Abstract
The dietetics profession has a low percentage (10%) of private practitioners in the United States. In order for registered dietitians to reach the public as nutrition experts, more professionals should start private practices. They need to understand what skills are required, the cost of starting a practice, how to market the practice, what to charge clients, and how to establish a referral system. To be successful, private practice dietitians should keep up-to-date with the latest nutrition research, look healthy, and exude confidence.
ACCORDING to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) 2002 Environmental Scan for the registered dietitian (RD),
a greater need for services will come from new information about the role of diet in health care, new understanding of the diet's contribution to chronic problems and the demands of an aging society. But there is nothing that automatically gives these opportunities to dietitians. They will have to shape their destiny individually and collectively catch up, keep up, and get ahead of the needs and issues facing the public. 1
The ADA's most recent survey of members found that 10% of practitioners are self-employed (primarily RDs). Of these, 6% of RDs and 2% of registered dietetic technicians indicate they are owners or partners in their practice. 2 These numbers have been increasing at a slow rate from 1991 (3.2%) to 1999 (3.5%). 3 This means that there is a limited number of RDs who are available as private practice nutrition counselors.
In order to increase the visibility of RDs to the public, extra effort needs to be made to let people know how effective private practice nutritional counseling can be. One of nutrition entrepreneur's (NE's) active members, Kathy King, wrote the "bible" for private practice in 1987 when private practice was unfamiliar to most practitioners and has continued it until 2003. 4 Her latest edition of The Entrepreneurial Nutritionist includes not only consulting on the Web and marketing, but also ethical and legal concerns, selling supplements, and communications.
A private practice can be exciting, fulfilling, and financially rewarding. In an exhaustive investigation to date of compensation in the dietetics profession, a significant direct association was found between wage level and employment status (indicating self-employment is better). 2
Private practitioners need to have a strong, up-to-date knowledge base through participation in workshops, lectures, and meetings. Professional involvement helps a practitioner stay knowledgeable in the field, improve skills, and enhance the profession. In a recent study, a positive relationship was found between job satisfaction and markers of professional involvement. 5 Dietitians should continue to learn the latest evidence-based research to provide quality nutrition services. It is important to be able to take research data and communicate it clearly and effectively to clients. Good counseling skills are required so that clients can adopt attainable goals and positive outlooks needed to accomplish them.