564-P: The Need for Mentorship in Diabetes Is Now

Background: Mentorship for health care professionals is used to offer guidance, knowledge, and transfer experience. Clinical Dietitians (CD) play a key role in diabetes care. Offering mentorship might help build their confidence levels (CL) and grow the profession with the goal of improving outcomes and experiences for people living with diabetes (PWD). The objectives are, in CD (1) to assess the need for mentorship in diabetes and (2) to gather opinions on the structure and content for appropriate mentorship. Methods: A 28-question online survey was developed, piloted with 8 CD through cognitive interviewing, and shared with CD across the province of Quebec (Canada). Descriptive analysis was used to determine the proportions (%) in survey responses, stratified by years of clinical experience (CE). Results: From the 284 participants (97% women, mean age 31+/-10 years), 275 (97%) of CD identified a need for mentorship in diabetes. Desire to participate and in what function (mentee, mentor or both) was dependent on the years of CE. Formal mentorship was preferred by 41%, 30% informal and 29% a combination of both which was independent of the years of CE. Finally, 93.5% believe their confidence level in providing care for PWD would increase if they participated in mentorship. Conclusion: Mentorship in diabetes was perceived as needed to increase Clinical Dietitians confidence level in caring for PWD and for interprofessional collaboration.