Clinical Leadership in Dietetics

Abstract

Clinical leadership has been addressed in many health care professions; yet, there is little research in dietetics. This qualitative study explored registered dietitian nutritionists' (RDNs'; n = 561) perspectives on what clinical leadership is in dietetics practice and what barriers exist to practicing it. Two thematic analyses were explored. RDNs described dietetics clinical leadership as including strong technical skills, interpersonal interactions, and specific personal attributes. RDNs described barriers to practicing clinical leadership that included the work environment, limited resources, and individual circumstances/attributes. Managers may consider these perspectives as they work with clinical RDNs, and educators can incorporate these findings into the dietetics curriculum.