Dietetics Professional Practice, Ethics, and Communication
Core concepts
Professional practice rests on scope of practice, standards of care, and the nutrition care process (assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring/evaluation). Know how to write a PES statement (Problem, Etiology, Signs/Symptoms) and to use standardized language. Ethical practice includes autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, and confidentiality; recognize conflicts of interest, informed consent, and end-of-life feeding decisions. Communication skills include motivational interviewing (open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries), plain-language counseling, teach-back, and cultural humility. Understand documentation, referral pathways, and interprofessional collaboration.
Traps
Questions test whether you know that the dietitian does not diagnose disease but does diagnose nutrition problems, and that a PES statement must link problem to etiology to signs/symptoms. Watch for ethics scenarios where the "right" answer respects patient autonomy even when it conflicts with the clinician's preference.
Worked example
"Inadequate oral intake related to dysphagia as evidenced by intake <50% of meals for 5 days and 3 kg weight loss." This PES statement has all three components and is actionable. Rule of thumb: if the etiology does not point to an intervention, rewrite the statement.
Rule of thumb
Respect autonomy, document objectively, and use motivational interviewing rather than lecturing.