Continuing Education & Accreditation

This is approved for Nursing contact hours by the information on the certificate for A&T lectures.

For Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Dietetic Technicians, Registered (DTRs), the primary governing body that approves continuing education is the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

The CDR is the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It oversees the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP), which is the system dietitians use to maintain their national registration.

How Approval Works

The CDR categorizes continuing education into Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs). Approval typically happens in one of three ways:

• Prior Approval: Educational providers (like universities or private companies) submit their activities to the CDR or an affiliate dietetic association for review before the event takes place.
• Joint Accreditation: The CDR is part of the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education. This means if a provider is accredited by this joint body, their courses are automatically accepted for RDs without needing a separate CDR stamp.
• Unapproved/Individual Credit: Dietitians can sometimes claim credit for activities that weren't "pre-approved" (like academic coursework or professional reading) as long as the content meets the CDR's strict Core Content Criteria and matches the dietitian's specific Learning Plan.

Key Requirements (5-Year Recertification Cycle)

Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians must complete a specific amount of education within a 5-year recertification cycle. Requirements are outlined below: