill demanded of Registered Dietitians, requires all of these intellectual abilities.
5. Behavioral: Candidates must be emotionally healthy to exercise sound judgment, manage stress, adapt to changing environments, and perform effectively in clinical settings. Candidates must also be willing and able to receive and incorporate constructive feedback into practice.
6. Environmental: Candidates should be able to function in educational, healthcare, and foodservice settings with potential exposure to chemicals, gases, biohazards and environmental allergies in compliance with OSHA safety standards and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.