www.sampleresume.net

Dietician Career

Dietician Job Description

Dietitians study and apply the principles of nutrition and food management. They manage nutrition and diet related domains for institutions such as hospitals, health centers and schools, encourage good eating habits, and perform research. One could become a clinical dietitian, community dietitian, administrative dietitian, or consultant dietician.

Administrative dietitians handle food services in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, restaurants, military bases and various other institutions. They design and monitor the procurement and preparation of food, as well as, oversee other food-service workers. They make sure that the meals served are healthy, appetizing, nutritious and within the institution's financial plan.

Clinical dieticians design meals for hospital patients and others who have special dietary needs (like, patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, gout, etc.). They appraise the patient’s nutritional needs, discuss with the physicians, and may use computers to consider the nutrient intake. They may also teach patients who need particular diets how to prepare meals at home.

Community dieticians advise individuals and groups on nutrition and dietetics to prevent diseases and promote health. They work at health clinics, home-health agencies and health-maintenance organizations. They assess individual needs, devise nutritional plans, and counsel families.

Consultant dietitians work under contract with health care organizations or have their own private practice. They provide advice on diet related issues like: weight loss, deficiency disorders, hypertension, and cholesterol reduction. Some work for sports teams, wellness programs and other diet associated businesses. They provide information about hygiene, safety procedures, menu designing and budgeting.

Dieticians deal with the broad principles of nutrition. They may teach people about scientific discoveries in the field of nutrition. These can then be used to plan diets and menus. Dieticians are employed in hospitals, schools, agriculture, food industry and public health agencies.

Dietician Skills/ Duties

Dietitians / nutritionists advise individuals, families and groups on good nutritional practices that are designed to prevent diseases and promote general health and well being.

They recommend dietary modifications, i.e. incorporating certain specific foods and steering clear of others.

Dietitians work on projects/researches related to food and nutrition. The research ranges from observing the effects of different diets on particular groups of people and the management of food service systems to investigating the dietary needs of older people or space travelers. Research dietitians work in medical centers, universities, food preparation plants, etc.

Dietician Education and Training

• To be a dietitian one needs a bachelor's degree in food and nutrition, food-service management, or a related field.

• The American Dietetic Association has training programs that comprise of practical supervised experience. These programs last from 6 months to 2 years.

• An individual can become a certified registered dietitian (RD) by completing one of these programs and passing a test given by the American Dietetic Association.

• Individuals must keep up with their education to maintain their registration up-to-date.

• Specific license requirements differ according to the State. Consequently, candidates should find out the requirements of the State in which they want to practice before appearing for the exam.

Dietician Job Outlook

Employment of dietitians is expected to amplify by 9 % during the years 2008-18. Job growth will result due to an increased emphasis on prevention of diseases through good dietary and eating habits. A growing population will increase the demand for nutritional guidance and treatment in hospitals, health care facilities and community health programs. Hospitals will continue to engage a large number of nutritionists to make available nutritional therapy and to plan meals.

Dietician Salary

The mean annual salary of a dietitian is approximately $52,120.