I found a link to the visioning report!  Visioning report.

You can read the entire report, but don't forget to comment!

Here are some sample letters constructed by the Instructors at the Normandale Dietetic Technology Program.   Ask your co-workers and supervisors to also send comments, feedback.  Thanks!


Edit, add your own words and send these letters to 

Vera Bartasavich BA, DTR, At Large Delegate for Academy HOD verabart@ameritech.net

Charlene Quinn BA, DTR, At Large Delegate for DTP DPG  charlenelquinn@hotmail.com

-or-  Academy Committee on Future Practice  FuturePractice@eatright.org  

RD working with DTRs

I am writing to strongly suggest you reconsider the elimination of the DTR credential.  As an RD who works with DTRs, I witness on a daily basis that the DTR is a qualified nutrition professional who is highly capable of delivery of nutritional care.  I rely upon DTRs to provide the nutritional care to their patients so that I can attend to the patients who need my expertise to handle their more complicated nutritional issues. 

A four-year DPD graduate who has no or little clinical experience is not as qualified deliver nutritional care.  The DTRs that I have worked with receive 450 hours of supervised practical experience.  I have experienced this to be more valuable than a four-year graduate who has no clinical experience.  Therefore, the two additional years of academic work is not as valuable as the hands-on learning that occurs in a DTR program.  DTRs learn motivational counseling skills, assessment skills, and how to exercise sound clinical judgment.  I don’t see the four-year graduates acquiring these skills without some type of on-the-job training.

Please reconsider your position on this matter and continue the DTR credential. Thank you

Suzie Q, RD

Clinical Nutrition Manager

XyZ Hospital

XYZ City, MN  

Member of AND

Sign your name and include if you are a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

DTRs working in the field

I am writing to strongly suggest you reconsider the elimination of the DTR credential.  As a DTR, I was trained to be a nutrition professional and I work closely with RDs to ensure that appropriate nutritional care is given to my patients.  My supervised practical experience, during my program, allowed me to have the hands-on training that helps me to be a valuable asset to my organization. As I read the Visioning Report, a four-grad from a DPD program will be taking the place of DTRs in the future.  I am concerned because this person will not have the supervised practical experience and hands-on-learning that I acquired during my academic training. 

As an entry level nutrition professional, I am more valuable than someone with  two additional years of academic course work and no supervised practical experience.  I learned motivational counseling skills, assessment skills, and how to exercise sound clinical judgment. 

In conclusion, I request you reconsider your recommendation on this matter and continue the DTR credential.

Thank you

Suzie Q, DTR or DT

Position Title

Organization

XYZ City, MN  

Member of AND

Sign your name and include if you are a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Please reconsider your recommendation to discontinue the DTR credential.

Name title ,etc

OMG...read this!!!

This is from another supporter.  There has been lots of support for the DTR, so don't give up.  Make your comments now!

From: DTP DPG [dtpdpgchair@gmail.com]

Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 11:32 PM

Subject: DTR Credentials

The Visioning Report Recommendations as provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have been sent to the members to review and provide feedback on prior to the House of Delegates meeting at FNCE.

Below is an excerpt from the Visioning Report.  We recommend you review the full report closely for details and rationale and also take note of the recommendations below.

We encourage you to pay particular attention to Recommendation #4.  See below for the recommendation and rationale.

Recommendation #4: Using a timeline defined by CDR, phase out the current DTR credential (see Appendix A, page 35).  Currently-credentialed DTR practitioners will continue to be supported and recertified. DT education programs will continue to exist to meet the needs of the workforce in their local communities, and encourage transfer options with 4-year institutions. Currently-credentialed DTRs will be provided guidance to achieve a baccalaureate degree necessary to meet eligibility requirements for the new examination and credential for DPD graduates, if desired. A plan will be created for all existing Dietetics Technician (DT) education programs and DTRs to promote the positive impact of this transition for increasing workforce growth and opportunities.

Rationale

The DTR registry peaked in 1998 at 5,662 and was at 4,634 on August 1, 2012 (33, 34). Training program numbers are small and dwindling, and the number now rests at 47 programs (25). As noted in Table 2 (page 13), there are currently more baccalaureate degree graduates who have met DPD requirements taking the DTR exam than DT graduates (33). As a result, there has been an increase in the percentage of DTRs who hold bachelor’s degrees, especially for those in their first 5 years of practice, among whom the percentage holding bachelor’s degrees increased from 24% in 2000 to 55% in 2011 (35). This is also consistent with projections that a bachelor’s degree will be required for 24% of all health care jobs in 2020, up from 21% in 2010 (23).

A continued decline in numbers of enrolled Dietetic Technician (DT) program students and graduates coupled with a lack of market demand and competition with baccalaureate degree graduates who have met DPD requirements—with and without a DTR credential—as well as Certified Dietary Managers are factors in moving the DTR credential into obsolescence (5). In 2011, forty-one percent of DTRs responding to a compensation and benefits survey were not working in dietetics and, among newly-credentialed DTRs not working in dietetics, 57% indicated it was because they could not find dietetics-related employment (22). This finding suggests that DTRs do not command workforce demand in the marketplace. The DTR is trained in food and nutrition to be an integral part of the health-care and foodservice management team. DTRs often partner with RDs to screen, evaluate, educate, manage, and monitor patients to prevent and treat chronic diseases. The credential was established in 1986 to fulfill a supportive role often working in coordination with the RD (5). However, a low level of DTR availability in the Southern states (and to some extent in the West) may have contributed to a failure to create many of the RD/DTR partnerships that were envisioned for the DTR credential (35). Most state licensure/recognition regulations don’t include DTRs because they are working under the supervision of the RD.

RDs and DTRs were surveyed regarding their perception of the value of the DTR credential in 2008. Among approximately 7,000 respondents, only 26% of RDs and 42% of DTRs reported that the credential has value in the marketplace (9). The role of the DTR in the profession has been discussed and was the topic of a House of Delegates Mega Issue in fall 2003. The 2005 Dietetics Education Task Force (5) recommended phasing out DT programs and the DTR credential while the Phase 2 Future Practice and Dietetics Education Task Force did not suggest a change in the DTR credential (1).

Please provide your comments or questions for this important Mega issue to your representatives below.  We NEED your FEEDBACK by Wednesday, September 26th as we, the House of Delegate representatives, need to summarize and report back to the HOD leaders.   

Thank you,

Vera Bartasavich BA, DTR, At Large Delegate for Academy HOD verabart@ameritech.net

Charlene Quinn BA, DTR, At Large Delegate for DTP DPG  charlenelquinn@hotmail.com

-or-  Academy Committee on Future Practice  FuturePractice@eatright.org  

I can't get the entire document in here, so here is the recommendation that impacts DTRs.

Send your comments to futurepractice@eatright.org  Deadline is 9/28, but I am sure they will accept them later. 

Recommendation #4: Using a timeline defined by CDR, phase out the current DTR credential (see Appendix A, page 35).  Currently-credentialed DTR practitioners will continue to be supported and recertified.  DT education programs will continue to exist to meet the needs of the workforce in their local communities, and encourage transfer options with 4-year institutions.  Currently-credentialed DTRs will be provided guidance to achieve a baccalaureate degree necessary to meet eligibility requirements for the new examination and credential for DPD graduates, if desired.  A plan will be created for all existing Dietetics Technician (DT) education programs and DTRs to promote the positive impact of this transition for increasing workforce growth and opportunities. 

Future of Dietetics

Here is the visioning report that was released by Council on the Future of Dietetics.  Recommendation #4 recommends that the DTR credential be phased out.  Please send your comments to FuturePractice@eatright.org.  We need everyone to respond ASAP.  The due date is 9/28, but I am sure they will accept comments later.  Thanks.!

Linda