Specialty Practice Experience

Specialty practice experience must be related to the specialty area for which certification is being sought.

Digestive Health practice experience that qualifies includes:

Registered Dietitians (RDs or RDNs) working directly with individuals exhibiting symptoms of, or diagnosed with, GI conditions in a variety of settings (e.g., hospitals, clinical, private practice) OR indirectly through roles in management, education, industry, and research practice linked specifically to nutrition for digestive health and GI conditions.

Gerontological Nutrition practice experience that qualifies includes:

RDs directly providing nutrition care to promote quality of life and optimal health for older adults across the continuum of care, including: acute care, post-acute care, primary care, long-term care, assisted living, home care, palliative care, community-based nutrition, food service, correctional facilities, and government programs.

RDs indirectly working with gerontological nutrition through roles in management, industry, education, and research.

Obesity and Weight Management practice experience that qualifies includes:

Health professionals who educate, support, and advocate for patients and clients to understand and manage their weight and associated risks through the use of nutritional, behavioral health, medical, surgical, pharmacotherapeutic, and exercise and physical activity interventions.

Oncology Nutrition practice experience that qualifies includes:

RDs working directly with individuals at risk for, or diagnosed with, any type of malignancy or pre-malignant condition, in a variety of settings (e.g. hospitals, clinics, cancer centers, hospices, public health) OR indirectly through roles in management, education, industry, and research practice linked specifically to oncology nutrition.

Pediatric Critical Care Nutrition practice experience that qualifies includes:

Certified specialists in pediatric critical care nutrition are experienced registered dietitian nutritionists who apply evidence-based nutrition knowledge in providing medical nutrition therapy for critically ill infants, children, and adolescents. Additional roles could include care coordination, education, quality improvement, or research linked specifically to pediatric critical care nutrition.

Pediatric nutrition practice experience that qualifies includes:

Specialists in pediatric nutrition are experienced registered dietitians who apply evidence-based nutrition knowledge in providing medical nutrition therapy for pediatric patients.  Specialists work directly with healthy and/or ill children (newborn up to 21 years of age) as well as children with special health care needs in a variety of settings (hospitals, community-based and/or family-centered programs, education programs, home, etc.) OR indirectly through management, care coordination, education, quality improvement, or research practice linked specifically to pediatric nutrition.

Renal nutrition practice experience that qualifies includes:

The specialist in renal/nephrology nutrition works directly with adult and/or pediatric patients with acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 1-5, or receiving renal replacement therapies (dialysis/transplant) in a variety of settings OR works indirectly in management, education, or research practice linked specifically to renal nutrition.  The specialist in renal/nephrology nutrition is responsible for nutrition assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring, and evaluation. 

Sports Dietetics practice experience that qualifies includes:

The sports dietitian provides individual and group/team nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitive and recreational athletes.  Primary responsibilities include counseling individuals and groups on daily nutrition performance and health; translating the latest scientific evidence into practical sports nutrition recommendations; tracking and documenting outcomes of nutrition services, serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, sports performance, support staff and families. This is accomplished by providing sports nutrition education for health/wellness programs, athletic teams, and community groups; and maintaining professional competency and skills required for professional practice, or indirectly as documented by management, education, or research practice linked specifically to sports dietetics.