‘Two working together is so much better than just one’: Professional support needs of primary healthcare dietitians

Abstract

Aim: This qualitative study explored the experiences of professional support received, and the perceptions of professional support required by New Zealand (NZ) registered dietitians working in primary health care (PHC). Methods: Twelve PHC dietitians across a range of ages, ethnic and professional backgrounds participated in individual, semistructured, face-to-face interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: All participants identified that professional support impacted their ability to develop the competency and confidence required to deliver effective services in the PHC setting. Four sources of intraprofessional support were described: being in a team with another dietitian, being involved in dietetic networks or peer support groups, undertaking professional supervision and having access to relevant professional development opportunities. Additionally, participants identified two sources of interprofessional support: being part of a multidisciplinary, culturally diverse team and collaborating with other PHC professionals. Conclusions: It is evident that dietitians working in the NZ PHC sector value good professional support. This enables them to develop greater competence and confidence to work more effectively. While an essential source of professional support comes from within the dietetic profession, another important source is other PHC colleagues. Feeling part of a multidisciplinary culturally diverse PHC team and/or working in collaboration with other PHC health workers resulted in the dietitian feeling a stronger sense of interprofessional support. This aligns with NZ's current PHC strategy, supporting the development of multidisciplinary PHC teams and collaborative care to improve patient outcomes.