GOAL 1:

To prepare students for the present and future needs of the workplace as dietetic technicians, registered (DTR).

Objectives: 

• Over a 5 year period, At least 70% of students will pass the DTR registration examination on their first attempt. 
• At least 70% of students will complete the program within 3 years, or 150% of the time planned for completion. 
• Within 12 months of graduation, at least 70% of graduates will be employed in dietetics or a related field or pursuing a higher degree.
• Over a 5 year period, 70% or greater of graduates will indicate adequate preparation by the program.  

GOAL 2:

To foster an appreciation for service to the community.

Objective: 

• At least 30% of students will participate in service to the community above that required by the program.

The Dietetic Technician Program at LaGuardia Community College is currently accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) the accrediting agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606, 312/899-0040. ACEND is the national accrediting agency for dietetics education.

A copy of the accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy and procedure for submission of complaints may be obtained by contacting the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995 or by calling 800-877-1600, extension 5400 or at acend@eatright.org or at www.eatright.org/ACEND. In order to meet the ACEND standards, data on DTP outcomes is conducted. Data is collected in a variety of areas. Data for outcomes measures is available upon request from the Program Director.

ACEND will review complaints that relate to a program’s compliance with the accreditation standards. The commission is interested in the sustained quality and continued improvement of dietetics education programs but does not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeal for individual matters of admission, appointment, or promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff, or students.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the Dietetic Technician Registration (DTR) exam. The exam is administered through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR) is a graduate of an ACEND accredited DTP who has successfully passed the registration exam.

Program graduates are also eligible to sit for the certification exam offered by the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. Success on this exam grants the credential of Certified Dietary Manager (CDM).

1. Scientific and Evidence Base of Practice: general understanding of scientific information and research related to the dietetic technician level of practice. Click here
   • KDT 1.1: The curriculum must include a general understanding of the scientific basis of dietetics, exposure to research literature and application to technical practice.

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   • CDT 1.1: Access data, references, patient education materials, consumer and other information from credible sources.
   • CDT 1.2: Evaluate consumer information to determine if it is consistent with accepted scientific evidence.
   • CDT 1.3: Collect performance improvement, financial, productivity or outcomes data and compare it to established criteria.
   • CDT 1.4: Implement actions based on care plans, protocols or policies.

    
2. Professional Practice Expectations: beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors for the dietetic technician level of practice. Click here
   • KDT 2.1: The curriculum must include opportunities to develop a variety of oral and written communication skills sufficient for entry into technical practice.
   • KDT 2.2: The curriculum must provide basic principles and techniques of effective interviewing and education methods for diverse individuals and groups.
   • KDT 2.3: The curriculum must include opportunities to understand governance applicable to the technical level of practice such as the Scope of Dietetics Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics.

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   • CDT 2.1: Adhere to current federal regulations and state statutes and rules, as applicable and in accordance with accreditation standards and the Scope of Dietetics Practice, Standards of Professional Practice and the Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics
   • CDT 2.2: Use clear and effective oral and written communication
   • CDT 2.3: Prepare and deliver sound food and nutrition presentations to a target audience
   • CDT 2.4: Demonstrate active participation, teamwork and contributions in group settings
   • CDT 2.5: Refer situations outside the dietetic technician scope of practice or area of competence to the registered dietitian or other professional
   • CDT 2.6: Participate in professional and community organizations
   • CDT 2.7: Establish collaborative relationships with other health care professionals and support personnel to effectively deliver nutrition services
   • CDT 2.8: Demonstrate professional attributes within various organizational cultures
   • CDT 2.9: Perform self assessment, develop goals and objectives and prepare a draft portfolio for professional development as defined by the Commission on Dietetic Registration

    
3. Clinical and Customer Services: development and delivery of information, products and services to individuals, groups and populations at the dietetic technician level of practice. Click here
   • KDT 3.1: The curriculum must reflect the principles of Medical Nutrition Therapy and the practice of the nutrition care process, including principles and methods of nutrition screening for referral to the registered dietitian, collection of assessment data, nutrition interventions and monitoring strategies appropriate for the technician level of practice.
   • KDT 3.2: The curriculum must include the role of environment, food, nutrition and lifestyle choices in health promotion and disease prevention for the general population.
   • KDT 3.3: The curriculum must include the principles of applied food science and techniques of food preparation.
   • KDT 3.4: The curriculum must include principles of procurement, production, distribution and service of food.

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   • CDT 3.1: Perform nutrition screening and identify clients or patients to be referred to the registered dietitian
   • CDT 3.2: Perform specific activities of the nutrition care process (a-e below) as assigned by registered dietitians in accordance with the Scope of Dietetics Practice for individuals groups and populations in a variety of settings:
     • CDT 3.2.a: nutritional status of individuals, groups and populations in a variety of settings where nutrition care is or can be delivered
     • CDT 3.2.b: Diagnose nutrition problems and create problem, etiology, signs and symptoms (PES) statements
     • CDT 3.2.c: Plan and implement nutrition interventions to include prioritizing the nutrition diagnosis, formulating a nutrition prescription, establishing goals and selecting and managing intervention
     • CDT 3.2.d: Monitor and evaluate problems, etiologies, signs, symptoms and the impact of interventions on the nutrition diagnosis
     • CDT 3.2.e: Complete documentation that follows professional guidelines, guidelines required by health care systems and guidelines required by the practice setting
      
   • CDT 3.3: Provide nutrition and lifestyle education to well populations
   • CDT 3.4: Promote health improvement, food safety, wellness and disease prevention for the general population
   • CDT 3.5: Develop print and electronic nutrition education materials for disease prevention and health improvement that are culturally sensitive, age appropriate and designed for the educational level of the audience
   • CDT 3.6: Perform supervisory functions for production and service of food that meets nutrition guidelines, cost parameters, and health needs
   • CDT 3.7: Modify recipes and menus for acceptability and affordability that accommodate the cultural diversity and health status of various populations, groups and individuals

    
4. Practice Management and Use of Resources: strategic application of principles of management and systems in the provision of services to individuals and organizations. Click here
   • KDT 4.1: The curriculum must include applied management principles required to deliver food and nutrition programs and services.
   • KDT 4.2: The curriculum must include content related to applied principles of human resource management.
   • KDT 4.3: The curriculum must include legislative and regulatory policy related to dietetics operations.
   • KDT 4.4: The curriculum must include content related to quality management of food and nutrition services.
   • KDT 4.5: The curriculum must include content related to health care delivery and policies which impact technical practice of dietetics.

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   • CDT 4.1: Participate in quality improvement and customer satisfaction activities to improve delivery of nutrition services
   • CDT 4.2: Perform supervisory, education and training functions
   • CDT 4.3: Participate in legislative and public policy activities
   • CDT 4.4: Use current informatics technology to develop, store, retrieve and disseminate information and data
   • CDT 4.5: Participate in development of a plan for a new service including budget
   • CDT 4.6: Assist with marketing clinical and customer services
   • CDT 4.7: Propose and use procedures as appropriate to the practice setting to reduce waste and protect the environment

    
5. Support Knowledge: knowledge underlying the requirements specified above. Click here
   • KDT 5.1: The physical and biological science foundation of the dietetics profession must be evident in the curriculum. Course content must include applied concepts of chemistry, physiology, microbiology related to food safety, mathematics, fundamentals of nutrition and nutrition across the life span.
   • KDT 5.2: The behavioral and social science foundation of the dietetics profession must be evident in the curriculum. Course content must include concepts of human behavior and diversity, such as psychology, sociology or anthropology

    

To become a DTR, you will need to:

• Complete a two-year Associate degree granted by a US regionally accredited college/university, and complete the requirements in an ACEND-accredited DTP ***
• Pass a national written examination administered by CDR
• Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration

***Verification Statement/Dietetic Technician Registration Examination Upon successful completion of the curriculum, the student will receive a “Student Exit Packet” from the program director. The student will submit to the program director the completed material needed for the registration examination for dietetic technicians. The program director will submit graduate information to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for the Registration Examination for Dietetic Technicians. The student will receive a Verification Statement Form established by the commission on Dietetic Registration. This form is used by the CDR to verify that specific qualifications have been met to take the DTR examination. It is the graduate’s responsibility to make arrangements to take the DTR examination.  

Students may wish to continue their studies at a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. By completing an ACEND approved bachelor’s degree program and a dietetic internship (or equivalent) a student is eligible to take the dietitian’s registration examination. After successful completion of this examination, an individual is a Registered Dietitian (RD).

Area colleges accept the majority of LaGuardia course credits towards the completion of a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. DTP graduates transfer to Queens College, Brooklyn College, Lehman College, and NYU. The LaGCC DTP is a participant in the NYU Community College Transfer Opportunity Program. NYU accepts all the credits earned by a DTP graduate at LaGuardia.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-SHRP Bachelor of Science in Health Science offers a Coordinated Dietetics Program within the Department of Nutritional Science. It is a flexible distance education program designed specifically for the Registered Dietetic Technician (DTR). The program consists of didactic course work and clinical rotations. All course work is offered through the internet on Angel. Only students who have passed the DTR exam are eligible for this unique program.

Two national organizations represent the Dietetic Technician professionally. These organizations are the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. Graduates of the DTP are eligible for membership in both of these organizations.

Students can become members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The cost for student membership is $50.00 (2012-13). Once a member, students will receive the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a monthly publication, and they can join any practice group within the organization. The Dietetic Technicians in Practice is one in particular that focuses on the role of the DT in the delivery of food and nutrition services. Students can also become student members in the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. The cost for student membership in ANFP is $60.00 (2012-13).

Registered Dietetic technicians work independently or as a team member under the supervision of registered dietitians in a variety of employment settings, including health care, business and industry, community/public health, foodservice and research. The level of independent work that a DTR experiences on the job is based on experience, the job itself, and the need of the facility.

Many work environments require that an individual be credentialed as a DTR. DTRs work in:

• Hospitals, HMOs, clinics, nursing homes, retirement centers, hospices, home health-care programs and research facilities helping to treat and prevent disease by conducting screens, gathering data and performing other tasks to assist the registered dietitian in providing medical nutrition therapy as an important part of health-care teams.
• Schools, day-care centers, correctional facilities, restaurants, health-care facilities, corporations and hospitals, managing employees, purchasing and food preparation and preparing budgets within foodservice operations.
• Women, infant, children (WIC) programs, public health agencies, Meals on Wheels and community health programs, developing and teaching nutrition classes for the public.
• Health clubs, weight management clinics and community wellness centers, helping to educate clients about the connection between food, fitness and health.
• Food companies, contract food management companies or food vending and distributing operations developing menus, overseeing foodservice sanitation and food safety and preparing food labeling information and nutrient analysis.

The salary of a DTR is influenced by many factors such as the amount of applicable past work experience and the need of the institution. The typical entry salary for a DTR in the New York Metropolitan Area is approximately $35,000.