nursing nutrional scope of practice

roser13, ASN, RN · Feb 24, 2013

I know that nursing scope of practice changes from state to state. In general what level of education and nutritional prescription are we allowed to give. This goes for RN and APRN.

Sorry to be dense, but could you clarify your question? What is a nutritional prescription?

RN's do not write any prescriptions under their own name.

mreshu · Feb 25, 2013

Example prescribing a particular diet based on a patients disease. What about APRNs. I want to work in the health care community and i want to focus on patients effected by obesity. I hear that nurses can specialize in nutrition. No one has been able to tell me what a nurses scope of practice is when it comes to nutrition. From what i understand only doctors and dieticians can provide detailed nutritional counseling.

libran1984, ASN, RN · Feb 25, 2013

I heard that in Indiana a Nurse Practitioner cannot write for diet pills. Just something I heard through the grapevine

mreshu · Feb 25, 2013

Thank you libran. I am consider ing nursing but am also considering dietetics as a bachelors and social work as a masters so i can work with people at a high rusk of developing a obesity related disease. However,u xant find any information on wether being an rn or np would give me the scope of practice similar to that of a dietician. I was originally attracted to nursing because of its wholistic aspect.

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Feb 25, 2013

A registered dietitian is the nutrition expert. Being a RN or NP would not give you the scope of practice of a dietitian. If you want to provide nutritional counseling you should become a dietitian.

Becoming a dietitian is quite challenging. You have to complete a bachelors in science that is filled with hard science classes (multiple biochemistry classes, organic chemistry, etc). Then, you have to complete a dietetics internship that is either a year long or two years if you want to get a masters degree. You have to pay to complete this internship and the cost varies from $10,000 to $40,000. Also, only about 50% of people get placed in an internship because there aren't enough to go around. If you don't get placed, you have to wait 6 months to a year to reapply. Once you are working, you won't make very much money and the services you can provide are limited because dietitians did not get written into medicare and medicaid when they were written so they can only bill for a limited number of things.

In what setting do you want to work? Where will you find these people at a high risk of becoming obese?

mreshu · Feb 25, 2013

Thank you noyesno. I want to have my own private practice. I have researched what most employed dieticians do and it is unappealing work. The dieticans that i spoke with who were happy with there jobs were all self employeed. I have been wrestling with the fact that as a self employeed dietican i will be working almost exclusively with wealthy clients. Our health care system doesn't pay for patient education. I became diabetic a few years ago and reacived almost no nutritional education. My doctor just gave me a pamphlet and told me to not eat white foods. Nursing would give me a chance to work with people of lesser means which is something i love. I fear it wouldn't give me the scope of practice i desire. I was hoping that NPs might have this in their scope of practice. I would welcome the challenges of being an RN as i work towards becoming an NP. I feel that working in the trenches and seeing just how devastating diseases such as diabetes can be would give me better insight as a nutritional counselor and i still love the holistic perspective of the nursing model.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Feb 25, 2013

http://www.diabeteseducator.org/ProfessionalResources/Certification/

This is a national certification.

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 25, 2013

A registered dietitian is the nutrition expert. Being a RN or NP would not give you the scope of practice of a dietitian. If you want to provide nutritional counseling you should become a dietitian.
Becoming a dietitian is quite challenging. You have to complete a bachelors in science that is filled with hard science classes (multiple biochemistry classes, organic chemistry, etc). Then, you have to complete a dietetics internship that is either a year long or two years if you want to get a masters degree. You have to pay to complete this internship and the cost varies from $10,000 to $40,000. Also, only about 50% of people get placed in an internship because there aren't enough to go around. If you don't get placed, you have to wait 6 months to a year to reapply. Once you are working, you won't make very much money and the services you can provide are limited because dietitians did not get written into medicare and medicaid when they were written so they can only bill for a limited number of things.
In what setting do you want to work? Where will you find these people at a high risk of becoming obese?

Well there's another crappy deal in healthcare!

Trauma Columnist · Feb 25, 2013

APRNs CAN and DO write diet orders. I do it all the time. I do consult with dieticians but I am the one writing the order.

As to obesity related issues, I would think public health administration (masters level program) might give you more of what you want to do.

Otherwise, as an RN, unless you are operating under protocols driven by an MD/APRN, you wont be writing orders either.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2013

OP, it sounds like you should become a nutritionist rather than a nurse. Having your own private practice is YEARS away even once you finish your degree.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 25, 2013

Anyone can be a nutritionist. There is no licensure required and some are mainly sales people. Dieticians are licensed and registered, like nurses. So you can probably act in the role of a nutritionist, but be careful. You never really know what people are taking and without a medical nutrition consult (by a dietician) things could go seriously wrong. There is such a thing as medical nutrition therapy where the dietician writes scripts for formulas, tube feedings, supplements, etc. Again, they are licensed.