Continuing Professional Education for the Dietitian: A Critical Analysis of the Professional Development 2001 Model from an Adult Education Lens

Abstract

Professional Development 2001 has been proposed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a new system for recredentialing dietetic practitioners to better ensure professional development. Changes include self-directed learning and reflective inquiry, new, unfamiliar concepts to this profession. To date, neither the Commission on Dietetic Registration nor the American Dietetic Association have offered a systematic review of these concepts and their implications for practice. As practitioners begin to consider this proposal in relation to their practice, the broader perspective of adult education research and theory can provide insight, depth and context to enlighten its use. A critical analysis was undertaken to demonstrate how Professional Development 2001 embodies the concepts of self-directed learning, reflective inquiry, and lifelong-learning and why these concepts are important as a means of assuring professional competence. Implications for practice are discussed.