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Registered dietitian vs registered nurse

The differences between registered dietitians and registered nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a registered dietitian and a registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, which is higher than the $58,227 average annual salary of a registered dietitian.

The top three skills for a registered dietitian include patients, patient care and home health. The most important skills for a registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.

Registered dietitian vs registered nurse overview

Registered DietitianRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$58,227$73,349
Hourly rate$27.99$35.26
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs6,144646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4244
Years of experience22

What does a registered dietitian do?

A Registered Dietitian assesses the health of individual patients with medical conditions such as diabetes or renal failure. They work in hospitals, doctors' offices, nursing homes, or other care facilities.

What does a registered nurse do?

The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.

Registered dietitian vs registered nurse salary

Registered dietitians and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Registered DietitianRegistered Nurse
Average salary$58,227$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $78,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyCVS HealthNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between registered dietitian and registered nurse education

There are a few differences between a registered dietitian and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Registered DietitianRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorDieteticsNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of Maryland - College ParkDuke University

Registered dietitian vs registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between registered dietitians' and registered nurses' demographics:

Registered DietitianRegistered Nurse
Average age4244
Gender ratioMale, 7.9% Female, 92.1%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%9%

Differences between registered dietitian and registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Registered dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Help patients maintain nutritional adequacy while managing food allergies.
  • Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
  • Manage the in-store dietitian program providing nutrition education, culinary workshops, food demonstrations, and nutritional assessments.
  • Develop and conduct weight loss programs; provide nutritional counseling for cardiac rehabilitation patients.
  • Diet education to nonsurgical patients on eating disorders, diabetes and other nutrition relate conditions.
  • Cover all topics ranging from weight management to oncology.
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Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
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Registered dietitian vs registered nurse skills

Common registered dietitian skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 6%
  • Culinary, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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