This research is concerned with dietitians' experiences of education and practice, which together constitute dietitian identity. The author, herself a dietitian and dietetic educator, recruited twelve female dietitians to participate in individual interviews and collaborative workshops where they shared their ' experiences and reflections on the themes of the research. This dissertation is arranged in three panels to achieve multiple perspectives on the research findings. The first panel explores the potential of using reflexive autoethnography as a research method. The second panel enacts an autoethnographic tale emphasizing the complexities of dietetic education and practice. The third panel is an academic rendering of the research that posits a theory of dietitian performativity. Arranging the findings as a textual triptych protracts the complex interplay of the research themes. In particular, participants enter the profession sustained by promises of being able to make a difference in the lives of others with respect to nutritional health. Dietetic practice comes to be understood as performative through a series of uncontested, repetitive acts. In the mode of dietitian performativity, dietitians' lived realities are sometimes found to be discontinuous from promises of professionalism. Dietetic education, while not considered solely responsible for generating these promises, might operate to sustain or amplify their effects. Dietitians' passion for dietetics is open to question when performativities are found discrepant from promises. Profoundly melancholic expressions are associated with dietitians' inability to engage in liberatory practice, despite believing such practices were achievable. Melancholia instigated dietitians' desire to leave the profession. An imagined, embodied curriculum depicting what might result if dietetic students, educators, and practitioners acknowledge the relationality, emotionality, and promises of their profession is offered in response. The author calls for a renegotiation of what counts as knowledge in dietetic education through the asking of "Who am I?" In posing this question, the dietitian engages in a reflexive turn towards self-recognition such that 'doing' (performativity) emerges from 'being' (identity) and potentially nutrition discourse expands. Dietitian performativity initiated through critical social discourse begs the question of what it means to be human while endeavouring to embrace the joys, complexities, and contradictions that are dietetic education and practice. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Practice and knowledge of upper‐level human nutrition and dietetics students (juniors and seniors, n=96) attending a midwestern university were compared to their comprehension and application of the Scope of Dietetics Practice. The sample consisted of 96 students, primarily (72%) in the 21 – 23 age category; females made up 83% and males comprised the remaining 17% of the sample. In this sample, 70% of the participants reported dietetics as their current major, and 30% stated that their major was human nutrition. Overall, students majoring in human nutrition responded neutrally to the questions concerning comprehension, knowledge, and implementation of the Scope of Dietetics Practice, while participants majoring in dietetics reported better knowledge, comprehension, and implementation of the Scope of Dietetics Practice. However, students majoring in human nutrition reported increased use of nutrition information to diagnose others than were students studying dietetics. In general, participants responded to questions regarding their practice and application of nutrition knowledge to themselves and others as would be expected, though there were differences between the students studying human nutrition and those studying dietetics.

Introduction: The aim of this research was to establish the attitudes, knowledge, job satisfaction and professional development of community service dietitians because negative attitudes, poor knowledge, low levels of job satisfaction and poor professional development would be detrimental to the process of community service and ultimately to the provision of health services. Methodology: Three distinct annual intakes of qualified dietitians completing compulsory community service were the subjects of an analytical cross sectional survey conducted biannually for the period 2003-2005. Data collection methods included telephone interviews, mail, emailed questionnaires and focus group discussions. Individual factors: sex, population group, language, university attended; institutional factors: organisation of community service, mentorship rating, hospital manager support type of facility, rural allowance, hospital location, access to resources, working and living conditions and personal safety and other factors: attitude, community nutrition knowledge, job satisfaction and professional development were included in the data set. Management of data: Data were divided into 2003 cohort (n=20) and 2004-2005 cohorts (n=26). Analysis of the demographic details for 2003 and 2004-2005 cohorts were, respectively: mean ages 23.6 (±0.99) and 24.05(±4.96) years, 60 percent and 73 percent white, 90 percent and 96 percent female, 35 percent and 73 percent University of KwaZulu-Natal graduates and 65 percent of both cohorts were placed in rural facilities. Results: Community nutrition knowledge of the 2003 cohort was unacceptable but improved in the 2004-2005 cohort. Subjects had a generally positive attitude towards community service. Community nutrition levels of knowledge of the 2003 ranged between 60 percent at entry and 67 percent at exit and for the 2004-2005 between 72.8 percent and 78.42 percent. The job satisfaction level of the 2003 cohort at exit was 13.65 (±3.573). In the 2004-2005 cohort job satisfaction was 15.75(±3.360) at entry and 15.75 (±3.360) at exit. 85 percent of the 2003 cohort rated their professional development positively whereas 65 percent of the 2004-2005 cohort rated theirs' positively. This decline and associated problems were to some extent shown in the interview responses. The 2004-2005 cohort did however show a tendency for improvement in the professional practitioner ranking (p=0.088). The majority (95%) of the 2004-2005 cohort rated the dietetic services positively. Focus group discussions highlighted problems that the community service dietitian (CSD) encountered such as lack of supervision and support, lack of basic facilities, poor hospital administration, problems with transport, work overload and problem with their professional role in the community and health facility. A model showing the results of the research indicated that the objectives of the Department of Health for improved service in rural areas were obtained but the retention of health professionals and capacity was lost due to annual rotation of subjects. Community service as a strategy to overcome service delivery has merit provided identified problems are addressed. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.