What is an Outpatient Dietitian?
If you’re a Registered Dietitian or are pursuing a career in nutrition, you’ve probably come to realize that this industry is huge! There are so many ways you can use your nutrition education and training to help people in this day and age. Years ago, a lot of nutrition research and practice was in inpatient facilities where clients (or patients, rather) are in medically dangerous and urgent situations. Think about things like recovery from surgery, malnutrition, eating disorders, or acute medical conditions that impact nutrition. This is where an inpatient dietitian may work!
However, as mentioned, the outpatient dietitian role is much broader! People of all shapes and sizes are now looking at nutrition as an essential part of their regular healthcare, which has transformed the industry. And, this is pretty incredible! It shows that what we’re doing as RDs is having a true impact on public health. Everyone knows they need nutrition to reach their goals and maintain their health. We no longer need to work strictly in a responsive way we can be proactive and pursue goals that better people’s lives . . . but maybe aren’t life and death situations.
If this sounds like the avenue of nutrition you want to get into, this post is for you. I’m going to discuss what an outpatient dietitian is and then jump into how you can become one! Here’s what you need to do:
What is an Outpatient Dietitian?
Simply put, an outpatient dietitian is an RD who helps people who are not admitted to the hospital. Often they work in places like clinics, community health centers, and private practices usually providing preventative nutrition if it’s not preventative, normally it’s related to a goal that is not as medically urgent as recovery from a major medical event or condition.
That being said, I don’t want to limit what an outpatient dietitian can do! These RDs could definitely still provide nutrition therapy in a multidisciplinary way with people who are struggling with more serious conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity, eating disorders, renal diseases, and chronic gastrointestinal disorders. The real difference lies in the fact that these clients aren’t hospitalized or in any other inpatient facility, but getting your nutrition care on their own time and often on their own accord!
(Neither of these should be confused with nutritionists either! Here’s the difference between a registered dietitian and nutritionist.)
What Does An Outpatient Dietitian Do?
An outpatient RD helps patients who are not admitted to the hospital reach their nutrition goals! That could be anything from weight management and food allergy management to performance nutrition and supplement advice. The type of nutrition education or planning that outpatient dietitians do depends largely on their niche (more on that later.) But, at the end of the day an RD is going to do things like meal plan, perform nutritional assessments, provide shopping guidance, track performance/progress, and offer one-on-one counseling.
How To Become An Outpatient Dietitian
Step 1: Figure out your passion and niche down.
First of all, you need to nail down your niche! Just being an “outpatient dietitian” is far too broad. It’ll be hard for you to find your dreamy clients and true fulfillment when you don’t specialize. Luckily, there are hundreds of types of Registered Dietitians, so it just takes a little soul searching to find your true passion there are plenty of needs out there! Here are some potential niches:
Geriatric Dietitian
Renal Dietitian
Diabetes Dietitian
Oncology Dietitian
Cardiology Dietitian
Gastroenterology Dietitian
Prenatal and Postnatal Dietitian
Food Allergy Dietitian
Weight Management Dietitian
Public Health Dietitian
Food Service Management Dietitian
Holistic Dietitian
Behavioral Health Dietitian
Step 2: Decide on a private practice or traditional employment.
Next, you have to make the big decision on whether you want to aim for traditional employment or open your own online private practice. Of course, traditional employment at someone else’s clinic or a corporation can feel stable and familiar. However, many RDs in 9-5s are underappreciated, underpaid, and overworked. Plus, there’s always the struggle of finding a position that works with the exact client base you feel led to serve.
This is why I always recommend RDs look into opening their own nutrition business! With a private practice, you can work with whoever you want and really own your niche but that’s not the only benefit of an online business. When you work online and for yourself, you decide when you work and where you work. And, you’re no longer limited by salary caps or long performance review processes, instead you really have the opportunity to make as much as you want. All in all, an online private practice allows you to truly realize your dreams and make the biggest impact!
Step 3: Pursue your career with a plan.
Regardless of what path you choose, what you need next is a plan! If pursuing traditional employment, decide how you can develop yourself and build out your resume to be more appealing to hiring departments in your ideal setting. And, since a position in your niche may be hard to come by, keep your eye out for new jobs that may be popping up. That way, you can apply to them as quickly as possible! If there are other arrangements that you think you may need to accomplish your goals, make a plan for that!
If opening your own private practice, you’ll need some semblance of a business plan. Genuinely, you don’t need it all ironed out and perfectly planned. Just take some time to brainstorm exactly what you want for your nutrition business long term. Consider things like what your program and services will look like, how your practice will operate day-to-day, what’s needed legally to meet regulatory requirements, and your overall goals and objectives. Don’t overthink this process and once your business plan is ready, it’s time to open up those metaphorical online doors!
Step 4: Work on gaining specialized certifications and relevant experience.
To be the best RD for your patients, try to gain additional specialized certifications and relevant experience. Not only will this help you learn more about your niche and improve your program, but it’ll also make you more appealing to potential clients or employers! With the right combination of certifications and experience, it’ll be obvious you’re the perfect RD for your clients.
Step 5: Use your continuing education requirements as a tool.
As you know, continuing education is required for all RDs to maintain their title. See every round of continuing education as an opportunity to refine your practice or gain more experience for your desired outpatient position! There are lots of options out there for online courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, self-study programs, and more that will be beneficial to you and your chosen outpatient niche!
Step 6: Consider how you’ll market yourself.
Now, it’s just a matter of marketing yourself! If you’re looking for a traditional position, this may look like crafting an appealing and professional LinkedIn profile and resume. If you’re opening your own private practice, this has more to do with creating a GENUINE and HEARTFELT message that expresses how deeply you care for your potential clients and their needs.
There’s a lot of ways you could find your dreamy clients through marketing, whether that be some intentional networking strategies, a social media outreach plan, a word of mouth street team, or something else, you’ll need a way of reaching people.
Step 7: Hire a dietitian business coach if opening a private practice.
For those of you taking on the challenge of opening an online nutrition business, don’t go at it alone! Hire a dietitian business coach like me who deeply understands nutrition and the whole dietetics industry. I can make sure you don’t spend years wasting time and money on strategies that don’t get you to your goals. I’ve helped thousands achieve their goals and grow a THRIVING online private practice through the support of my private RD coaching services. This can be the total difference maker that turns your dreams into a reality! Apply to work with me if you think we’d make a good team.
An outpatient dietitian is someone who helps people with nutrition outside the hospital!
If you have a desire to work as an outpatient dietitian, pursue those goals! I know you have what it takes to realize your niche, develop the right plan, and cultivate the career of your dreams. Use these steps and chase down your ideal future. Success is waiting for you!