Types of Dietitians
The majority of dietitians are clinical, or therapeutic dietitians.The clinical dietitians reviews medical charts and talks with patients families. Dietitians work with other health care professionals and community groups to provide nourishment, nutritional programs, and instructional presentations to benefit people of all ages with a variety of health conditions. They develop individual plans to meet nutritional needs. These plans include nourishment, tube feedings, diets, and education. Clinical dietitians provide individual and group educational programs for patients and family members about their nutrition and health. They are concerned with the nutritional needs of people in all age groups, from premature infants to the elderly.
Community dietitians work with wellness programs and international health organizations Dietitians learn knowledge about food and nutrition to life-style and geographic areas. They coordinate nutritional programs in public health agencies, day-care centers, health clubs, and recreational camps and resorts.
Administrative dietitians are also known as management dietitians. They mange dietary departments in health care facilities, school food service programs, prisons, cafeterias, and restaurants. They are responsible for large-scale food planning and service. They hire, train, direct, and supervise employees.
Business dietitians serve as a resource person for the media. They work as sales representatives for companies that make nutritional supplements and tube feedings. They work for food manufacturing companies.
Consultant dietitians work under private pratice. They contract independently to provide nutrition services and educational programs to individuals, nursing homes, and in health care facilities.
Dietary clerks work in the diet office and they enter data and record diet changes from a computer. They check menus against recent diet orders before tray assembly begin. They track financial information, such as the number of meals served each day.
Dietary managers are responsible for retail, catering,and tray line.If an operation is large, there may be one or more supervisors to help in directing the dietary workers.
Dietary workers prepare the food and meal trays in the kitch. They check for accuracy and completeness. They also maintain the storage area for food supplies,practice sanitary procedures, and can identify food contamination. Dietary workers are trained on the job and can work in any commercial kitchen.
Dietary host or hostesses deliver and bring back the meal trays to the patients. They give and collect menus and help the patients to make complete selections.
