"The Year of Give": Dietitians' Experiences in Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: Researchers explored the roles and responsibilities of dietitians in Nova Scotia during the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Twenty-two dietitians who had completed a survey agreed to participate in interviews to elucidate their views. Two group and 13 individual interviews were held with dietitians from diverse work sectors during the summer of 2021. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, organized using NVivo software, and analyzed thematically. The Social Ecological Model of Health framed the study by exploring the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy aspects of practice.

Results

Major themes reflected constantly changing responsibilities, dealing with the impact of cancelled or delayed health services, coping with stress, and valuing/devaluing dietetics work. Professional education needs and conditions for successful practice were also identified.

Conclusions

Dietitians' experiences varied depending on the sector in which they worked, with significant role changes unique to each sector. Emergency preparedness, infection control, health equity, and mental health/self-care were identified as areas for further education and development. The breadth of foundational dietetics training enabled dietitians to take on diverse responsibilities and leadership roles. This supports calls to enhance dietitians' scope of practice in Nova Scotia.