How to Become a Dietitian and Nutritionist

There are certain traits and characteristics that one must possess in order to become a successful dietitian and nutritionist. Some of these characteristics are naturally occurring, while others may take time and practice to develop. Here are a few tell-tale signs that being a dietitian and nutritionist is the right career path for you:

You are a good listener.

Being in this profession means that you have to sit through numerous consultations with clients and their families. Having good listening skills is essential because you have to be keen on understanding a person’s nutritional needs and their diet goals, which may differ from person to person. Your clients should also feel that their concerns are being heard so that they feel more comfortable and confident in confiding with you.

Being a good listener also enables you to work seamlessly with other members of the healthcare team, managing a patient’s case. You will be able to listen to considerations brought up by other team members concerning a patient’s diet in relation to their medical needs, and thus be able to come up with the best possible diet plan for the patient.

You are naturally compassionate.

When discussing dietary issues, some clients may become emotional, especially if it is something that they have been struggling with for a long time. They might also likely be dealing with a particularly difficult medical condition that merited the need for nutritional intervention. Knowing that there may be some emotions involved while conducting counseling sessions, a sense of compassion and some care and empathy should be practiced. 

You are a good problem solver.

The first part of your job involves assessing the current state of your patient’s nutrition. It is at this point of the job that you have to employ some problem-solving skills by first being able to identify the challenges that your patient needs help in order to address it.

After the initial assessment and after identifying what needs to be improved in the patient’s diet, you will have to find or formulate counter-measures to tackle it. This part is where your problem-solving skills come fully into play, and it doesn’t stop after the planning phase. Part of the problems or challenges you need to confront is how to ensure that your client sees through the diet plan.

You are passionate about food and nutrition. 

This is probably the most prominent characteristic that a dietitian and nutritionist should have. Although you have a good theoretical grasp on what should be an ideal diet for your patients, you should be well-attuned to the process that converts your diet plans into actual meals on their tables.

The whole process should trace back from the market to food preparation, from cooking to serving–and even storage. If you are knowledgeable and passionate about food, you are likely going to be more effective in your role because you know the ins and outs of food and all the work that goes into producing it. You will be able to give better suggestions and formulate meal plans which are realistic and attainable for your clients.

You are an excellent communicator.

Apart from formulating analyses and creating meal plans, much of your work will involve communication with patients, their families, other members of the healthcare team, and fellow dietitian nutritionists. On top of that, you will also be speaking for groups and organizations about how diet and nutrition play a vital role in sustaining good health and controlling certain medical conditions. 

Below are a few tips you can employ in order to communicate with clients effectively:

• If you intend to teach your patient several concepts, do it in manageable amounts. One idea at a time is ideal as you make sure that each one is fully understood by the client before moving onto the next one. Start with the most fundamental, moving up towards the more complex things.
• Clearly define technical terms with simple layman language. Oftentimes, patients do not understand medical jargon. A good example would be the word “positive.” While it may sound optimistic, it generally means that something is not right in medical terms.
• Make sure to repeat important information. Arrange your presentation in such a way that these vital tidbits stand out the most.
• To accurately check for understanding, ask your patient to reiterate the information you just shared with how they understood it. In a way, it would be like quizzing the patient on the information that you just imparted. If there is any piece of information that they got wrong, make sure to revisit the concept and tackle it in a different way that may shed some more clarity.
• Actively listen to your patients. Make sure that they feel urged to share their information freely and without any judgment. Do encourage them to ask questions by asking open-ended questions. Try to avoid asking too many questions that are answered with “yes” or “no.”
• Actively demonstrate and practice with your patients. It could be a food-label reading activity or practicing serving sizes using models and charts. Doing exercises in actual allows for better retention and will let your patients follow through with their diet plan with more confidence.