James C. Rose

Abstract

The effective use of professional dietitians is predicated on the effective delegation of less demanding responsibilities and routine tasks to educationally qualified dietetic technicians. This is essential to effect optimal nutrition care at lowest cost.

The purpose of this research was to determine the degree to which dietetic technicians were performing identified tasks of the role as defined by the American Dietetic Association. A questionnaire was the survey instrument used to collect data from the 130 dietetic technicians who were members of the American Dietetic Association.

Task scores were derived by determining the average per cent of listed functions the dietetic technicians reported having had performed, For the clinical, generalist, and administrative technician groups, the mean task score was approximately 75 per cent.

Internal comparisons indicated that for clinical technicians, those employed in long term care facilities perform significantly more task functions than those employed in other facilities. Comparisons with previous researchers indicated that technicians surveyed in this study performed more of the listed task functions than dietitians had indicated a willingness to delegate in either 1976 or 1978.

Demographic profiles indicated similar characteristics for the clinical, administrative and generalist technician. However, the clinical technician was employed in relatively larger facilities, primarily acute care teaching hospitals. Administrative technicians were employed in primarily either long term care facilities or acute care hospitals of relatively smaller capacities. The generalist was employed most infrequently in acute (or teaching) facilities and most frequently in long term care facilities or in "other" facilities, primarily of less than 150 beds in capacity.

This study did indicate a need for a more detailed delineation of the role of the dietetic technician.

Department

Nutrition

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Kathleen Zolber

Second Advisor

Irma Vyhmeister

Third Advisor

David Abbey

Fourth Advisor

Kenneth Burke

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1978

Date (Title Page)

4-1978

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Dietetics

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 103

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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