Dietitians as leaders, past, present and future

Abstract

Aim: Dietetics as a form of study predates medicine, but the profession did not emerge until the nineteenth century and is still in an emergent stage today in many parts of the world. This paper seeks to demonstrate how the impact of leaders has been critical in terms of the growth and development of the profession. Methods: A narrative review was formed from searching the published literature. Results: The published literature is silent on many aspects of dietetics. In modern times, the majority of written works have come from North America and Western Europe. No work on historical or developmental aspects of dietetics from other parts of the world could be located. Leadership within the profession is well researched, but leadership by the profession in the broader arena of national and international policy and practice is harder to identify. There are calls for curricula to keep pace with the needs of modern healthcare systems if the profession is to flourish. Conclusion: Despite all the changes and the evolution of the profession, much remains unchanged. There are recurring themes throughout the literature reviewed here, those of the breadth of dietetics, the need for evolving curricula, the need for business acumen, the need for diversity and, in more recent times, the ability to work with interdisciplinary teams. But the profession has what it takes. It has within its ranks leaders of today and tomorrow. It is up to the profession to allow those leaders to emerge and take the profession to the next level.

Barriers and enablers to applying for the Dietitians Association of Australia Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian credential: A qualitative analysis

“…Among dietitians in Australia, involvement in research is greater for those having research designated as part of their role and this is typical of health practitioners . Capra is positive about the role of dietitians in research and notes that research by dietitians is growing, despite being hampered by the restrictive focus on randomised controlled trials for evidence‐based practice . At the broader national level, the DAA needs to continue to build capacity for a strong research culture as a means to facilitate advanced practice by eligible APDs.…”

The Secret Recipe to Leadership and Career Pathway Success in Dietetics

“…According to Capra (2012), the term dietitian was first used in the mid-eighteenth century within the U.S. While the field of dietetics is a broad field, the term dietitian was originally applied to a practitioner with a relatively narrow focus on practice.…”

Exploring extended scope of practice in dietetics: A systems approach

“…Nevertheless, the limited body of literature surrounding extended scope dietitians indicates that they are associated with similar positive outcomes to those associated with other allied health‐care ESP roles. In addition, there has been recent acknowledgment that there is a need to develop and transform the dietetic profession . It is suggested that internal vision and leadership from dietitians themselves is necessary for this transformation to occur .…”

“…In addition, there has been recent acknowledgment that there is a need to develop and transform the dietetic profession . It is suggested that internal vision and leadership from dietitians themselves is necessary for this transformation to occur . Undertaking extended scope roles is a method to exemplify leadership in the field.…”