Dietician and Nutritionist

Working Schedule

• Dieticians and Nutritionists work full-time jobs, usually indoors but with occasional travel required. Private consultants may need to offer flexible hours to meet the needs of their clients.  

Typical Duties

• Review patient/client medical histories including problem areas
• Determine a course of dietary action to address or prevent relevant medical issues
• Write out meal plans and preparation instructions, tailored to the client’s likes and needs
• Discuss healthy eating options and motivate clients to avoid foods or substances that are negatively impacting their bodies 
• Review progress and adjust accordingly to keep on track
• Teach nutritional topics in classes, to include how eating habits impact disease
• Make creative graphics, slides, or other educational and curriculum materials
• Assess needs of larger groups, such as student populations
• Oversee food service providers; gauge compliance with applicable health, safety, and nutritional standards
• Liaison with other medical professionals as necessary 

Additional Responsibilities

• Train workers as needed
• Stay on top of changes within the field; generate reports and draft policies
• Recommend and buy (or assist with buying) suitable food items for large-scale operations; track budgets and spending
• Create and test specialized meals for certain situations 
• Draft grant proposals for funding nutritional programs

Soft Skills

• Active listening
• Adept at problem solving
• Analytical
• Compassionate
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness
• Desire and aptitude to help others succeed
• Empathetic and patient
• English proficiency
• Leadership and training skills
• Organizational skills
• Personal service aptitude
• Persuasive and motivated
• Skills for coordinating and instructing activities
• Understanding of basic psychology

Technical Skills

• Good with budgets and numbers
• Familiarity with technical topics in biology, science, and medicine
• Nutrition-related programs like Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro and Compu-Cal
• Database user interfaces/query software 
• Medical software such as BioEx Systems Nutrition Maker Plus and Lifestyles Technologies DietMaster Pro
• Network conferencing software
• Standard office suite applications 
• Graphic design apps

• Hospitals
• Outpatient care centers    
• Nursing homes/residential care facilities
• Government agencies    

The roles of proper diet and nutrition are often overlooked or even intentionally ignored by vast numbers of citizens today, which has led to a health crisis in America. Dieticians and Nutritionists are expected to come up with feasible solutions for the people they provide services to. They’re responsible for helping patients, clients, and in some cases large groups with staying healthy and avoiding health issues or managing existing ones. 
 
It’s incumbent upon Dieticians and Nutritionists to bring all their skills to bear in the battles against obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. They stay busy with research and writing when they aren’t doing other duties. For those in private practice, a lot of unpaid time is spent looking for customers through advertising efforts, while managing relations with existing clients. 

Obesity in America has skyrocketed to unprecedented proportions. The CDC notes the “prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in 2017~2018,” going on to point out that “obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death.” The fact is, every year thousands of people die early from issues that could be prevented through better diet and nutrition. In addition, studies have indicated that these problems disproportionately affect minority groups and those facing socioeconomic problems, which is a trend that must be tackled head-on. Meanwhile, baby-boomers are living longer but not necessarily healthier lives. As their demands on the healthcare system increase, it’s critical for them to have access to professional dietary and nutrition services that can help them stay healthy. 

Dieticians and Nutritionists enjoy working with others and helping them, so chances are this is something they’ve always taken pleasure in. They might have been into sports and exercise as kids and in school. Perhaps they were also great in the kitchen, whipping up a wide range of tasty yet nutritious delights for family and friends. Because their jobs require a good working knowledge of biology and health, they likely excelled in classes related to these topics. They often have an independent streak and are confident enough to work on their own and perhaps manage their own business. This suggests they developed some business mindset in their youth, and were probably very responsible and good with money!