Education Requirements To be a nutritionist, you need to earn at least a bachelor’s level in nutrition, including food service systems management, food safety, food quality control, or food therapy; dietetics; or a related field. Next decide whether you wish to become a registered dietitian (RD). Once you have decided to become an RD, you will then need to have at least two years of clinical experience; and you may need a minimum of one year of education, including one year of internship.
Education Requirements For the first step in getting your degree, you will need to look into which accredited nutrition and dietetic schools offer degrees in nutrition. Most people who are interested in this line of work to go to the University of Wisconsin at Madison. There are also some smaller institutions around the country that offer these degrees.
After earning a bachelor’s, you may want to get your master’s degree in nutrition, which will require even more training. After you get your master’s degree, you will need to pass the NCLEX-PNR examination in order to qualify as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). You will also need to pass the NASE exam for Nutrition Technicians (NRT) to qualify as a Registered Nutrition Technician (RN).
Clinical Experience The second step is to take the time to gain clinical experience by working as a registered nurse (RN), registered dietician (RD), or certified dietitians (CN). While this may not seem like much clinical experience, it can help you become more experienced with the clinical side of this field, which can really come in handy when you are applying for licenses or jobs.
In order to get the most out of your time, you should make sure that you get hands-on experience as a nurse so that you can relate to the patients that come to see you. This experience will come in handy later on when you are applying for jobs in your field. The nursing aspect of this experience is essential in becoming a professional.
The final step is to complete a Master’s program. It may seem like a lot to spend on a bachelor’s, but a Master’s program in Nutrition is a very serious job and it is recommended that you finish one before going back to school for a doctoral degree. If you are a registered nurse, you may even want to finish your Master’s program first.
You will need to complete a thesis in order to be certified as a CNRS. You should have the opportunity to do a clinical internship and write your own dissertation. The dissertation requires that you research and write research papers and submit them to a committee that is appointed by the AACER to review your dissertation.
As a CNRS, you will be required to perform a variety of duties that are related to your position as a nurse. Your responsibilities may include being on call in the event of an emergency, and then working with your fellow nurses in case of a health emergency. Your duties may also include educating patients on how to eat properly.
You should try to get your Masters in Nutrition before you pursue any certification as a CNS because this will ensure that you can successfully complete the certifications that you will need in your career. You will need to pass the NCLEX-PNR in order to get the CNS certification.
A Master of Nursing is a good start to a very good career outlook in nutrition, and a degree in Nursing is an excellent way to get into the field. Just remember to make sure that you take your time and that you always keep up with your career as a registered nurse.
