Continuing professional learning: involvement and opinions of dietitians

A survey of 194 registered dietitians employed full-time in the Chicago metropolitan area was conducted to determine the nature and extent of continuing professional learning. A total of 22,809 hours of continuing professional learning was reported by respondents during a six-month period, a mean of 117.6 hours per dietitian or 19.6 hours monthly. Significantly more hours were devoted to activities not eligible for Commission on Dietetic Registration continuing education credit (e.g., self-initiated learning and inservice education) than to activities which were eligible. An advanced degree was the best predictor of participation in continuing professional learning. The majority of dietitians believed that their continuing education needs were being met from a variety of sources.