The work-lives of Canadian Registered Dietitians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive analysis of survey data

Abstract

Background Healthcare workers experienced significant disruptions to both their personal and professional lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. How healthcare workers were impacted varied, depending on area of specialization, work setting, and factors such as gender. Dietetics is a female-dominated profession and the differential impact on women of the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely reported. While researchers have explored Registered Dietitians’ (RDs) experiences during the pandemic, none have looked explicitly at their experiences of redeployment. The objectives of this study were to better understand: (i) the impact of COVID-19 (and related redeployments) on the work-lives of RDs, (ii) what types of COVID-19 related supports and training were made available to these RDs, and (iii) the impact of RD redeployment on access to RD services. Methods An online survey was administered in June 2022. Any RD that that was publicly-employed in Canada during the pandemic was eligible to participate. The survey included questions related to respondent demographics, professional details, redeployment and training. We conducted descriptive analyses on the quantitative data. Results The survey was completed by 205 eligible RDs. There were notable differences between public health and clinical RDs’ redeployment experiences. Only 17% of clinical RDs had been redeployed, compared to 88% of public health RDs. Public health RDs were redeployed for longer and were more likely to be redeployed to roles that did not required RD-specific knowledge or skills. The most commonly reported mandatory training was for proper use of personal protective equipment. The most commonly reported reasons for a lengthy absence from work were anxiety about contracting COVID-19, school closures and limited child care availability. Conclusions Public health RDs are at the forefront of campaigns to reduce the burden of chronic disease, improve health equity and enhance the sustainability of food systems. Close to 90% of these RDs were redeployed, with many seeing their typical work undone for many months. More research is needed to quantify the consequences of going without a public health nutrition workforce for an extended period of time and to understand the differential impact gender may have had on work experiences during the pandemic.