The socialization of dietetic students: influence of the preceptor role.

This paper describes the influence of the preceptor on the evolving professional socialization of dietetic students. The study was conducted with Canadian dietetic students and interns and was designed to explore factors causing student stress. Students were asked to identify a series of common potentially stressful situations, to comment on what it is like to be a student today and to identify changes that preceptors had made that helped them reduce the stress in their lives. Data analysis was initially conducted using a thematic analysis, followed by a more indepth analysis informed by hermenutics and social role theory. A total of 284 dietetic interns and students responded to the web-based survey. Initial analysis of the data revealed six recurrent themes underlying student stress however, further analysis revealed the essential theme of a "power over" hierarchical learning environment. This environment was demonstrated in several ways: withholding information, undermining confidence and inaccurately assessing competence. Results highlight the importance of formal training for preceptors to help them develop the mentoring skills required to be professional role models.