英文摘要 |
Background: Dietetic students often show limited counseling skills when they enter internship programs. Research has shown that dietetic students need more training in counseling skills. This study was developed to assess students' learning needs in counseling skills through peer-evaluations and self-reflection. Methods: Students who registered in the senior Nutrition Assessment and Counseling course from a mid-sized university in southeast Texas, United States, performed a counseling practicum at the end of the semester. Students role-playing as clients were given scenarios of common disease conditions (e.g., hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity), and students playing as counselors would interview and counsel the client with the specific condition. Each counselor rotated to four different clients, with each session lasting about 20 minutes. Each client filled out an evaluation and noted the strengths and weaknesses of each counselor they met. Each student also evaluated their own performance as the counselor. Results: Students rated the counseling practicum as a highly positive experience that made them more aware of the importance of the foundation knowledge they learned. Through evaluations and selfreflection, students identified 1) the need to improve communication skills, 2) the need for more knowledge of diet and meal plan to make better suggestions, and finally 3) the need to prepare more visual aids, props, handouts. Conclusions: The practicum provides students with an experience that mimics what they will encounter as professionals. Students were more aware of the importance of communication skills, nutrition knowledge, and applications. Nutrition educators can use the results of this study to develop educational activities aimed at meeting students' learning needs and improve their counseling competency. |