Page 50 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

—John Marshall

Introduction

Interviewing is a skill used by health professionals and managers. When was the last time you were
interviewed? Was it when you were applying for college or for a job? Registered Dietitian Nutritionists
(RDN), Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR), and other health professionals use
interviewing skills interacting with clients, patients, employees, and the public. Food and nutrition interviews
and other communication techniques are used as part of an assessment of food intake and nutritional status in
the prevention and treatment of obesity, chronic diseases, and in the maintenance of general health.1

Before beginning to counsel people, it is important to understand their lifestyle, cultural issues, and dietary
and health practices. Using interviewing techniques, the professional questions the person to complete an
assessment of current food choices, eating practices, and nutritional status. Along with other data, the
Nutrition Assessment is a basis for a Nutrition Diagnosis and Nutrition Intervention in the Nutrition Care
Process (NCP). During the final step, Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation, the practitioner may take
another food and nutrition history to check the person’s understanding and to monitor progress toward goals
and outcomes.2

Managing human resources is also a responsibility in many positions. These management capabilities
frequently require interviewing skills.

A common misperception is that an interview involves two people having a conversation, with one asking
questions and the other answering. Nothing could be further from the truth. Interviewing may be defined as a
guided communication process between two people with the predetermined purpose of sharing, obtaining,
and verifying specific information by the asking and answering of questions.3

The goal is to collect accurate information during the Nutrition Assessment as the basis for a Nutrition
Diagnosis and Intervention, setting goals, and solving problems while maintaining an interpersonal
environment conducive to full disclosure.3 Professionals rely on interviewing skills to facilitate rapport as well
as to gather information.

This chapter covers the basics of interviewing skills. Included are the principles and process of interviews,
the conditions facilitating interviews, the three parts of an interview, the use of different types of questions,
and the types of interviewee responses. One must be aware of variables including the impact of the
environment, verbal and nonverbal communication interactions, perceptions and roles of the two parties,
needs and interests, personalities, attitudes, beliefs, values, and feedback. Culture may impact how much is
disclosed. To become a skilled interviewer takes time and practice until the principles and techniques come
naturally.

An effective interviewer must be a good listener. The interviewer concentrates on both the verbal responses
and the nonverbal behavior, or body language, of the respondent. To discover what is important to the person,
one listens and notices not only facts, but also emotions, attitudes, feelings, and values. A person newly
diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, for example, may be upset or anxious. These emotions need to be recognized
and dealt with.

To illustrate the principles and process, two examples of interviews are presented in this chapter—the food

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