Recognizing Key Contributors to Interprofessional Practice: RDNs & Physicians
- Cynthia and Laura Love
- Mar 12
- 3 min read
Recognizing Key Contributors to Interprofessional Practice: RDNs & Physicians
In March, we honor two essential members of the healthcare team—registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and physicians—who play vital roles in patient care.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Day – March 12th
RDNs are food and nutrition science experts, helping patients develop healthy eating habits to improve their overall well-being. Beyond general nutrition counseling, they collaborate with healthcare team members to design specialized nutrition plans for patients with medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Becoming an RDN requires extensive education and training, including anatomy, chemistry, and food and nutrition science coursework. The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) ensures rigorous academic and internship standards, with dietitians completing at least 1,200 supervised practice hours. As of January 1, 2024, a graduate degree is now required for RDN licensure (Ford, 2025).
National Doctor’s Day – March 30th
National Doctor’s Day recognizes the 1.1 million physicians in the U.S. who dedicate their lives to caring for others. The tradition of recognizing doctors began in rural Georgia when the wife of a physician recruited her community to honor doctors by writing thank-you letters and placing flowers on the graves of deceased physicians starting in 1933 (Locumpedia, 2025).
In 1958, Congress officially recognized March 30th as a day to honor physicians, and in 1990, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed it a national observance. The date, March 30th, was chosen to commemorate Dr. Crawford Long, who was recognized as the first to use ether for anesthesia on this date in 1842. Hailing from Jefferson, Georgia, there is a museum dedicated to his legacy that you can visit. Be sure to check out https://crawfordlong.org/ to learn more about his life and watch the musical video by the Laryngospasms, “Waking Up is Hard to Do” that honors Dr. Long’s contributions to the discovery of anesthesia (Crawford Long Museum, 2025).
The medical field faces significant challenges today, including a projected physician shortage of 86,000 by 2036 (Locumpedia, 2025). With many doctors working 50–80 hours per week and the average physician age of 54, this recognition is more important than ever.
Let’s take a moment to show our appreciation for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and physicians who dedicate their lives to improving the health and well-being of others and being integral to the interprofessional team.
💙 Tag a doctor or RDN who has made a difference in your life!
Breaking Down Silos: Understanding Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
As we celebrate the contributions of various health professionals, it's essential to highlight the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) and its core competencies—key principles that help shape a more synergistic and effective healthcare system.
You may have heard the phrase, "Healthcare works in silos." Traditionally, different disciplines function independently, each focusing on its area of expertise to help patients achieve their health goals. However, this approach can lead to communication gaps, undervaluing input from other healthcare members, and missed opportunities for better patient outcomes.
To break down these silos and foster teamwork, IPEC was established in 2009 by six national education associations. Its mission? Integrating interprofessional education (IPE) into healthcare training ensures that future providers learn how to work collaboratively rather than in isolation. Since its inception, IPEC has grown to include over 22 health professions education associations and prepares providers for patient-centered, community-based, and population-focused collaborative care (IPEC®, p.7).
The Four Core Competencies of Interprofessional Education
To achieve the vision of safe, high-quality, patient-centered care, IPEC developed four core competencies that guide interprofessional collaboration (IPEC®, p.21). Each competency includes specific sub-competencies designed to enhance teamwork and improve patient outcomes.
The Four Core Competencies:
1. Values and Ethics
2. Roles and Responsibilities
3. Communication
4. Teams and Teamwork
Looking Ahead
As we continue recognizing the diverse members of the healthcare team throughout the year, we'll dive deeper into each of these core competencies, exploring how strong teamwork benefits healthcare professionals and, most importantly, leads to better patient outcomes.
References
Crawford Long Museum (2025). Home. Retrieved from https://crawfordlong.org/
Ford, D. (2025). Registered dietitian career overview. Retrieved from https://www.nutritioned.org/registered-dietitian/#requirements
Locumpedia (2025). All about doctors day. Retrieved from https://nationaldoctorsday.org/about/
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