Fostering Professional Development in Dietetics Practice: A Workshop

Area of Science:

• Dietetics Education
• Professional Development
• Adult Learning Theory

Background:

• Dietitians play a crucial role in supervising students during professional practice.
• Effective facilitation skills are essential for guiding learners and ensuring competency achievement.
• Existing training may not adequately equip dietitians with necessary facilitation techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a workshop for dietitians on facilitating professional development.
• To emphasize the guiding/facilitating role of dietitians in university programs.
• To provide continuing education on facilitation skills applicable to various practice settings.

Main Methods:

• A one-day workshop titled "Fostering Professional Development in Students and Others" was designed.
• Workshop content included mentoring, initial student guidance, questioning techniques, feedback, teaching strategies, and self-evaluation.
• Participant outcomes were assessed via self-administered questionnaires measuring reactions, learning, and behavior changes.

Main Results:

• The workshop received positive initial reactions from participants.
• Participants indicated learning and behavior changes related to facilitation skills.
• The intervention demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing dietitians' guiding capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed workshop successfully equipped dietitians with enhanced facilitation skills.
• Effective training of professionals in facilitation can positively influence future mentorship practices.
• This initiative supports the professional growth of both educators and learners in dietetics.