Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are food and nutrition experts. They evaluate a person’s health and nutritional needs and come up with plans to meet those needs. RDNs help healthcare providers by providing a patient treatment plan that may include the following:

• Ideal body weight, calorie needs, and dietary needs

• Foods that help ease swallowing

• Special diets

• Dietary changes that need to be made due to a disability

• Tube feeding formulas and schedules for people who can’t swallow

• Patient and family education on nutrition topics linked to diseases, such as diabetes

RDNs may practice in different settings, including:

• Hospitals

• Inpatient rehabilitation centers

• Home health settings

• Private practice

• School districts

• Community or government nutrition programs

RDNs hold an undergraduate degree, have completed an approved internship program, and have passed a national exam to be credentialed as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Many have also earned a master's degree in dietetics or nutrition science.