A dietitian's day-to-day duties vary greatly depending on her area of specialty. However, even within a more specialized environment, a dietitian plays a similar role. The training, experience and education a dietitian must undergo prepares her to counsel individuals, organizations and groups on nutrition and diet.
Identification and Education
A dietitian has at least a bachelor's degree and may also be certified, licensed or registered with the state, depending on the state's requirements. In addition to college-level classes in nutrition, a dietitian will take classes in chemistry, math, biology and psychology, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A registered dietitian is a dietitian who not only has completed a bachelor's degree but has also taken and passed an exam given by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for the American Dietetic Association.
Types
A dietitian can work in several different fields, depending on his interests and skills. The BLS lists clinical, community, management and consultant dietitians as the most common types of dietitians. A clinical dietitian works in a clinic, hospital or office setting, while a community dietitian may work for the community, state or local government. He may work in an agency that helps underprivileged families or individuals, or work in a free health clinic. A management dietitian often has an advanced degree and supervises the nutrition and meal planning for large organizations such as hospitals, prisons or school systems. A consultant dietitian works for himself, with a group of other dietitians or as a contract employee for a health care organization.
Counseling
Whether a dietitian works with individuals one-on-one in an office setting or plans meals for a larger organization, part of her duties include counseling. In an individual counseling session, a dietitian will assist her patients with weight management strategies, detailed meal planning, nutritional assessments and ongoing eating challenges. In an organizational setting, the dietitian will meet with other members of the staff to ensure that the meals being served in the facility meet the needs of the population, whether prisoners, hospital patients or the elderly.
Nutrition Planning
In addition to counseling fellow employees and patients, a major duty of a dietitian is nutritional planning. Using his experience and education, a dietitian analyzes the nutritional needs of his patient or organization and develops detailed nutritional objectives. For elderly patients, the focus may be on obtaining adequate nutrients for the aging body, while a dietitian in a hospital setting needs to understand the complex nutritional needs of patients such as those recovering from surgery, fighting an illness or undergoing chemotherapy. In individual counseling, a dietitian will use his knowledge to plan menus and meals for clients, as well as offer strategies for successful weight control and suggest foods the client can eat to manage health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
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