Career day, part 1
What’s an RDN?
Denyce Johnson is our summer intern and she’s guest blogging to enlighten our readers about what it takes to become a dietitian and what exactly RDNs do. She begins her dietetic internship later this summer.
RDN stands for Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Individuals with this title are credentialed and trained health professionals with extensive competencies. In order to earn the credential of “RDN”, one must -
complete a Bachelor’s degree program from an accredited school
work through an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship providing 1000 - 1200 total supervised practice hours
pass a national exam to become an RDN
RDNs are the only healthcare providers able to provide medical nutrition therapy by assessing patients and treating a nutrition related problem. RDNs focus on attitudes and behaviors to promote change in regards to an identified issue or concern. Essentially, a change in attitude can lead to a change in behavior, leading to a change in health status.
As each client is very different, the RDN must spend time with each one to understand what approach would provide the most success for the clients’ short term and long term goals. This allows for the treatment of all clients to be as individualized as possible, promoting the notion that Dietetics is a patient-centered practice.
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