Food Allergy-related Awareness and Performance of Dietitians at Children's Hospitals in Korea: Comparison of Certificate Possession among Clinical Dietitians / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the food allergy-related knowledge, awareness, and performance of dietitians at children's hospitals, depending on whether or not they have a clinical dietitian certificate.METHODS: A questionnaire survey was administered to 41 dieticians at children's hospitals registered as a part of the Korean Hospital Association. The survey consisted of questionnaires examining general characteristics, nutritional counseling-related characteristics, and food allergy-related characteristics (food allergy-related knowledge, awareness, and performance). We examined differences according to the status of clinical dietitian certification.RESULTS: The proportion of subjects who were holders of clinical dietitian certificates was 48.8%. There were differences between holders of clinical dietitian certificates and non-holders as follows. Regarding nutritional awareness and performance, ‘needs to provide nutrition counseling in children's hospitals’, ‘providing nutrition counseling services in working hospitals’, and ‘whether there is a nutrition counseling room’ scored higher among holders of clinical dietitian certificates than non-holders. Holders of clinical dietitian certificates showed higher scores for knowledge of food allergy symptoms and food allergy management than non-holders. For food allergy awareness and performance, ‘self-assessment of food allergy knowledge understanding level’, ‘awareness of open oral food challenge (OFC)’, ‘recognition of the need for education and counseling on food allergy for patients/guardians’, and ‘food allergy related educational experience’ scored higher among holders of clinical dietitians certificates than in non-holders.CONCLUSIONS: Children's hospital dietitians with a clinical dietitian certificate showed high knowledge, awareness, and performance related to food allergies. It is thus necessary to employ a clinical dietitian for food allergy management in children's hospitals. In addition, training and conservative education are necessary for the management of food allergies for children's hospital dietitians.

Job Satisfaction Level and Related Factors among Korean Hospital Dietitians

The objective of this study was to examine job satisfaction status and its related factors among dietitians working in hospitals. A survey questionnaire was sent to dietitians working in tertiary, general, and convalescent hospitals in Korea. The study sample hospitals included all tertiary hospitals (n=43), and the sample of general hospitals (n=114) and convalescent hospitals (n=240) was randomly selected using a stratified sampling method. A total of 665 dietitians completed the survey questionnaire. The questionnaire included 27 job satisfaction questions on task, stability.vision, working conditions, and relationship areas, and the questions on task improvement need. The job satisfaction scores in all four areas ranged from 2.53/5.00 to 3.89/5.00, implying generally low job satisfaction level in hospital dietitians. The job satisfaction levels in the convalescent hospital group were significantly lower compared to those in the tertiary and general hospital groups. Whereas job satisfaction levels of tertiary and convalescent hospital groups did not differ by number of beds, those of the general hospital group increased significantly with the number of beds for all four areas. Multivariate regression analysis results showed that hospital type was a significant predictor of job satisfaction level for all four areas. Job satisfaction of relationship area was also significantly affected by the number of beds, whereas that of working conditions was influenced by annual income and working experience. The study findings provide useful information in planning clinical dietitians' optimal supply outlook for the improvement of clinical nutrition services.

A Study on Factors and Correlations of Burnout and Job Satisfaction of Dietitians in Hospitals

This study aimed to examine factors and the correlations of burnout and job satisfaction in hospital dietitians. Burnout was classified into three sub-concepts: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Job satisfaction was also classified into three sub-concepts, including relationships, self-realization, and advancement opportunities. A survey was conducted with dietitians working in general hospitals of over 400 beds, in the Seoul metropolitan area. The factors that significantly influenced emotional exhaustion were health, work hours, number of intern dietitians, self-esteem, level of responsibility, while the factors that influenced depersonalization were relationships with coworkers, and role ambiguity. Personal accomplishment was influenced by age, the number of staff dietitians, the general number of managed workers, and self-esteem. In terms of job satisfaction, relationship was affected by age and relationships with supervisors, while self-realization was influenced by work hours, health, the number of patient meals, and role ambiguity. Age, job regularity, business management, role ambiguity, and relationships with supervisors also affected advancement opportunities. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishments, which represented burnout, had negative relationships with satisfaction with relationships, self-realization and advancement opportunities. Dietitians with low job satisfaction were likely to experience burnout. These results suggest that burnout and job satisfaction are influenced by internal and external factors that are individual or organizational problems encountered by hospital dietitians. Therefore, managers as well as dietitians need to understand these factors and overcome them through communication and mutual support.

A Study on Factors of Job Satisfaction and Burnout of Hospital Dietitians / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This research aims to examine the experiences of hospital dietitians' burnout and the factors of their burnout, such as demographic factors, unique characteristics of hospitals, their self-respect, and organizational factors. In order for this, a questionnaire survey was conducted with hospital dietitians working in general hospitals of over 400 beds in the Seoul Metropolitan area. The average point of self-respect of dietitians is 3.67 out of 5.00. Their experience of burnout turned out to be 3.17 out of 7, the extent of job satisfaction is high, that is 3.35 out of 5.00. The decrease of personal accomplishment is shown to be closely related to the burnout of dietitians. The emotional exhaustion in burnout at the significant level 0.001 is increasing as the annual gross salary is low, their age is young, extra-working hours are long, and is high to the dietitians serving meals and working at entrusted companies. The factors affected by burnout experience vary with individual circumstances. So, to prevent the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, hospital dietitians' spiritual and physical health needs to be kept up by their self-development and investment.