Developing National Conceptual Understanding to Describe Entry-to-Practice Dietetics Competence

Area of Science:

• Dietetics education and professional practice.
• Competency-based assessment frameworks.
• Health professional training standards.

Background:

• Developing consensus on entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and milestones is crucial for assessing entry-level competence in dietetics.
• Shared understanding among students, educators, and practitioners is needed for effective assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop consensus on entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and milestones for entry-level dietetics competence assessment.
• To establish a shared understanding for evaluating dietitians' readiness for practice.

Main Methods:

• An iterative, pragmatic 3-phase approach was employed, including national workshops and a consensus survey.
• Participants included 58 academics and 43 practitioners in dietetics.
• Data were triangulated with content analysis of 98 entry-level job descriptions.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved on four key professional tasks for entry-level dietitians.
• These tasks include implementing nutrition interventions, facilitating lifestyle conversations, performing professional projects, and teamwork.
• Performance level descriptors were defined for each task.

Conclusions:

• The identified key tasks and performance descriptors provide clarity on expected progression and assessment endpoints for dietitians.
• This resource supports competency-based assessment decisions in dietetics.
• Further investigation into international transferability is recommended.