Manage Abstracts

Dietetic preceptors guide students’ education and assess their performance during supervised practicums, a compulsory step to becoming a registered dietitian (RD) in Canada. The NODIP is a uniquely distributed model with three principal teaching hubs and over 20 communities who annually support interns. In 2018, NODIP celebrated its 11th graduating class; 74% work in the north and support the internship.

1) Determine the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of NODIP preceptors; 2) Identify barriers to precepting NODIP interns; and, 3) Identify training needs and preferred training modes of NODIP preceptors.

A 17-item online survey (Qualtrics©) with Likert scale and open-ended questions adapted from a previous evaluation was distributed by email to 200 eligible NODIP preceptors in January 2019. Quantitative data analysis was completed with Microsoft Excel© using pivot tables. Open-ended questions were thematically organized. Ethical approval was received from Lakehead University.

The response rate was 51.5% (n=103), with over half (56.2%) from clinical or public health settings, and one third (33.0%) having practiced for 6-10 years. The majority rated themselves good or excellent in professionalism (99.0%) and time management (91.3%). Excess workload, unsupportive work environments, and lack of compensation were common barriers through open-ended comments. Learner evaluation strategies, including giving and receiving constructive feedback; and, fostering critical thinking were identified as the top training needs (67.0% and 65.0% respectively). The majority (81.5%) would like to see training models explored; preferred modes of training were face-to-face (38.1%), online (34.5%), and videoconferences (27.4%).

These findings are consistent with current literature, and successfully identified areas for further research to improve the internship experience for learners and preceptors.

Results will guide future NODIP preceptor training initiatives as well as recruitment and retention efforts and can inform Canadian dietetic practicums on preceptor improvement.