Dietetic internships require at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice, with at least 700 in professional work settings. Hospitals, clinics and foodservice operations each set their own clearance rules.
Dietetics programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Your clinical sites and affiliation agreements decide the exact list, so treat this as a starting point, not a substitute for your own standards.
What dietetics students usually need before supervised practice
- Immunizations. CDC recommends hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap and annual influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel, proven by records or titers. (source) See titer testing explained.
- TB screening. CDC recommends baseline screening for all healthcare personnel and no routine annual testing without an exposure, but many clinical sites still set their own schedule. (source) See TB testing requirements.
- CPR / BLS certification, tracked to its expiration so a lapse is caught before a rotation, not during it.
- Background check, often with healthcare sanctions screening for hospital placements. See student background checks.
- Drug screen, usually a 10-panel urine screen (ours includes oxycodone) before the first placement.
- N95 fit testing where a site requires respirators. Students aren't employees under OSHA, so the requirement comes from the site; when it applies, OSHA's standard calls for a fit test before first use and at least annually. (source) See N95 fit testing.
What's specific to Dietetics programs
- Written policies. ACEND Standard 8.2 requires written policies on professional liability insurance, travel safety, injury or illness at the facility, and drug testing and criminal background checks if the supervised practice facilities require them. (source)
- 1,000 hours. At least 1,000 supervised practice hours, at least 700 in professional work settings and up to 300 in simulation or case studies. (source)
How Drug Free Schools handles it
- One portal, your requirement list. Set how each item renews: flu by season, CPR through the end of the printed month, Tdap every ten years. Add another way to meet a requirement, or a declination pathway.
- Every upload reviewed within 24 hours. If something is wrong, the student sees the exact reason and what to upload instead.
- Upload guides for every requirement: an example of the right document, the common reasons for rejection, and a blank form to download.
- Deadlines and reminders by email and text, and a dashboard that shows anyone not cleared for an upcoming rotation.
- Clinical sites built in. Track affiliation agreements, assign students to rotations, log clinical hours, and block anyone who isn't cleared from being placed. Send a site exactly the records it needs through a secure link with an access code that expires in 30 days.
For dietetics: Keep liability insurance certificates next to immunizations and screenings, and log supervised practice hours in the same record.
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Frequently asked questions
What do dietetics students need before supervised practice?
Most sites ask for the immunizations CDC recommends for healthcare personnel (hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap and annual flu), TB screening, CPR, a background check and a drug screen, plus N95 fit testing where respirators are used. Dietetics programs also document the items their accreditor names; the exact list comes from your clinical sites and affiliation agreements.
Do dietetic interns need drug testing?
Only if the supervised practice facility requires it, and ACEND requires a written policy covering that. We offer drug screens on campus or at Quest locations nationwide, which suits interns placed far from campus.
How much does the compliance portal cost?
$30 per student, one time for the whole program, not a yearly fee. Administrator and faculty accounts are free, and the school can pay instead of the student.
Can one portal cover all of our health science programs?
Yes. Each program gets its own requirement list and renewal rules, while the school has one portal and one support line, 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff.
Sources
- CDC/ACIP: Immunization of Health-Care Personnel
- CDC: TB screening of health care personnel, 2019
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134, respiratory protection
- OSHA interpretation letter on students, 1999
- Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
- Written policies
This page summarizes public accreditor, CDC and OSHA documents as of September 2026. Requirements vary by school, clinical site and state; confirm against your current standards and affiliation agreements. Quest Diagnostics is a trademark of its owner.