Our 3 SPE Pathway Options 

The BCNS SPE Categories & Hour Requirements

The practice experience should follow the PN Care Model, with time allocated as follows:

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• Category A: Personalized Nutrition Assessment and Interpretation (minimum 200 hours)

• Category B: Personalized Nutrition Intervention, Education, Counseling, and Ongoing Care

(minimum 200 hours)

• Category C: Personalized Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation (minimum 200 hours)

Remaining hours may be in any of the above categories.

 

The practice experience should address each of the SPE competencies through exposure to a

broad range of health conditions.

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Indirect Experience (optional and maximum of 250 hours)

Candidates may opt to start with observational hours as they are learning the PN care model

and just beginning to apply foundational coursework to clinical situations. During observational

 

SPE, candidates will earn hours across Categories A, B, and C in the following ways:

• Listening to videos of client and practitioner interactions and discussing findings with

the supervisor;

• Shadowing an experienced clinician in active clinical care, and discussing cases with the

supervisor;

• Participating in supervised simulation exercises and/or role-playing; and

• Utilizing case studies to analyze clinical cases and prepare treatment plans or handouts

that are reviewed by the supervisor.

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NOTE: Observational hours are not required, and candidates may earn the complete 1,000

hours in Direct experience.

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Direct Experience (minimum of 750 hours)

While earning direct experience, candidates and supervisors work together to ensure they are

each meeting their responsibilities.

 

During direct SPE, candidates will earn hours across Categories A, B, and C in the following ways:

• Counseling of individuals and groups;

• Activities directly related to the counseling of active individual clients and groups of

clients such as completing chart notes and/or treatment plans, evidence-based

research activities directly related to developing treatment plans, and communicating

with clients or other members of a client’s healthcare team between live sessions;

• Participating in community education, including the development and delivery of

education to a specific population

• Supervisor-led grand rounds and one-on-one meetings covering active client cases.