What are Registered Dietitians?
Today’s registered dietitian (R.D.) is a highly skilled clinical health science professional charged with translating the mounting science of nutrition into real-world solutions to help improve the health of their communities. Clinical dieticians work in hospitals, nursing care facilities, correctional facilities, and outpatient settings instituting nutrition programs and working with individual patients to meet specific needs. A clinical dietitian may see a wide variety of patients or specialize in one area, such as pediatric nutrition, renal medical nutrition therapy, or nutritional support in critical care. Registered dietitians provide pre-surgical nutritional assessments and plans, develop diet plans for individuals with diabetes, cancer and kidney and liver disease and specify intravenous nutrition regimens as needed. They may also provide outpatient nutrition counseling as an independent consultant, often via referrals from physicians. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that
