A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or sometimes just called a Registered Dietitian (RD), is a food and nutrition expert who has earned this credential by completing the following requirements:

• Completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• Completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program
• Passed a national exam
• Completed continuing professional educational requirements

Where do RDNs/RDs work?

• Hospitals, clinics, or other health-care facilities

The RDs role in these settings is to administer medical nutrition therapy and educate patients on nutrition. The RD may also manage the food service operations of these facilities

• Schools

RDs may work as school food service directors creating healthy menus, creating wellness policies and teaching nutrition education programs.

• Integrative and Functional Medicine

RDs working in Integrative and Functional Medicine practice nutrition with a philosophy of using food as medicine and is centered on whole-food therapies, targeted supplements and mind-body modalities

• Sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs

The RDs role is to educate clients about the relationship of food, fitness, and health.

• Private practice

RDs may work under contract for health care facilities or own their own business. The client population for RDs in private practice can have a large degree of variability.

• Community and public health settings

The RDs role is to teach, monitor, and advise the public to improve quality of life through healthy eating.

• Universities and medical centers

The RDs role here is to teach physician assistants, nurses, dietetics students, dentists and other health care professionals about the science of nutrition.

• Research

RDs can work for pharmaceutical companies, universities, and hospitals directing or conducting experiments.

Information taken from eatright.org – What is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?