Typical Day for a Dietician
The typical day for a dietitian varies depending on the work environment. Dietitians who work at large institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes, will have different duties with more predictable schedules than dietitians who work for a community services agency. Some dietitians may be involved in research while others may be involved in policy-making, education or consumer advocacy. All these dietitians provide their expertise on food and nutrition in different ways and for different missions. The main goal of dietitians is to provide knowledge about the role of food and nutrition in promoting health and well-being while preventing diseases and managing symptoms.
Dietitians in an Institutional Setting
The daily schedule for a dietitian in a hospital setting, long-term care facility or assisted living facility may follow a pattern. The dietitian meets with members of the food and nutrition team along with kitchen supervisors and key management staff. On certain days, this meeting may be a meal planning session where the general schedule of meals is prepared. Dietitians plan meals but do not prepare them although the chefs may request their guidance.
On other days, the dietitian may meet with the healthcare team of a patient with special dietary requirements. The dietitian receives guidelines regarding the patient’s diet restrictions, nutritional support requirements and medical conditions. The dietitian creates a meal plan based on the information and forwards the plan to the kitchen along with any special instructions. This process is repeated for every patient or resident with special dietary requirements. The dietitian may be involved in preparing part of the patient’s at-home care plan for patients who are about to be discharged.
Dietitians in Research or Academic Setting
Nutrition research is important for the health and wellness sector, food and food supplement manufacturers, food services sector. The dietitian may work in a laboratory setting or a test kitchen. These dietitians investigate how certain food may affect the body and how proper nutrition can prevent diseases or manage existing ones. In this setting, the dietitian spends most of the day in the lab or in an office.
Dietitians as Consumer Advocates
Dietitians may contribute their expertise to drum up support for causes related to making healthy food choices as a wellness strategy or as an alternative to pharmaceutical-based treatments. The dietitian prepares reading materials containing recommendations for healthy food choices, serves as a resource person and participates in community outreach for information dissemination and data gathering. In this setting, dietitians may be desk-bound except for their participation in special events.
Career Track
A bachelor’s in nutrition science is the preliminary requirement for a career as a dietitian. Depending on one’s preference and personality, any of the above-mentioned careers are possible after completing a bachelor’s in this field. It is not unusual for employers to require a master’s degree for jobs in labs or in the academe. Most states require dietitians to be licensed.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the job outlook for dietitians and nutritionists will grow by 15 percent between 2016 to 2026. This is remarkable and above the average growth rate for all occupations. It may be difficult to prepare a definitive list of tasks in a typical day for a dietitian. The tasks and the scope of authority will vary based on the actual work setting.
