Dietetics Education Programs Research Articles

Importance, performance frequency, and predicted future importance of dietitians' jobs by practicing dietitians in Korea: a survey study.

This study aimed to explore the perceptions held by practicing dietitians of the importance of their tasks performed in current work environments, the frequency at which those tasks are performed, and predictions about the importance of those tasks in future work environments. This was a cross-sectional survey study. An online survey was administered to 350 practicing dietitians. They were asked to assess the importance, performance frequency, and predicted changes in the importance of 27 tasks using a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the means of the variables were compared across categorized work environments using analysis of variance. The importance scores of all surveyed tasks were higher than 3.0, except for the marketing management task. Self-development, nutrition education/counseling, menu planning, food safety management, and documentation/data management were all rated higher than 4.0. The highest performance frequency score was related to documentation/data management. The importance scores of all duties, except for professional development, differed significantly by workplace. As for predictions about the future importance of the tasks surveyed, dietitians responded that the importance of all 27 tasks would either remain at current levels or increase in the future. Twenty-seven tasks were confirmed to represent dietitians' job functions in various workplaces. These tasks can be used to improve the test specifications of the Korean Dietitian Licensing Examination and the curriculum of dietetic education programs.

Building a resilient future workforce: Analysis of initiatives in Australian and New Zealand dietetics curricula.

Dietitians work in high-pressure environments and student dietitians attend placement in these settings. Resilience is a personal quality that can buffer against the stressors of professional placement; however, little is known about how dietetics students learn resilience. This study aimed to describe how resilience is embedded within Australian and New Zealand dietetics curricula. This three-phased qualitative study examined 18 credentialed dietetics education programs in Australia (n = 16) and New Zealand (n = 2). In Phase 1 (document analysis), publicly available curricular documents were screened for key resilience terms. In Phase 2, academics were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview on Microsoft Teams to verify and advance upon documentary evidence. Extracted data were combined and evaluated according to Bloom's Taxonomy in Phase 3. Fifty-six courses were found to have documented mentions of resilience factors from dietetics programs in Australia and New Zealand. Academics from 14 universities (12 Australia and 2 New Zealand) were interviewed. Three themes were identified from Phase 3: Resilience is valuable content within a dietetics degree, Resilience can be taught indirectly throughout programs and Resilience education is not static. Resilience education was mostly taught by academic dietitians in courses prior to placement and assessed by students completing self-reflection while on placement. The documentation of resilience within learning objectives and graduate attributes varied between universities. While all dietetics programs included some resilience curricula, academics acknowledged that resilience content and their own knowledge base could be strengthened. The findings provide direction for program improvements and further research.

Designing Dietetics Education Programs to Enhance Graduates' Preparedness for Practice.

Designing Dietetics Education Programs to Enhance Graduates' Preparedness for Practice.

Enteral Nutrition Simulation Workshop Enhances Knowledge and Skills of Graduate Nutrition Students

Registered dietitian nutritionists are integral to the health care team, especially in delivering and managing parenteral or enteral nutrition (EN). 1 Corrigan ML Bobo E Rollins C Mogensen KM. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition: revised 2021 standards of practice and standards of professional performance for registered dietitian nutritionists (competent, proficient, and expert) in nutrition support. Nutr Clin Pract. 2021; 36: 1126-1143 Google Scholar The training and education of future registered dietitian nutritionists are necessary to promote and advance the skill set of the practitioner. The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) is the accrediting agency for nutrition and dietetics education programs which provides the required standards and learning elements that train students to become dietitians. 2 ACEND. Future Education Model Standards and Templates v2022.https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-standards-fees-and-policies/future-education-model-standards-and-templates-v2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. Google Scholar The ACEND standards require learning activities in the curriculum to ensure the full scope of the competencies is met. 2 ACEND. Future Education Model Standards and Templates v2022.https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-standards-fees-and-policies/future-education-model-standards-and-templates-v2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. Google Scholar In 2022, ACEND added required elements and learning experiences for all nutrition and dietetics programs. The ACEND Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics Graduate Degree Programs (Future Education Model) 2 ACEND. Future Education Model Standards and Templates v2022.https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-standards-fees-and-policies/future-education-model-standards-and-templates-v2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. Google Scholar specify faculty must prepare students to become competent in this skill: “Element 3.2e-3: Explain the steps involved and observe the placement of nasogastric (NG) or nasoenteric feeding tubes; if available, assist in the process of placing NG or nasoenteric feeding tubes.” 2 ACEND. Future Education Model Standards and Templates v2022.https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-standards-fees-and-policies/future-education-model-standards-and-templates-v2022. Accessed December 22, 2022. Google Scholar

Dress codes written for dietetics education programs: A Foucauldian discourse analysis

Organized in the US in 1917, dietetics emerged from the discipline of home economics as an “acceptable” area of study for women. Since its inception, dietetics has lacked diversity; most dietetics professionals identify as white, cisgender, heterosexual, middle to upper-middle-class women. In the supervised practice setting, interns are expected to dress “professionally” and follow health/safety protocols. Given the field’s history, it is reasonable to suspect that dress codes—rules/expectations regarding what employees/participants can/cannot wear—for dietetics programs may be problematic. To explore this, we conducted a discourse analysis using a Foucauldian feminist approach, drawing on the notion of governmentality. Eighty-five dietetics dress codes, supplemented with survey questions, from US-based accredited dietetics education programs were analyzed. Three primary discursive effects were identified: “Invisibilizing” informs dietetics students/interns how to be professional and modest. “Protecting” highlights dress to promote health and safety. “Normalizing” privileges conforming to thin, cisgender, white European women of higher SES. These findings show how the dress codes reify a “model” dietitian and privilege/oppress/discipline some bodies over others, supporting criticisms of dietetics dress codes as discriminatory and oppressing/privileging select societal groups. Recommendations are provided to address biases and prevent dress codes from negatively impacting diversity/inclusion in the profession.

Nutrition Capacity Building to Meet National Priorities: Lessons Learned in Developing and Implementing Malawi's First Dietetics Program.

The current nutrition situation in Malawi, characterized by high rates of malnutrition in communities and hospitals and a rapidly increasing burden of overweight/obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, highlights the urgent need for registered dietitians, who have a proven track record in the prevention and management of all forms of malnutrition and improving patient outcomes. However, dietetics practice has been described as underdeveloped and fragmented in many parts of Africa, exacerbated by a severe and chronic shortage of dietetics professionals and a lack of nutrition and dietetic education programs in most African countries.We share early lessons learned in the development and implementation of the first dietetics program in Malawi. Within 6 years, the program produced 10 graduate dietitians who have filled the first clinical dietitian posts in Malawian public hospitals. This early success can be attributed to the model used to develop and implement the program, which included early stakeholder engagement to define the priority skills and competencies of a Malawian dietitian, the use of internationally recognized training standards, and the development of strategic institutional partnerships that brought together complementary skills and expertise. Furthermore, using existing resources and recruiting students with a nutrition and health background accelerated implementation. The current dietetics curriculum responds to the national nutrition and health policy direction and strategic objectives. Early and sustained government engagement was crucial in creating demand and securing career prospects for graduates. Although still in its infancy, dietitians in Malawi are poised to contribute significantly to alleviating the country's complex nutrition challenges.

Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors of Dietetics Students

The study of disordered eating in dietetics students is vital for health outcomes and ethical consequences for students and their future clients. The eating attitudes and behaviors of 317 undergraduate health students were examined using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Findings indicated 5.1% of dietetics students had scores symptomatic of eating disorders. In addition, dietetics students who completed more nutrition courses had lower EAT-26 scores than students who completed fewer nutrition courses. Given the personal and professional consequences of disordered eating, resources for preventing, identifying, and treating disordered eating are needed in dietetics education programs.

P50 Exploring the Experiences of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) who Educate Through Cooking and Food Preparation

<h3>Background</h3> Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) often provide guidance on preparing healthy meals. Although food science and culinary skills are addressed in coursework to become a RDN, those involved in nutrition education do not universally incorporate hands-on cooking in their practice. Cooking skills, knowledge and confidence have declined among the public, while rates of obesity and chronic disease are on the rise. RDNs can play a central role in teaching essential cooking skills and food-related knowledge. This calls for exploration on the perspectives and characteristics of RDNs drawn to culinary education. Few studies have investigated the personal experiences and viewpoints of RDNs involved in teaching the public how to cook. <h3>Objective</h3> To explore the perspectives of RDNs who teach cooking and food preparation, to better understand their experiences learning to cook and teaching others. Cooking-related knowledge/skills perceived as lacking among the public and necessary to perform their role are compared with competencies outlined by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Food and Culinary Professionals (FCP) Dietetic Practice Group. <h3>Study Design, Setting and Participants</h3> The research design is cross-sectional and qualitative. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews are conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams. A convenience sample is recruited from community settings, including private practice, worksite wellness, supermarkets, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, and SNAP-Ed. <h3>Analysis</h3> Interviews are recorded, transcripts are coded, and recurring themes are summarized. <h3>Results</h3> Analysis of pilot data (n = 14) on experiences learning to cook indicate cooking at home with parents while growing up, food science coursework, and personal interest in cooking. Emerging themes mirrored several FCP competencies, including communication skills, knife skills, ingredient substitution, time management, meal planning and food safety. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This pilot study examines the perspectives of RDNs who teach hands-on cooking, thereby providing insights on the competencies needed to teach others and best serve the public. Our findings merit research with a larger sample to further compare with FCP competencies, and potentially inform dietetics education programs preparing students for careers as RDNs.

Leveraging Online Learning to Promote Systems Thinking for Sustainable Food Systems Training in Dietetics Education.

Educating and training a multisectoral food systems workforce is a critical part of developing sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems. This paper shares perspectives from a working group of educators, learners, and food systems subject matter experts that collaborated over the course of a year to develop, pilot test, and evaluate two interactive webinar series with a multi-site cohort of dietetics interns and graduate students. The three-part webinar series format included a training webinar, a practice activity, and a synthesis webinar. In reflecting on the effectiveness of this format, we provide direct assessments of student learning from subject matter experts alongside indirect assessments from pre- and post-surveys fielded with learners. Learners who participated in an interactive webinar series demonstrated skills in several dimensions of systems thinking and gained confidence in food systems learning outcomes. Learners also shared valuable feedback on the opportunities and challenges of using online platforms for this experience. As online learning opportunities become more common, it will become increasingly important for educators to prioritize strategies that effectively equip students with the higher-order thinking skills, such as systems thinking, needed to address the complexities of sustainable food systems. The interactive webinar series format described here provides an opportunity to leverage didactic webinars in combination with interactive experiences that enable learners to deepen their knowledge through practice with peers and subject matter experts. Though this format was piloted within dietetics education programs, many of the lessons learned are transferable to other food systems educational contexts.

How is the client-dietitian relationship embedded in the professional education of dietitians? An analysis of curriculum documentation and program coordinators' perspectives in Australia.

How dietitians are trained to develop relationships with clients is not clearly articulated despite its importance being well-documented. This study aimed to describe how this relationship is expressed and addressed in curriculum documents of Australian dietetics education programs, and to explore program coordinators' perspectives of this description and how relationship development is actually taught. Data extracted from subject outlines included subject descriptions, learning outcomes, assessments, readings and the mode of delivery (eg, lectures). Guided by a pre-existing coding framework, deductive thematic analysis was utilised to explore qualitative themes from subject outline data. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 10 program coordinators and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Subject outlines for 122 subjects across all 21 accredited Australian programs were analysed. The over-arching theme was the wide "variability" in the ways that the client-dietitian relationship was expressed across subject outlines. Program coordinators perceived that findings from the analysis of subject outlines made sense, however, acknowledged limitations of analysing data from curriculum documents. The relationship appeared ambiguously defined amongst programs and was described as occurring mostly in communication, counselling and medical nutrition therapy subjects and through theoretical and practical learning. The client-dietitian relationship appears inconsistently embedded in the curriculum of Australian dietetics education programs despite widespread acceptance of its importance to practice. Further research is needed to investigate if training programs should embed more consistent language around therapeutic relationships, and how this might be achieved to reflect current competency standards.

Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics 2020: An Update

Interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) directly promote the achievement of a healthier and more fiscally responsible health care system by enabling a framework that prepares all health care professionals to collaborate effectively and creatively. In 2015, Eliot and Kolasa 1 Eliot K.A. Kolasa K.M. The value in interprofessional, collaborative-ready nutrition and dietetics practitioners. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015; 115: 1578-1588 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (21) Google Scholar called attention to the value of incorporating collaborative-ready nutrition and dietetics practitioners into the workforce. At that time, minimal IPE standards for the profession had been set and few nutrition and dietetics education programs were formally integrating IPE into their curricula. Since then, the overall landscape of IPE has moved from a primary focus of implementation to building bridges between education and practice. 2 National Academies of Science Engineering and MedicineStrengthening the Connection Between Health Professions Education and Practice: Proceedings of a Joint Workshop. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC2019 Google Scholar This shift is also now evident in the essential practice competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) for all credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners certified by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. 3 Essential practice competencies for the Commission on Dietetic Registration's Credentialed Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners. Commission on Dietetic Registration. https://admin.cdrnet.org/vault/2459/web/files/FINAL-CDR_Competency.pdf Google Scholar

Research Involvement of Alumni From a Combined Dietetic Internship/Master's Degree Program With a Research Concentration

The success of dietetics education programs that provide a research focus at promoting research involvement among graduates is unknown. Using a cross-sectional online survey and 3 validated tools, we described research motivation, involvement, and confidence in graduates of a combined dietetic internship/master's program with a research concentration. Of 35 participants, 48.6% reported current/recent involvement in at least one research activity; 25.7% had research in their job description. Participants were similarly involved in research as registered dietitian nutritionists in other studies; involvement was greater in alumni with a research job. Future research should determine what influences alumni to obtain a research job.

Time for Change: Insight from the Learning Sciences to Inform Dietitian Education and Credentialing

The current practice and policies utilized to credential registered dietitians nutritionists, referred to in this article as dietitians, for entry-into practice must be overhauled utilizing the evidence grounded in the learning sciences. The interdisciplinary field of the learning sciences provide evidence for effective educational practice and alternative assessment methods to reform dietetic education (Sawyer, 2006, p. xi). As a teacher in a dietetic education program and a graduate of a doctoral program in Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning I will share my recommendations for dietetic education and credentialing of practitioners. In this article I will argue that the history of education in the United States has influenced the current education and credentialing process for dietitians. I will discuss the implementation of competency based dietetic education and the impact of the dietitian credentialing examination on the field. Finally, I will offer evidence to support my recommendations to implement alternative methods for credentialing dietetic practitioners that are supported in the learning sciences research.

Incorporation of Interprofessional Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Education Programs

Many health professions incorporate interprofessional education (IPE) to prepare graduates for collaborative practice, although little is known about IPE implementation in nutrition and dietetics (ND) education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate IPE integration in ND programs and identify institutional factors impacting IPE availability and participation. One hundred sixty-seven directors of accredited ND programs responded to an electronic survey using the Interprofessional Education Assessment and Planning Instrument for Academic Institutions. Results showed that ND programs are incorporating IPE on a minimal basis and many institutional factors affect IPE participation, including academic unit and program accreditation type.

Level of Implementation of the Institute of Medicine Recommended Core Competencies among Dietetics Education Programs

Level of Implementation of the Institute of Medicine Recommended Core Competencies among Dietetics Education Programs

Professional attributes of the emerging academic dietetic educator workforce in Australia

AbstractAimTo describe the size and demographic, education, experience and practice attributes of the core academic dietetic educator (ADEd) workforce in Australia.MethodsA self‐administered, cross‐sectional survey was electronically distributed to ADEds at 18 Australian universities offering dietetic programs. Data from survey responses were collated and descriptively analysed.ResultsFrom a total sample frame of 147 ADEds identified by websites, responses were received from 91 eligible ADEds (response rate = 62%), with at least one participant from each university offering a dietetics program in Australia. The sample was not representative of more senior ADEds, and therefore the core ADEd workforce. Rather, the sample was typically female aged 30–39 years with a Lecturer level, full‐time appointment who cited clinical dietetics as their main area of practice specialisation. Around half of the sample had yet to complete a PhD and had five years or less of experience working as a dietetic educator or a dietetic researcher.ConclusionsThe findings were limited to emerging ADEds due to the non‐participation and underrepresentation of more credentialed ADEds. The sample was relatively young and inexperienced in dietetic education and research. This may reflect the rapid expansion of dietetic education programs in Australia over the past decade and limited workforce surge capacity. Nevertheless the data reflect a small workforce group with the capacity to significantly influence future dietetic practitioners. Ongoing research and workforce development strategies are required to support the dietetic educator workforce and further enhance dietetic workforce preparation in Australia.

The Value in Interprofessional, Collaborative-Ready Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners

Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are integral members of many health care and health prevention teams, particularly when addressing issues such as eating disorders, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, coronary heart disease, diabetes, maternal and infant health, pediatrics, and exercise/sports. RDNs are key members of these teams, and graduates of dietetics programs need opportunities to develop the soft skills needed to become effective team members. Essential collaborative concepts and skills delineated from teamwork training that move beyond those acquired through traditional group work include negotiation, delegation, mutual trust, cooperation, and shared leadership. 1 Royeen C. Jensen G. Harvan R. Leadership in Interprofessional Health Education. Jones and Bartlett, Sudbury, MA2009 Google Scholar This article discusses the need for dietetics education programs to increase the number of experiential opportunities for their students/interns to learn from and with students of other health professions.

Crafting the Redesign of Undergraduate Dietetics Education Programs

Crafting the Redesign of Undergraduate Dietetics Education Programs

Nutrition Informatics Competencies across All Levels of Practice: A National Delphi Study

Nutrition Informatics Competencies across All Levels of Practice: A National Delphi Study

American Dietetic Association: Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitians (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Extended Care Settings

American Dietetic Association: Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitians (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Extended Care Settings