DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MENTORING PROGRAM WITHIN A DIETETIC

INTERNSHIP AND DIDACTIC PROGRAM IN DIETETICS

Sara DeLuca, Mabel Wu, Rachel Neuhauser, Allison Charny, MS, RDN, CDE, CDN
Queens College Dietetic internship, Flushing, NY

INTRODUCTION METHOD SUMMARY

Mentorship and peer support are becoming increasingly Twelve DPD mentees responded to a post-program
necessary for Registered Dietitians-Nutritionists (RDNs) to survey. Eighty-eight percent of mentees stated
build confidence in practice, achieve professional goals and satisfaction with the program and a desire to “pay it
maximize workplace efficiency. Develop forward” and become future mentors. On a scale of 1-5
Mentoring Mentor
Mentor Gather
Others (1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree),
Guidelines Others Feedback 100% of dietetic intern mentors agreed that they would
BACKGROUND benefit from a mentor’s guidance as future RDNs and
78% agreed that the program helped build their
Mentoring Guidebook Interns Mentor DPD Students Survey Interns and DPD Students confidence as leaders.
Accreditation Standards for Nutrition and Dietetics
Internship Programs has established two competencies
related to mentoring for the entry-level dietitian: A cross-sectional outcomes study was conducted in which a convenience sample of 9 dietetic interns and 15 RECOMMENDATIONS
DPD students, applying to dietetic internships, participated in a mentoring program developed by 3 intern
ACEND Update 2017 leaders. DPD students were randomly paired 1:1 or 2:1 with a dietetic intern who guided DPD mentees .

•  KRDN 2.8 Understand of the importance and through the DI application process utilizing a mentoring guidebook developed by the intern leaders. Survey
expectations of a professional in mentoring and was administered via SurveyMonkey™ to mentors and mentees to determine agreement or disagreement
with elements of program satisfaction. Survey data was evaluated using descriptive statistics. 2018-2019 Plan for Improvements
precepting others
•  CRDN 2.15 practice mentoring and precepting
others RESULTS
Queens College Internship Update 2017
Define Eligibility Implement Consistent 1:1
•  Incorporation of Outcomes Research Project in the Criteria for the Mentoring ratio of
dietetic internship Mentoring Program mentor and
Program Earlier mentee
•  Development of Mentoring Program

OBJECTIVE CONTACT INFORMATION

The purpose of this outcomes evaluation was to determine For additional information, please contact:
dietetic interns’ and Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Sara DeLuca saradeluca31@yahoo.com
students’ overall program satisfaction and likelihood of Mabel Wu mabel.wu@yahoo.com
entering a future mentoring relationship upon participation Rachel Neuhauser roch.neuhauser@gmail.com
in a mentoring program. Allison Charny, MS, RD allison.charny@qc.cuny.edu
Template provided by: “posters4research.com”