Why is effective communication essential for excellence in nutrition practice?

How would you answer the question in the title: Why is effective communication essential for excellence in nutrition practice?

Before answering, let’s begin with a more fundamental question, one which opens Chapter 1 in Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide: What is the role of communication in nutrition practice? The chapter answers this question as follows:

The role of communication in nutrition practice is so pervasive that its importance could be overlooked. Communication knowledge and skills must not be taken for granted. Being an effective communicator is essential for effective nutrition practice.

Let’s repeat: The role of communication in nutrition practice is so pervasive that its importance could be overlooked. Do you agree? Read on…

How is communication essential to nutrition practice?

Chapter 1 points out that “everything involves communication.” Think about it… everything we do, personally as well as professionally involves communication. Consider these three key ways communication is essential to nutrition practice:

• Nutrition professionals communicate messages based on current evidence in food and nutrition science, translated for varied audiences with meaningful word choice, relevant examples and compelling stories, understandable illustrations, and motivating calls to action.
  

• Nutrition professionals communicate to small and large audiences composed of people with different needs, interests, and knowledge – employees and staff, students and interns, clients and patients, community leaders and members, children and youth, and professional peers.
  

• Nutrition professionals communicate via varied channels – oral presentations, web-based presentations, meetings, one-on-one counseling, writing for lay publications, writing for professional journals, food demonstrations, social media, traditional media, and more.

The role of nutritional professionals is to share their expertise in food and nutrition to the populations they serve. This furthers the vision of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “A world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition.”

To achieve this vision… Being an effective communicator is essential for effective nutrition practice. Do you agree?

 

How is effective communication essential to nutrition practice?

This question is answered in this post: Are you really an expert if you can’t communicate well? An updated version follows:

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are THE nutrition experts, well-trained in the science of food and nutrition. They possess expertise that can change lives. However, to make an impact requires more than subject-matter knowledge. It requires knowledge and skills in communicating that knowledge to others.

Consumers and patients need the guidance of RDNs, but if their messages are never heard, or they are misunderstood or ignored, how can they make an impact?

Even though RDNs are THE credentialed nutrition professionals, they are not the only ones in the marketplace espousing to know about nutrition. Non-credentialed influencers make unfounded claims, promote fads and gimmicks, and spread fear, half-truths, and downright falsehoods – messages that compete for the attention of the public RDNs seek to protect and teach. These potentially dangerous messages are often more compellingly communicated and therefore believed and followed.

It’s time for RDNs to become not only nutrition experts but also experts at communicating effectively. Without communication excellence, the nutrition expert does not achieve their desired impact.

By combining communication expertise with nutrition expertise, RDNs can have the impact they desire. Their messages will be heard, understood, and put into practice. With the necessary knowledge and skills, RDNs can become competent and confident communicators who make a difference for all types of audiences.

To answer the question: How is effective communication essential to nutrition practice? let’s relate it to the three key ways nutrition professionals communicate listed above:

• To be effective, nutrition professionals must understand how to access and understand research and how to translate science into meaningful messages.
  

• To be effective, nutrition professionals must understand how to tailor communication to different audiences.
  

• To be effective, nutrition professionals must understand best practices for each type of channel employed.

Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide covers all of these aspects of achieving excellence in communicating food and nutrition from accessing and translating science in Section 2, to creating audience-focused communication in Section 3, to achieving excellence with various channels in Sections 4-8.

“If you can’t communicate, it doesn’t matter what you know. ” ~ Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness

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