| Course | NS465 Functional Nutrition |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 8 |
| Paper type | Referral decision memo |
| Length | About 770 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Nutrition Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NS465 Unit 8
Nine Findings, Four Destinations: A Unit 8 Referral Decision Memo for a Piano Teacher's First Intake
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NS465: Functional Nutrition
Unit 8 Referral Decision Memo
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The client and her findings are composite; the scope of practice document, the diabetes standards and the dietary network meta-analysis cited are real.
Memo
To: Client file, Helen R. From: NS465 nutrition coach. Re: Referral decisions after intake on October 6.
Purpose: Helen, 53, teaches piano from home and came in for fatigue and digestive discomfort. The intake produced nine findings. This memo records who should act on each and why, so that nothing is left unassigned and nothing is handled outside the right scope. As a nutrition coach, my role covers general healthy eating guidance and behavior support; medical nutrition therapy for a diagnosed condition belongs to a registered dietitian, and diagnosis belongs to a physician (Academy Quality Management Committee, 2018).
Urgent: Physician Within Days
Finding 1. Helen mentioned, almost in passing, that her stools looked black and tarry on two days last week. Black, tarry stools can signal bleeding in the upper digestive tract.
The black stools went to her physician the same day, ahead of every other finding, because a sign of possible bleeding outranks any nutrition question on the list.
Action: I advised Helen to call her physician that afternoon, and she made an appointment for October 8. I noted that she takes ibuprofen most days for wrist pain, which she should mention.
Physician
Finding 2. Unintended weight loss of about nine pounds over three months, without trying.
Finding 3. Tingling in both feet for several months.
Action: Both need medical evaluation to find a cause before nutrition can respond. I asked Helen to raise them at her October 8 appointment.
Registered Dietitian
Finding 4. Last month her physician reported an A1C of 6.1 percent, which falls in the prediabetes range, and suggested she "watch her diet." Diabetes standards recommend referring people with prediabetes to an intensive lifestyle program or to individualized medical nutrition therapy (American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, 2025). That is dietitian work.
Finding 5. Her gastroenterologist diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome two years ago, and Helen wants to try the low FODMAP diet she read about. The diet has the strongest evidence among dietary approaches for the condition (Black et al., 2022), but it is restrictive and works best with a structured reintroduction phase, which a dietitian should guide.
Action: Referral to a registered dietitian covering both, with a note that her physician should first rule out other causes of her symptoms given findings 1 to 3.
Stays With the Nutrition Coach
Finding 6. She skips breakfast and grazes on crackers between afternoon lessons.
Finding 7. She eats about one serving of vegetables a day.
Finding 8. She drinks two cups of coffee after 3 p.m. and reports trouble falling asleep.
Action: These fall within general guidance and behavior support. We will work on a simple breakfast, a vegetable at lunch and moving coffee earlier, once her physician has seen her.
Declined
Finding 9. Helen asked whether she should order an advertised stool panel, costing $349, that promises to "identify gut imbalances." I declined to recommend it. Its results would not change any decision in this memo, it is not ordered by a clinician, and her physician and dietitian are the right people to decide on testing. I wrote this decision in her file and explained it to her.
Why Some Findings Were Not Mine to Keep
Several findings could have looked like nutrition problems on the surface. Weight loss might suggest she simply eats too little, and tingling feet can come from a low vitamin B12 level. Starting a meal plan or suggesting a supplement for either would have felt helpful, but it would have risked delaying a diagnosis. Unintended weight loss and nerve symptoms both have medical causes that need ruling out first, and a coach who treats the symptom may hide the problem. The same reasoning applies to the prediabetes finding: general healthy eating advice would not be wrong, but she is entitled to individualized therapy from a professional trained to provide it, and her insurance may cover it.
Order of Steps
1. Physician visit on October 8 for findings 1, 2 and 3.
2. Dietitian referral after the physician visit for findings 4 and 5.
3. Coaching on findings 6, 7 and 8, coordinated with the dietitian.
Follow-Up
I will call Helen on October 9 to confirm she saw her physician, and I will not begin coaching until she has.
References
Academy Quality Management Committee. (2018). Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Revised 2017 scope of practice for the registered dietitian nutritionist. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(1), 141-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.10.002
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2025). 3. Prevention or delay of diabetes and associated comorbidities: Standards of care in diabetes 2025. Diabetes Care, 48(Suppl. 1), S50-S58. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-S003
Black, C. J., Staudacher, H. M., & Ford, A. C. (2022). Efficacy of a low FODMAP diet in irritable bowel syndrome: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. Gut, 71(6), 1117-1126. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325214
Reading the NS 465 Unit 8 instructions
For Unit 8, NS465 asks students to write a memo deciding where each finding from an intake should go. Prompts usually ask for every finding to be assigned and the reasoning explained. State your role at the top, since scope depends on it. List every finding, numbered, so none is lost. Sort them by urgency first, then by the professional best placed to act. Explain each assignment briefly with a reason or a source. Put urgent findings first and give a timeframe. Explain why some findings that look like nutrition problems are not yours to keep. Record any request you decline and why. Set an order of steps and a follow-up. Keep the memo factual and concise. Two to three pages is typical.
Inside the NS465 Unit 8 example
A To, From and Re block starts the sample, followed by a purpose statement that defines the coach's role with reference to the dietetics scope of practice. The urgent section reports the black stools, and a highlighted sentence explains why they come first. Weight loss and tingling feet follow under the physician heading. The dietitian section covers the 6.1 percent A1C, citing diabetes standards, and the low FODMAP request, citing a network meta-analysis. Three behavioral findings stay with the coach. The stool panel is declined with reasons. A section explains why weight loss, tingling and prediabetes were not kept despite looking like nutrition issues. A numbered order of steps and a follow-up call close the memo.
NS465 Unit 8 rubric: what earns full points
Referral decision memos tend to be graded on completeness, correct prioritization, appropriate scope and clear reasoning. A large portion of the grade depends on putting urgent findings first with a clear timeframe. Instructors check that every finding is assigned. Accurate distinctions between coaching, medical nutrition therapy and medical diagnosis show understanding of professional roles. Reasons for each assignment, supported by guidelines where relevant, earn credit. Declining unsupported tests in writing demonstrates judgment. A logical order of steps shows the memo can guide action. Memo format and APA 7 references complete the rubric. Concise wording matters too, since a busy colleague should be able to read the memo in a few minutes and know exactly what happens next for the client.
NS465 Unit 8 help from the desk
A frequent memo mistake is keeping findings that look nutritional but have medical causes, such as weight loss or nerve symptoms. Others send everything to a physician, which shows avoidance rather than judgment. Urgent findings are sometimes buried in the middle. Some findings go unassigned. The difference between a coach and a registered dietitian is blurred. Requests for tests are ignored rather than answered. The order of steps is missing, so coaching starts before medical review. If you have intake findings but are unsure where each belongs, a writer can help you sort them by urgency and scope and explain every decision.
Get an NS465 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
List every finding the Unit 8 case contains, or paste it whole, and add the scope statement your program uses and the rubric. Findings are ranked by urgency, each placement is explained in a sentence, and nothing clinical stays inside coaching. The first sample is free, turned around in 24-48h, addressed to whichever reader the prompt names. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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NS465 Unit 8 questions, answered
What if the prompt does not say what my role is?
State an assumed role at the top of the memo, usually a nutrition or wellness professional who is not a registered dietitian, and define its scope in one sentence. Every placement then follows from that definition. If your program points toward a different credential, adjust accordingly, but make the assumption explicit so the grader can check your reasoning against it.
Is it over-cautious to refer something minor?
It can be. A memo that sends everything to a physician shows avoidance rather than judgment. Keep within coaching what clearly belongs there, such as meal timing or general food choices, and refer whatever involves a diagnosis, a medication, a supplement interaction or symptoms that need evaluation. Explaining each boundary decision is what earns the marks in this unit.
How should urgent findings be worded?
Plainly and first. State the finding as observed, the professional it goes to and the timeframe, such as within days rather than at the next routine visit. Avoid diagnostic guesses: write that new thirst and weight loss warrant prompt evaluation, not that the client probably has diabetes. The memo exists to move a finding, not to name a condition.
Where can I find a free NS465 Unit 8 sample paper?
A complete Unit 8 referral decision memo is on this page, sorting nine intake findings for a piano teacher among her physician, a registered dietitian and the nutrition coach, and declining a stool panel in writing.
Why did black stools come first in the NS465 Unit 8 memo?
Black, tarry stools can signal bleeding in the upper digestive tract, which needs prompt medical assessment. The memo sends that finding to her physician the same day, before any nutrition topic is addressed.