(1) To apply for certification as a dietitian by completing a core curriculum, an applicant shall successfully complete a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university with coursework that includes at least the following topics:

(a) Research skills, including methodology and interpretation or research literature;

(b) Science of nutrition and dietetics, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, genetics, microbiology, nutrient metabolism, and nutrition across the lifespan;

(c) Implementation of the nutrition care process, and principles of medical nutrition therapy;

(d) Food science, food safety and sanitation, and recipe and menu development;

(e) Effective education and counseling techniques;

(f) Public health policy, including legislative and regulatory structures, and health equity; and

(g) Professional practice skills, including professional ethics, client communication, documentation standards, coding and billing practices, and health care delivery systems.

(2) A didactic program in dietetics accredited by ACEND satisfies the requirements of this section.

(3) For the purpose of this section, the nutrition care process in subsection (1)(c) of this section includes all the following concepts:

(a) "Nutrition assessment" means assessing and evaluating the nutritional needs of individuals and groups using anthropometric, biochemical, nutrigenomic, clinical, metabolic, physiologic, dietary, and behavioral, social and demographic data for clinical, research and program planning purposes; and, determining resources in the practice setting, including ordering laboratory tests to check and track nutrition status and monitor effectiveness of nutrition plans or orders.

(b) "Nutrition care services" means and involves nutrition care, medical nutrition therapy, and nutrition-related services using knowledge, evidence-based practices, and clinical judgment to address health promotion and wellness, and prevention and management of acute or chronic diseases and conditions for individuals and groups. Nutrition care services involves using the four interrelated steps of the nutrition care process including nutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation.

(c) "Nutrition counseling" means the provision of dietary and nutrition counseling and education with the goal of facilitating knowledge, skill, and ability including concerning disease pathophysiology, clinical and biochemical data and data patterns, health-related behaviors, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, food and dietary patterns, nutrient and prescription drug interactions; provision of education and training on nutrition-related medical devices; and the development and administration of nutrition care standards.

(d) "Nutrition diagnosis" means identifying and labeling nutrition problems. It does not include the medical differential diagnosis of the health status of an individual.

(e) "Nutrition intervention" means purposefully planned actions and counseling intended to positively change a nutrition-related behavior, risk factor, environmental condition or aspect of the health status for an individual, including education and training on nutrition-related medical devices.

(i) Nutrition intervention includes using approved clinical privileges, physician/nonphysician practitioner-driven orders (i.e., delegated orders), protocols, or other facility-specific processes for order writing or for provision of nutrition-related services consistent with applicable specialized training, competence, medical staff, or organizational policy.

(ii) Nutrition intervention involves implementing, initiating, or modifying orders for therapeutic diets, medication and nutrition interactions, management, or nutrition-related services (e.g., medical foods/nutrition dietary supplements, food texture modifications, enteral and parenteral nutrition, intravenous infusions, laboratory tests, medications, and education and counseling).

(f) "Nutrition monitoring and evaluation" means identifying patient outcomes using data sources and technology-based applications relevant to the nutrition diagnosis and comparing the outcomes with the patient's previous health status, interventions, goals or reference standards to determine the progress made in achieving desired outcomes or nutrition care and whether planned interventions should be continued or revised.