Cardiac Dietitians
Many cardiac conditions can be improved by working with a dietitian or qualified nutritionist. The majority of cardiac nutritionists are found working in cardiac rehabilitation programs to assist clients in recovery from heart attacks, stroke or surgery.
The nutritionist teaches clients ways to change eating habits, moving blood pressure and blood fats into a desirable range and decreasing weight. Diets with an emphasis on reducing salt consumption, eating the right type of fat and increasing fiber put less stress on the heart and decrease risk of recurrent heart attack and stroke.
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Skills
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Working in a cardiac setting requires active listening skills and the ability to follow a set of rules in a specific order. Critical thinking and solid problem-solving ability are prerequisite. Analytic and deductive reasoning are needed to interpret a combination of cardiac risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, often present at the same time.
An eating program is designed to encourage compliance while addressing other factors such as food allergies, dislikes, cultural preferences and the accessibility of food for a given individual. The ability to work with data and to communicate it to others is an essential role of the dietitian/nutritionist.
Obtain Your Degree
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To work in a cardiac setting, you must obtain a dietetic degree from an institution with a program of study that is both approved and accredited by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The ADA is the largest group of nutrition professionals in the United States. A broad range of coursework that you will take while pursuing your bachelors degree in dietetics will include biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, management and psychology.
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Work in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
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Most cardiac rehabilitation settings are within a hospital where monitoring equipment and emergency intervention are readily available. A team of professionals including the nutritionist works with the clients on an out-patient basis. The nutritionist consults with physicians and nurses and interprets laboratory values, assesses the dietary patterns, analyzes the nutrient composition of foods using computer software, makes recommendations and monitors progress with carefully kept records.
The nutritionist in this setting works with clients both in groups and with individuals on an ongoing basis and should expect to get paid an average yearly salary of $50,000.
Further Your Education
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Many of those graduating with a degree in Dietetics pursue masters and doctorates and then sit for a registration exam given by the ADA. Another route of education would be the internship program. This rigorous year long course of study encompasses post-graduate courses and supervision of client-nutritionist interactions. This would be followed by the passing of a written exam.
Maintain Lifelong Professionalism
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In order to remain current in the field, nutritionists take courses to bring their knowledge up to date meeting the required 75 hours of continuing education every five years established by the ADA through conferences and workshops.
A specialty group of the ADA called S.C.A.N., or Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists, provides its members networking experiences and opportunities for furthering professional goals.
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References
- Photo Credit beautiful medical staff image by sasha from Fotolia.com
