Dietetic Practice

TITLE 54 PROFESSIONS, VOCATIONS, AND BUSINESSES CHAPTER 35 DIETITIANS 54-3502A. dietetic practice. (1) Dietetic practice focuses on food and nutrition and related services developed and provided by dietitians to protect the public, enhance the health and well-being of patients/clients, and deliver quality products, programs and services, and medical nutrition therapy. Dietitians practice across varied settings, including health care, business and industry, communities and public health systems, schools, colleges, the military, government, research, food service management, teaching, consulting, media, writing, public speaking and informatics and private practice. (2)  Clinical nutrition and dietetics practice is the utilization of skills, knowledge and applied judgment of the dietitian whose practice involves nutrition care, medical nutrition therapy and related services provided to individuals and groups of all ages to address health promotion and prevention, delay or management of diseases and conditions. (3)  Clinical privileges. Authorization for clinical privileges is granted by the appropriate authority or a health care organization to a dietitian to provide specific care, treatment or services in the organization within well-defined limits based on licensure, education, training, experience, judgment and demonstrated and documented competence or certification. (4)  A licensed dietitian, in accordance with established protocols consistent with facility policy or procedure, may: (a)  Order patient diets, including therapeutic diets; (b)  Implement medical nutrition therapy; (c)  Order medical laboratory tests related to nutritional therapeutic treatments; (d)  Initiate, implement and adjust pharmacotherapy plans; and (e)  Perform nutrition-focused physical assessments to evaluate for nutritional risk. (5)  A board-certified specialist is a registered dietitian or registered dietitian nutritionist credentialed by the CDR or other certifying entity who has met empirically established criteria, who has successfully completed a specialty certification examination that simulates and tests practice-related knowledge, skills or abilities, and who: (a)  Conforms to the scope of practice and standards of practice as defined by the specialty certification entity; (b)  Carries out functions beyond the basic educational preparation for the registered dietitian or registered dietitian nutritionist; and (c)  Maintains specialty certification by meeting the requirements specified by the certifying entity.