Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS › Part LXIX - Registered Dietitians/Nutritionists › Chapter 1 - Dietitians/Nutritionists › Section LXIX-117 - Code of Ethics for Professional Conduct (Formerly section 113)

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Licensees under
				the Act shall perform their professional duties using the code of ethics
				adopted by the Board.
B. The Board
				has adopted the following Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
1.
Code of Ethics for the Nutrition
				and Dietetics Profession
as published: Academy of Nutrition and
				Dietetics 2018; 1118 (9): 1765-1767.
Principles and Standards:
1.
Competence and professional
				development in practice (Non-maleficence) Nutrition and dietetics practitioners
				shall:
a. Practice using an
				evidence-based approach within areas of competence, continuously develop and
				enhance expertise, and recognize limitations.
b. Demonstrate in depth scientific knowledge
				of food, human nutrition and behavior.
c. Assess the validity and applicability of
				scientific evidence without personal bias.
d. Interpret, apply, participate in and/or
				generate research to enhance practice, innovation, and discovery.
e. Make evidence-based practice decisions,
				taking into account the unique values and circumstances of the patient/client
				and community, in combination with the practitioner's expertise and
				judgment.
f. Recognize and exercise
				professional judgment within the limits of individual qualifications and
				collaborate with others, seek counsel, and make referrals as
				appropriate.
g. Act in a caring and
				respectful manner, mindful of individual differences, cultural, and ethnic
				diversity.
h. Practice within the
				limits of their scope and collaborate with the inter-professional
				team.
2.
Integrity in personal and organizational behaviors and practices (Autonomy)
				Nutrition and dietetics practitioners shall:
a. Disclose any conflicts of interest,
				including any financial interests in products or services that are recommended.
				Refrain from accepting gifts or services which potentially influence or which
				may give the appearance of influencing professional judgment.
b. Comply with all applicable laws and
				regulations, including obtaining/maintaining a state license or certification
				if engaged in practice governed by nutrition and dietetics statutes.
c. Maintain and appropriately use
				credentials.
d. Respect
				intellectual property rights, including citation and recognition of the ideas
				and work of others, regardless of the medium (e.g. written, oral,
				electronic).
e. Provide accurate
				and truthful information in all communications.
f. Report inappropriate behavior or treatment
				of a patient/client by another nutrition and dietetics practitioner or other
				professionals.
g. Document, code
				and bill to most accurately reflect the character and extent of delivered
				services.
h. Respect
				patient/client's autonomy. Safeguard patient/client confidentiality according
				to current regulations and laws.
i.
				Implement appropriate measures to protect personal health information using
				appropriate techniques (e.g., encryption).
3.
Professionalism
				(Beneficence)
Nutrition and dietetics practitioners shall:
a. Participate in and contribute to decisions
				that affect the well-being of patients/clients.
b. Respect the values, rights, knowledge, and
				skills of colleagues and other professionals.
c. Demonstrate respect, constructive
				dialogue, civility and professionalism in all communications, including social
				media.
d. Refrain from
				communicating false, fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, disparaging or unfair
				statements or claims.
e. Uphold
				professional boundaries and refrain from romantic relationships with any
				patients/clients, surrogates, supervisees, or students.
f. Refrain from verbal/physical/emotional/
				sexual harassment.
g. Provide
				objective evaluations of performance for employees, coworkers, and students and
				candidates for employment, professional association memberships, awards, or
				scholarships, making all reasonable efforts to avoid bias in the professional
				evaluation of others.
h.
				Communicate at an appropriate level to promote health literacy.
i. Contribute to the advancement and
				competence of others, including colleagues, students, and the public.
4.
Social responsibility
				for local, regional, national, global nutrition and well-being (Justice)
Nutrition and dietetics practitioners shall:
a. Collaborate with others to reduce health
				disparities and protect human rights.
b. Promote fairness and objectivity with fair
				and equitable treatment.
c.
				Contribute time and expertise to activities that promote respect, integrity,
				and competence of the profession.
d. Promote the unique role of nutrition and
				dietetics practitioners.
e. Engage
				in service that benefits the community and to enhance the public's trust in the
				profession.
f. Seek leadership
				opportunities in professional, community, and service organizations to enhance
				health and nutritional status while protecting the public.
Glossary of Terms:
Autonomy:
ensures a patient, client, or
				  professional has the capacity and self-determination to engage in individual
				  decisionmaking specific to personal health or practice.
Beneficence:
encompasses taking positive steps
				  to benefit others, which includes balancing benefit and risk.
Competence:
a principle of professional
				  practice, identifying the ability of the provider to administer safe and
				  reliable services on a consistent basis.
Conflict(s) of Interest(s):
defined as a
				  personal or financial interest or a duty to another party which may prevent a
				  person from acting in the best interests of the intended beneficiary, including
				  simultaneous membership on boards with potentially conflicting interests
				  related to the profession, members or the public.
Customer:
any client, patient, resident,
				  participant, student, consumer, individual/person, group, population, or
				  organization to which the nutrition and dietetics practitioner provides
				  service.
Diversity:
"The Academy values and respects the
				  diverse viewpoints and individual differences of all people. The Academy's
				  mission and vision are most effectively realized through the promotion of a
				  diverse membership that reflects cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, religious,
				  sexual orientation, socioeconomic, geographical, political, educational,
				  experiential and philosophical characteristics of the public it services. The
				  Academy actively identifies and offers opportunities to individuals with varied
				  skills, talents, abilities, ideas, disabilities, backgrounds and practice
				  expertise."
Evidence-based Practice:
Evidence-based practice
				  is an approach to health care wherein health practitioners use the best
				  evidence possible, i.e., the most appropriate information available, to make
				  decisions for individuals, groups and populations. Evidence-based practice
				  values, enhances and builds on clinical expertise, knowledge of disease
				  mechanisms, and pathophysiology. It involves complex and conscientious
				  decision-making based not only on the available evidence but also on client
				  characteristics, situations, and preferences. It recognizes that health care is
				  individualized and ever changing and involves uncertainties and probabilities.
				  Evidence-based practice incorporates successful strategies that improve client
				  outcomes and are derived from various sources of evidence including research,
				  national guidelines, policies, consensus statements, systematic analysis of
				  clinical experience, quality improvement data, specialized knowledge and skills
				  of experts.
Justice (social justice):
supports fair,
				  equitable, and appropriate treatment for individuals and fair allocation of
				  resources.
Non-Maleficence:
is the intent to not inflict
				  harm.