Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitians in Education of Dietetic Practitioners

In April 2009, the American Dietetic Association's Dietetic Educations of Practitioners Dietetic Practice Group released Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitians in Education of Dietetic Practitioners.1 This comprehensive paper includes a description of the standards as well as several figures providing insight and guidance into the terms used, applications of the SOP/SOPP in dietetic education practice, and details on all of the standards and their differentiation between generalist and specialist/advanced levels of practice. These practice-specific SOP/SOPP differ from the 2008 SOP/SOPP for the profession2 where the focus was only on registered dietitians (RDs) if dietetic education lacked the differentiation between specialty and advanced levels of practice. These education-specific standards do not have the same "patient-centered focus" as the original standards for the profession. They are intended for RDs "who are university faculty members and dietetics program directors, [horizontal ellipsis] including but not limited to, community health educators, hospital and medical center preceptors, food service managers and adjunct instructors"1^(p748) teaching in programs accredited by the Commission on Dietetic Education (CADE). Hence, they do not address those in dietetic education who are not credentialed as RDs or who may be teaching in graduate or advanced degree programs that are not accredited by CADE such as master's or doctoral degrees that are independent of CADE programs.

Applications for the standards according to the authors include use as tools to "identify the competencies needed to provide quality education and service"1^(p751) guides for reflection, self-assessment, and development and for planning professional portfolios. They serve as an initial step in role differentiation of dietetic educators and provide examples of differences between roles of generalists and specialty/advanced RD educators. For example, while both generalists and specialists/advanced practitioners would be expected to "apply to practice current pedagogical theory related to the education of adult learners,"1^(p754e3) only specialists/advanced practitioners may be expected to "provide professional and technical expertise and new knowledge in pedagogical theory related to adult learners."1^(p754e3) The advanced dietetic educator refers primarily to those dietetics educator RDs in higher education institutions.

Howell (this issue) discusses advancing the practice of dietetic education in the context of the "meta-profession" of teaching paradigm.3 Although the concepts described in Howell's article and the DEP SOP/SOPP standards differ to some degree, both address the need for a strong foundation in content expertise as well as teaching practice and scholarly activity skills. Howell focuses on the role of the advanced practitioner in education as one adept at integration of all levels of academic requirements including teaching, advisement, service to the community, and scholarly productivity. Both the SOP/SOPP and Howell address the need for future research exploring roles of dietetic educators at the advanced level of practice.

Readers are encouraged to review both articles as well as others within higher education as they explore roles of advanced practitioners in dietetic education. What is it that distinguishes levels of practice in dietetic education? As the American Dietetic Association continues its exploration of advanced practice and determines what requirements are and route to advanced practice are, those of us who are educators can seek to determine what the competencies are that differentiate generalist from specialty and advanced education practice across all levels of dietetic education.

REFERENCES