Purpose
To
recognize excellence in interdisciplinary clinical nutrition practice in
institutions or agencies who meet certain criteria and compliance with
ASPEN national standards, guidelines and values for the purpose of
awarding them a designation of high achievement.
Process
The 2025 Clinical
Nutrition Team of Distinction Award application is now closed. There will
not be a limit to the number of award recipients. Awards to be given at the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference.
Criteria
- Shall have an identified interdisciplinary group of practitioners
with all 4 disciplines represented (do not need to be formal members of a
team, may work collaboratively, but must be from dietetics, medicine (may include physician assistants), nursing (may include nurse practitioners)
& pharmacy) and need to participate in clinical nutrition or
nutrition support functions in some way, e.g., patient rounds, clinic or home
care visits, nutrition committee, policy &/or formulary activities. Must
show evidence of involvement of all 4 disciplines
- At least 2 team members (from different disciplines) shall be
ASPEN members.
A team shall be recognized within the institution, or agency as noted by a
letter from a department chair or facility manager / director.
- At least two members of the team (from different disciplines)
shall be certified in nutrition support (NBNSC, BPS, or ABPNS)
- A team shall use ASPEN Standards, Clinical Guidelines
&/or Practice Recommendations (EN or PN Safety) and provide documentation
of using 3 different documents.
- The team shall demonstrate involvement with a nutrition support
quality improvement project such as SustainTM National Patient
Registry for Nutrition Care.
- At least one team member shall attend the annual conference (list last 3 years and names of attendees)
- At least one team member shall present an abstract (platform or
poster), published paper or presentation at a national, chapter, or local
meeting on nutrition support in the past 3 years (list the last 3
calendar years and cite presentations)
- At least 2 team members (from different disciplines) shall
demonstrate involvement with nutrition support organizational activities in the
past 3 years. This may include ASPEN Board of Directors, committees,
task forces, JPEN or NCP journal editorial
boards, or section leadership positions; ASPEN chapter leadership or
committee activities; leadership activities with NBNSC, BPS or ABPNS; or regional nutrition support conference program committees.
- All team members shall demonstrate receiving at least 2 contact
hours annually of continuing education in nutrition during the past 3
years.
Award
The
recognition will be limited to a period of 5 years (certificates and ASPEN website screen recognition will expire in 5 years). Teams may re-apply
for the award.
- Each team member and the institution will receive a
certificate. One designated team member will receive the team members’
and institutions’ certificates at the ASPEN Nutrition Science and Practice Conference.
- The team will be listed on a new screen of the ASPEN website.
- Local press releases announcing a team’s recognition will be
distributed.
- Teams achieving this recognition will be mentioned in journals (to
be determined).