Is there a Registered Dietitian program for RN's?

Nurses Career Support

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I am currently working on a BSN and am interested in learning more about nutrition. I have a few questions, and I'd appreciate any insight. Thanks!

  1. Does anyone know if there are programs out there for Registered Nurses who want to be Registered Dietitians? I would like to take a few courses on my own after graduation, but I realize that some of the RD requirements are similar to that of nursing, and I figure I might as well try and see if I can get more credentials out of it since there is some overlap.
  2. Is there such a thing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Nutrition? I feel like I've seen that before, but I can't seem to find much through a Google search. If this does exist, what is the difference between the RD and the CNS?

Thanks!

Oh my gosh, what a breath of fresh air. I have not been in this conversation, but I feel as though I have to interject ? I am currently an RD, I work in dialysis, and I worked my BUTT off to get my RD. Guess what? I'm in nursing school. Being an RD sucks. The pay sucks, the hours are rigid, and all that. About a year after I got out of my RD internship, I realized that I could NOT do this until I was 65. So I agree with all the other posts- nursing has more flexibility, better pay, more respect. And compared to the schooling for getting your RD, nursing school is *easy*.

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Specializes in Family Medicine.
ktaylor9366 said:
Oh my gosh, what a breath of fresh air. I have not been in this conversation, but I feel as though I have to interject ? I am currently an RD, I work in dialysis, and I worked my BUTT off to get my RD. Guess what? I'm in nursing school. Being an RD sucks. The pay sucks, the hours are rigid, and all that. About a year after I got out of my RD internship, I realized that I could NOT do this until I was 65. So I agree with all the other posts- nursing has more flexibility, better pay, more respect. And compared to the schooling for getting your RD, nursing school is *easy*.

After reading this, I feel more confident that I didn't do the DI and decided to do nursing. Am I glad to hear you rerouted before working too many years in dialysis!? YAY!

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Wow, I love this site! I am an RD, MS working part-time. And I am tired of being a dietitian- it's limiting and unrewarding. I have been looking into nursing and will be going to the local community college to meet with an advisor tomorrow. They have a two-year RN program (A.S.). I was thinking of maybe someday going for nurse practitioner (that's a big maybe), but I'd like to leave my options open.

I thought I was crazy for wanting to get a 2nd degree, and I was nervous to go back to school. I'm 37 with two kids; what am I thinking??

So it's so great to hear that other RD's are thinking like me! I guess an RN/RD combo could be good, especially in education...

Any words of wisdom?? Please?

Thanks!

Melissa

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Specializes in Family Medicine.
MelissaRD said:

Wow, I love this site! I am an RD, MS working part-time. And I am tired of being a dietitian- it's limiting and unrewarding. I have been looking into nursing and will be going to the local community college to meet with an advisor tomorrow. They have a two-year RN program (A.S.). I was thinking of maybe someday going for nurse practitioner (that's a big maybe), but I'd like to leave my options open.

I thought I was crazy for wanting to get a 2nd degree, and I was nervous to go back to school. I'm 37 with two kids; what am I thinking??

So it's so great to hear that other RD's are thinking like me! I guess an RN/RD combo could be good, especially in education...

Any words of wisdom?? Please?

Thanks!

Melissa

Hey Melissa!

I think you'll find you won't be the oldest person in the ASN program. Many other students will have kids too. Most people in my ADN (same as an ASN) program have a bachelor's or master's degree in another area. It is an interesting bunch! There is actually a grandfather in my nursing program (I think he is in his 60s).

Anyway, I received my bachelor's in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a Concentration in Dietetics and decided not to continue on with the Dietetics Internship. Instead, I decided to pursue nursing through my local community college (I have one semester to go).

It stinks that being a dietitian is so unrewarding and limiting. I hate that the pay is so low, and you can't really advance your career too much. Needless to say, I'm glad I got out of it when I did.

Also, like you, I want to become a Nurse Practitioner one day! If you have any questions, let me know. I'd be glad to help!!?

I think an RN/RD would be an awesome nursing instructor too!

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Thanks so much for your encouraging words!! I encourage you to become a nurse practitioner too! Have you looked into it much? I'm about to make some calls, but it seems like you don't have to have a BSN; you can have a bachelor's in another field as long as you are an RN.

Best Regards,

Melissa

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Do you know if Excelsior college considers dietitians in their ASN program? I just discovered them online.

Thanks!

Melissa

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You should do what you enjoy. My starting salary as an RN was 74K, but I hated nursing, so it really didn't pay off. I am now applying to dietetics internships, and I hope I get into one-I figure my experience with pts as a nurse hopefully will help. I know as a nurse, I rarely worked with pts in terms of their nutritional status, etc.

Becoming an RD is a rigorous path, and the pressure to get an internship is intense-pretty unfair for 50% not to get into an internship because you need the internship to sit for an RD exam. So right now, I'm majorly stressing because my science GPA wasn't that high (I had one C grade that screwed it up back when I took micro as a nursing student and was working two jobs), but my nutrition GPA is a 3.9, with my overall about a 3.7. Bottom line if you want to focus on nutrition and health, be an RD. Or, after two years of nursing, try for the diabetes educator credential.

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Specializes in public health, new school nurse, triage, training.

Hi, joining the discussion. Are there any certification programs that an RN could take in nutrition? I visited the American Dietician Association website and did not find what I was looking for.

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I know this is old, but why not just take a nutritional coach course on the internet? That's what I am going to do. As a nutritional trainer, you'll help people prevent diseases, etc. with foods. You'll make a difference outside of the hospital too! That's what I am going to do. I think it is a waste of time to go for registered dietetics or something that takes years. I am going for a Nurse practitioner, and after that, I am going for a nutritional coach. Basically, I want to help people prevent diseases, etc., without medication at all as an NP. Not sure if I am allowed to do that. ? I want to learn about medication; that's why I want to become an NP in health.. or something if it exists. I think there should be a career where a Nurse practitioner can help people without medication at all.

PS: It takes 300 hours to complete this nutritional trainer course on the internet. It cost $900, including all required books, etc. You might spend more if you fail a test. I think it costs 90$ to retake a test that you failed.

There are more programs out there. So check it out.

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citygrl646 said:

You should do what you enjoy. My starting salary as an RN was 74K, but I hated nursing, so it really didn't pay off. I am now applying to dietetics internships, and I hope I get into one-I figure my experience with pts as a nurse hopefully will help. I know as a nurse, I rarely worked with pts in terms of their nutritional status, etc.

Becoming an RD is a rigorous path, and the pressure to get an internship is intense-pretty unfair for 50% not to get into an internship because you need the internship to sit for an RD exam. So right now, I'm majorly stressing because my science GPA wasn't that high (I had one C grade that screwed it up back when I took micro as a nursing student and was working two jobs), but my nutrition GPA is a 3.9, with my overall about a 3.7. Bottom line if you want to focus on nutrition and health, be an RD. Or, after two years of nursing, try for the diabetes educator credential.

Yeah, it sucks that nurses rarely work with patients about their nutritional status. If you take a nutritional trainer course on the internet, you can earn your certificate, which allows you to help people individually outside of the hospital ^^. You could charge them up to 20-30 an hour. There are people who don't know anything about diet and need help on how to cure their diseases, etc. you can learn all this with a nutritional coach program. Anyways, that's a nice GPA. I got screwed in college too! I got a negative C for Grammar class! By the time I transfer to UMass for the BSN in nursing. I will have an overall GPA of 3.6 and 3.5 for science.. probably more if I study hard. ? I only need 2.8. At least you made good money as an RN. I have a long way to go to become an RN. :=\ but I am young, that's OK.

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Oh wow, this hits home with me! I'm 20, and I'm torn! I want to be a dietitian because that's my passion, but like many people have said, dietetics and Nursing have similar classes. But A BIG BUT, nursing pays a lot more. =( I really am stuck; I'm not sure what to do. My only problem with nursing is I don't want to clean people's fecal matter; LOL, EWA. So a question to the nurses, how often do you guys change adult diapers and deal with that kind of stuff? I am currently a dental assistant; I'm about to transfer out of my community college into a university, but not sure what career to pick. I don't have any words of wisdom. Any info is going to be GREATly appreciated ?

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I would go for nursing first and then do a nutritional. That's what I am doing.

For more info, see this: http://www.nutritionaleducation.com/

Just to give you an idea of what this program is about. I think it takes 250-300 hours for a person who doesn't know about nutrition. I do a lot, so it will take me less.

Also, CNAs does the diaper changing, etc. ? You could go for a Holistic registered nurse. That's actually my major. Then I might go for a Holistic nurse practitioner.

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