Dietitians and Nutritionists

What the job really is

Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-1031
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
• Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
• Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
• Advise patients and their families on nutritional principles, dietary plans, diet modifications, and food selection and preparation.
• Incorporate patient cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences and needs in the development of nutrition plans.
• Consult with physicians and health care personnel to determine nutritional needs and diet restrictions of patient or client.
• Record and evaluate patient and family health and food history, including symptoms, environmental toxic exposure, allergies, medication factors, and preventive health-care measures.
• Develop recipes and menus to address special nutrition needs, such as low glycemic, low histamine, or gluten- or allergen-free.
• Coordinate diet counseling services.
• Develop curriculum and prepare manuals, visual aids, course outlines, and other materials used in teaching.
• Plan, conduct, and evaluate dietary, nutritional, and epidemiological research.
• Plan and conduct training programs in dietetics, nutrition, and institutional management and administration for medical students, health-care personnel, and the general public.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Allergenic diet software, Aurora FoodPro, Automated blood pressure cuffs, Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro, BioEx Systems Nutrition Maker Plus, Bioelectric impedance machines, Compu-Cal Nutrition Assistant

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Dietetic Technicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Pediatricians, General
• Clinical Nurse Specialists
• Naturopathic Physicians
• Health Education Specialists
• Exercise Physiologists

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Dietitians and Nutritionists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.