Abstract

Introduction: In Chile, the employment situation of the nutritionist has been affected by the numerous competition and limited vacancies in traditional work areas. Consequently, the career of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Chile decided to open a new professional practice in emerging fields of performance from the year 2021. The objective of this study was to evaluate its implementation and assessment, considering the opinion of all those involved. Methodology: Mixed cross-sectional descriptive study with non-probabilistic sampling. To obtain the opinion of the participants, online surveys were designed and carried out with students in the last level and their supervisors, semi-structured interviews with tutors of practice centers and discussion groups with undergraduate professors. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative results and thematic analysis for qualitative questions. Results: The opinions of 27 students, 8 supervisors, 10 tutors and 13 undergraduate professors were obtained. Regarding the implementation, both the structure and the centers and their modality of practice were adequate. The assessment was high by those involved, highlighting the development and management of generic competencies among students, and their contribution to expanding the labor field, as well as the role of the nutritionist in emerging areas. As an aspect to be improved, the activities to be carried out in each center need to be more detailed. Conclusions: The implementation of this practice was successful, with a high level of assessment. Its inclusion in the curriculum responds adequately to the profile of the graduate and the development objectives of the unit, responding to needs previously detected in the curriculum and in the environment, thus contributing to the labor insertion of the graduates and to the diversification of the current field of the discipline.