Nutritionist Work Environment and Advancements

A nutritionist will treat clients that are suffering from heart disease, obesity, and diabetes and kidney failure and can manage the food service department of a clinical institution.

A community nutritionist will work in home health agencies, public health clinics and health maintenance organizations.  The community nutritionist will educate people on healthier food alternatives, nutritional habits, how to shop and meal plan and how to prepare food for low sodium, low fat or low sugar diets.

There are currently careers in nutrition in marketing and advertising that has the nutritionist preparing literature for food distribution, dietary supplements and even recipes.  

Working in a large facility such as a jail, school or medical facility requires the nutritionist to not only meal plan but to also supervise the kitchen staff, working as a manager. In this type of position the nutrition is also responsible for enforcing state sanitation regulations and health and safety requirements.  The kitchen supervisor will also hire and train kitchen staff and manage the monthly food budget.

The consultant nutritionist will help clients with issues such as obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. This is done by administering nutrition screenings that allow the nutritionist to analyze their client’s needs. This type of nutritionist will work under contract for health care facilities or they will own their own practice.

As a master nutrition therapist you will have a large variety of positions to choose from such as health care manager, health foods grocer, health foods advisor and nutrition coordinator.

A nutritionist therapy practitioner will use their education to expand their practices as a health care professional by applying their expertise and can work by consulting professionals such as herbalists, acupuncturists, personal chefs, fitness trainers, yoga instructors, massage therapists, chiropractors and pharmacists.

Nutritionist Education and Training Requirements

To get a jump start on this career field you can take courses in high school for chemistry, health, biology, mathematics and diet and nutrition.  To work as a nutritionist you will need to have an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree.

The degree programs will require the student to partake in an internship program at different types of medical facilities and institutions, in order to qualify for certification exams.  The degree programs will typically require the student to obtain 900 hours of supervised practice under the supervision of a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. A student can choose to work as a full time intern for a six to twelve month period, or they can choose a part time internship which will take two years to complete.

Many states will not require a nutritionist to be licensed, in which case those that have obtained a degree in this field should take the ADA exam to earn credentials as a certified nutritionist. For states that do require a nutritionist to be licensed you will need to take state certification exams.

As a nutritionist you will have the option to specialize in different areas of the field such as renal dietetics, geriatric nutrition or diabetic diets. Some nutritionists will choose to work in sales for equipment, food manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies. Other nutritionists will focus on obtaining supervisory roles for positions such as department director, lead nutritionist, and associate director.

Nutritionist Education Programs

Working as a nutritionist will require the individual to have extensive knowledge regarding how to plan healthy meals based on the weight loss goal of a client or a client’s health issues.

Prior to enrolling in a program a student should check with their state regarding regulations and requirements for nutritionists.

A student will have the option of choosing from an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree program in Nutrition and Health Sciences.  These programs will feature courses in chemistry, nutrition, business, psychology, leadership, economics, patient documentation and meal planning.  These nutritionist programs will also offer students experience in a health care setting such as a hospital or clinic under supervision of a certified nutritionist.  An internship is usually held in a hospital, nursing home or hospice.  

These different types of environments will provide the student with patients that have very diverse dietary needs and can prepare them with experience in specialty areas such as education and fitness, patient fitness and health, or working with the elderly population.

In states that do not require certification for the nutritionist, there are still programs available that are accredited by the ADA.   The ADA is designed to oversee that all nutritionist programs feature course material that is beneficial for the profession.

This profession features courses that are heavy in science and requires the student to have adequate computer skills as the majority of patient documentation will be done on the computer.

After a student has completed a degree program they will need to take state licensing exams or take the ADA nutritionist exam to obtain their certification.

Where to Find Employment as a Nutritionist

A nutritionist is required to renew their license each year and in order to do so they will be required to earn 15 hours of continuing education through the state or the ADA.  This is typically done by taking online courses that focus on meal planning and coaching for patients that suffer from different types of medical conditions such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, high cholesterol or diabetes.

A nutritionist should taking continuing education courses that will best benefit their area of employment, such as health and fitness, pediatric nutrition or men’s health.

You can find employment in this field through fitness centers, health clubs, hospitals or nursing homes. Some nutritionists will also start their own business as health consultants.

Working in a facility such as a nursing home or assisted living facility will require the nutritionist to plan monthly meals based on the health needs of the elderly population like bland low sodium low cholesterol meals.