A case study evaluation of the Nutrition Society of Australia's mentoring program for Registered Nutritionists

To explore the development of the Nutrition Society of Australia's (NSA) mentoring program for Registered Nutritionists and evaluate the experience of the nutrition professionals participating in the mentoring program.

Case study evaluation utilising a focus group, individual semi-structured interviews, open-ended survey responses and document analysis, via an interpretivist lens.

Australia.

Three members of the NSA's inaugural Mentoring Program Committee participated in a focus group. Eleven program mentees and ten mentors from three consecutive cohorts of the NSA mentoring program for Registered Nutritionists (paired in 2021-2022) agreed to participate.

Data were analysed from survey responses, document analysis, in addition to focus group and in-depth interviews with twelve program participants. Mentoring was seen as a pathway beyond tertiary training to negotiate challenges associated with career development; mentors were seen as facilitators of growth through 'real world' skill-set acquisition. Successful partnerships were facilitated by program flexibility and the perception of professional compatibility. Participation in the NSA's mentoring program was perceived to value-add to society membership, strengthening the society and professional practice, promoting networking within the nutrition community and public health field.

Mentoring programs may provide access to diverse skillsets required in a non-vocational profession, promoting greater confidence and a stronger professional identity. These skills are essential for fostering a resilient nutrition workforce that can help combat the burden of non-communicable disease.