As a holistic nutritionist, your clients look to you for guidance on how to care for their bodies and achieve optimal health in all areas of their life. Which makes the importance of a Holistic Nutritionist Continuing Education critical in practice.
This trust is a significant responsibility, but countless holistic nutritionists find deep joy and purpose in helping people and communities discover real wellness.
By learning about new research and best practices in the field of nutrition science, holistic nutritionists can acquire new skills and even further improve their practice for the benefit of their clients.
Ongoing learning is also a fantastic way to challenge yourself, upgrade your skills, and even pursue specialty in particular areas of interest in the nutrition field.
To this end — helping yourself and your clients reap the benefits of cutting-edge nutritional science — a diverse range of continuing education programs for holistic nutritionists are available from many academic institutes.
But what exactly is continuing education?
How can it help you, as a holistic nutritionist, keep your knowledge current and your skills and techniques sharp?
And once you’ve made the decision to pursue continuing education courses for holistic nutritionists, how do you find the school and program that meets your wants and needs?
At the Edison Institute of Nutrition, we recognize the lasting impact of continuing education on your career and the community you serve.
We want to empower you to make the right decisions about your continuing education journey.
Read on to learn more about continuing education for holistic nutritionists, and some important factors to consider when choosing a continuing education program.
What is Continuing Education For Holistic Nutritionists?
Broadly speaking, continuing education refers to any kind of program or courses that let you develop your knowledge and skills in a specific area.
Continuing education may sound similar to diploma and degree programs from high schools, colleges, and universities – like the diploma in holistic nutrition all registered holistic nutritionists must hold.
However, there are many important differences between continuing education and general education programs such as degree programs offered directly out of high school.
For one, continuing education is designed specifically for working adults in a particular field — often to help them develop a specific area of interest or build skills to specialize in a particular area or subspecialty.
Additionally, many general education programs require full-time study to earn credits towards a degree or diploma.
Conversely, continuing education can be offered in part-time, night study, online, and distance learning formats so you can pursue it without sacrificing any time for your practice.
For you as a holistic nutritionist, these key characteristics of continuing education can help you create and maintain a successful practice backed by cutting-edge educational standards.
But why else should you, a holistic nutritionist, pursue continuing education?
Let’s talk about some specific reasons why continuing education for holistic nutritionists is a critical facet of your professional development.
Why Is Continuing Education For Holistic Nutritionists Important?
As a registered holistic nutritionist, you need to meet a specific number of educational upgrading hours per year in order to maintain and renew your membership in most professional associations, like the International Association of Nutritional Consultants.
This requirement ensures that no matter how much time has passed since you were first licensed, the public can rest assured that your education is in line with current standards and best practices in the field of nutrition.
Moreover, many continuing education courses and programs are tailored towards knowledge- and skill-building in specific areas of nutrition — such as holistic cancer care, live cell microscopy, and wellness consulting as a field of business.
How To Choose A Continuing Education Program
Have you found your practice or passion gravitating towards a particular specialty in the field of nutrition?
Continuing education could be just the key you need to unlock the next stage of your career as a holistic nutritionist.
But once you’ve made the choice to pursue continuing education, you may be faced with an overwhelming spread of potential schools and courses to pick from.
It’s important to choose the right continuing education program — one that is accessible to you, geared towards the skills you want to develop, and suitable for your schedule.
Keep reading to learn about some specific considerations that every registered holistic nutritionist should consider when choosing a continuing education program.
1. Understand What You Need
Before you dive headlong into the myriad of continuing education programs available to holistic nutritionists, it is important to know what exactly you want to do.
Do you simply want to challenge and enrich your intellect as a professional?
Are you looking for a specific course format, number of course hours, or area of study to satisfy continuing education requirements laid out by your professional association?
Do you want to acquire a specific new skill, add or change specialties within your practice, or learn more about a hot-button topic on the horizon of nutrition science?
Whether your pursuit of continuing education is motivated by passion, curiosity, professional goals, or the pursuit of new challenges, a clear vision of what you want is crucial to finding the right program for you.
2. Understand Your Options
As with any investment of time or money, being an educated consumer is critical when choosing a continuing education program as a holistic nutritionist.
You may already have a sense of what schools are considered the most reputable or prestigious, whether that’s from your own prior education or word of mouth from others in the field.
The reputation of a school can be significant in and of itself — your current or prospective employers and clients may regard some institutions highly and others with skepticism.
Beyond just looking at the school, do some research into specific programs of interest and seek out the testimony of students or alumni before committing to a course or admission offer.
3. Weigh Your Costs And Benefits
While the benefits of continuing education to your holistic nutrition practice are undeniable, you must also be prepared to accept the costs and drawbacks.
Tuition and other fees, minimum course hours, commutes, and study time are all vital factors to consider when weighing the drawbacks of a program against the future benefits of professional education.
Many institutions require a minimum number of credit-hours per semester to remain enrolled in your program, receive financial aid, or access benefits such as academic advising.
Additionally, remember that the total cost of your program will likely be greater than just your tuition fees — textbooks, computer maintenance, student association fees, and fees associated with commuting must also be taken into account.
Make sure to reflect on family and personal obligations, professional commitments, and other important matters which may also demand your time and money when choosing a continuing education program.
4. Make Sure It Can Fit Into Your Schedule
To get the most out of your continuing education as a holistic nutritionist, be prepared to budget your time so that stress doesn’t get in the way of your studies.
This may involve arranging for childcare, reducing or reshuffling your work hours, asking a partner or family member to help you with household responsibilities, or taking a step back from other ongoing projects.
Not only will proactive scheduling free up the time you need to achieve academic success but knowing what to expect from each day will also reduce your stress.
When your stress levels are low, you are able to learn more effectively, enjoy your studies, and get even more enrichment out of your continuing education program.
5. Speak To A Representative Of The School
When you think you’re honing in on the right holistic nutrition continuing education program for you, make sure to speak to a representative from the school you are considering.
Not only can they answer questions you may have about your program of interest — such as minimum admission requirements and cost — but they can also work with you to maximize your student experience or direct you to other institutional staff who can.
For example, they may be able to provide information not available on the institution’s website — typical class sizes, upcoming changes to course offerings, and lesser-known grant and bursary offerings, to name a few.
Most importantly, speaking directly to an institutional representative is a great way to get recommendations and advice specific to your educational goals.
This final step before choosing a continuing education program will help you make the best choice.
Here at the Edison Institute of Nutrition, our phone lines are always open to speak to new potential students.
Call us today, and we’ll help you make the right decision for your needs.
