Physical Assessment of Adults in Clinical Practice – A Training Programme for Dietetic Departments

Dietitian Managers – Register your interest

The INDI Physical Assessment of Adults in Clinical Practice (PAACP) blended learning programme was developed by dietitian experts* under the direction of the  Nutrition Physical Assessment Steering Group**, as it was recognised that there was a gap, in terms of knowledge, skills and confidence of dietitians with the physical assessment component of nutrition assessment.

Improving physical assessment skills of dietitians, enables more comprehensive nutrition assessment and identification of malnutrition and its severity in individuals. This is crucial, as it is estimated that 1 in 3 adults admitted to Irish hospitals are at risk of malnutrition, and 145,000 people live with, or are at risk of malnutrition (majority in the community) in Ireland.

PAACP Training Package for Dietetic Departments Successfully Launched in 2025:

Since December 2023, a total of 200 dietitians from across all clinical settings have participated in PAACP training! However, the need to continue to embed physical assessment skills across the profession for the benefit of adult patients/service users, means that demand for the training still remains very high.

Therefore, to increase capacity and facilitate dietitians’ access to PAACP training in a more timely manner, a training package for dietetic teams and departments was launched in January 2025.  

So far, two hospitals, Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) have rolled out the training package to a total of 28 dietitians within their departments. Feedback has been extremely positive!

Lisa Shanahan, Clinical Specialist Dietitian in Critical Care at MMUH and Lead Facilitator for the departmental PAACP programme says “As a strong advocate for physical assessment skill development facilitating this course for my department was both straight-forward and rewarding. The comprehensive suite of e-learning materials minimised the preparation work and meant I could focus on effectively delivering the practical training.  Follow-up sessions were great for evaluating participants' learnings and consolidating their skills”. 

And in TUH, Alice Black, Senior Renal Dietitian and Departmental PAACP Lead Facilitator had this to say: “PAACP training within our department was a great opportunity to develop a core set of dietetic skills within a familiar and supported environment, i.e. together with our colleagues. The way the course is delivered and accessed by participants was convenient both during the training period and since then, and it continues to support us as we practice the skills. With one group of dietitians already trained, we plan to run two more groups in 2026 so our entire team will be PAACP trained. This will no doubt help embed the training into our day-to-day assessments”

What do you need to bring the PAACP Training Package to your Department or Team?

The key points to consider for a department or team PAACP training package are as follows:

• The workshop components will need to be co-ordinated, conducted and delivered within your dietetic department/team by an eligible dietitian(s) who acts as facilitator(s).

Your chosen facilitator(s) must be:

• Working in practice for more than 3 years.
• Have had prior training in physical assessment skills
• Be incorporating these skills into their practice for more than 6 months.
• Be confident that they have necessary skills and expertise to deliver this training

• The training uses a peer model approach, so training will be carried out in pairs. There can be up to 5 pairs of dietitians per facilitator (1:10) in a block, within your department/team.
• In order to allow flexibility, a department/team will have access to the training package on INDI’s E-learning site for a 12-month period - during which training can be scheduled and delivered at times that suit the department/team, in 14 week blocks to pairs. For example, a department of 30 dietitians can be trained in 3 x 14-week blocks during a 12-month period.
• All materials, resources and the e-module as well as certificate of completion, will be provided and available to dietitians from your department/team through access to the INDI’s e-learning centre.
• Guidance documents (facilitator handbook) and workshop slides will be provided by the INDI for the support of the delivery of the programme.
• The cost of this option will be €110 for each INDI member and €180 for each non-INDI member within your department

 If you would like further details, e.g. a breakdown of the learning objectives and training components, or if you wish to proceed with this training for your department or team, please contact cpd@indi.ie and copy info@indi.ie to register your interest. We will revert to you to ensure eligibility and provide all details.

Dietitian Expert Content Developers* and Steering Group**

*Nicola Dervan, Specialist Lecturer/Practice Tutor, UCD; Jenny Caffrey, Clinical Specialist in Critical Care, SVUH; Fatma Omar, Acting Clinical Specialist Dietitian, Heart/Lung Transplant & CTS, MMUH.

With review by, and acknowledgement to the PAACP Steering Group**: Barbara Gillman, Dietitian Operations Manager, MMUH, Professor Clare Corish, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, UCD and Mary McKiernan, Dietitian Manager, MMUH, Jennifer Feighan, INDI.