Fostering professional development - in dietetics practice: A workshop

The aim of this project was to develop and implement a work shop for dietitians who guide students through the achievement of professional practice competencies in the Stage component of a university dietetics program. The specific objective was to offer an intervention that would emphasize the importance of the guiding/facilitating function as an integral part of the dietitian's role. The intent was to provide information on, and an opportunity to hone, facilitating skills, and to offer a continuing education opportunity with application in other practice areas, such as employee training, staff development and patient education. The six topics of the one-day workshop, "Fostering Professional Development in Students and Others," were: the are of mentoring; what to do on a student's first day; using questions to promote thinking; feedback as a form of teaching; teaching strategies; and evaluating yourself as a facilitator. Participants' initial reactions, learning and behaviour changes were assessed using self-administered questionnaires; positive results were indicated. Ensuring that qualified professionals are given the tools for effectively training students, interns and staff may encourage learners to model what they have seen when they are in a position to foster the professional development of others.