Preprofessional Identity of Nutrition and Dietetics Students in Australia

Angela Cleary; Courtney Thompson; Anthony Villani; Libby Swanepoel

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2024.06.013

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Preprofessional Identity of Nutrition and Dietetics Students in Australia

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Preprofessional Identity of Nutrition and Dietetics Students in Australia

Angela Cleary, Courtney Thompson, Anthony Villani and Libby Swanepoel

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol.56(11), pp.783-793

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2024.06.013

PMID: 39162676

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Abstract

competencies

Professional identity

student dietitians

student nutritionists

workforce development

Objective This study aimed to explore the preprofessional identity of undergraduate nutrition and dietetic students to guide curriculum development to better support the expectations of students and promote career readiness in a changing profession. Design Qualitative focus group discussions in March, 2021. Setting An Australian university. Participants First-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nutrition (n = 50) or Bachelor of Dietetics (n = 58) at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Main Outcome Measures Student sociodemographics, motivations for and influences on career choice and preprofessional identity, expectations of professional competency and practice, degree, and career expectations. Analysis Descriptive statistics were conducted, and focus group discussions were analyzed using the Framework Approach. Results Motivations and skills were consistent across both cohorts, centering on an interest in nutrition and respectful, professional conduct and communication. Expectations were similar across both degrees, with a focus on placement, real-world learning experiences, and staff support. Career expectations for both cohorts included business ownership. Conclusions and Implications This research provided an understanding of students’ preprofessional identity, which was similar for both nutrition and dietetics students. Motivations identified in this research can be used to inform activities across nutrition and dietetic programs that support career readiness.

Details

Title: Preprofessional Identity of Nutrition and Dietetics Students in Australia
Authors: Angela Cleary (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Courtney Thompson (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Anthony Villani (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Libby Swanepoel (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Publication details: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol.56(11), pp.783-793
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2024.06.013
ISSN: 1878-2620
PMID: 39162676
Copyright note: (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Organisation Unit: Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991061496402621
Output Type: Journal article

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