| Course | NS106 Nutrition Profession and Career Planning |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 3 |
| Paper type | Scope of practice memo |
| Length | About 870 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Nutrition Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NS106 Unit 3
Meal Plans for Members With High Blood Pressure: A Unit 3 Scope of Practice Memo Under Ohio's Dietetics Law
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NS106: Nutrition Profession and Career Planning
Unit 3 Scope of Practice Memo
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The gym, its manager and the graduate are composite; the Ohio statutes and rule cited are real and summarized from their published text at the time of writing, and the memo is coursework, not legal advice.
Memo Heading
To: Dana Whitfield, General Manager, Northpoint Fitness. From: Nutrition program assistant. Date: September 22. Subject: Whether our new nutrition hire may write meal plans for members with high blood pressure.
Question
Our new hire holds a bachelor's degree in nutrition science but no dietetics license. Members have asked her for individualized meal plans to help lower their blood pressure. May she provide them under Ohio law?
Short Answer
No, not as described. An individualized meal plan designed to treat a medical condition such as high blood pressure is the kind of nutrition care Ohio reserves for licensed dietitians. She may provide general nutrition information to members, and the gym may offer a general weight control program if a licensed dietitian or physician approves it in writing. She may not assess an individual member's condition and prescribe a diet for it.
The Law
Ohio's dietetics law makes it unlawful to practice dietetics, offer to practice it or hold oneself out as practicing it without a license (Ohio Rev. Code § 4759.02, 2025). Dietetics includes providing nutrition care to individuals based on an assessment of their nutritional needs, which in the professional literature and in Ohio's rules is called medical nutrition therapy when it addresses a disease or condition.
The law also lists exemptions. One permits a person without a license to provide general non-medical nutrition information, as defined in the board's rules, provided the person does not hold themselves out as a licensed dietitian (Ohio Rev. Code § 4759.10, 2025). General non-medical nutrition information covers matters such as principles of good nutrition and food preparation, presented in a way that is not tailored to treat an individual's medical condition.
A separate rule allows unlicensed people to present a general program of weight control if a licensed dietitian, a physician or a registered dietitian has approved the program in writing, and if the program is designed for population groups to achieve or maintain a healthy weight rather than based on an individual nutrition assessment. Such a program may not provide medical nutrition therapy, and the approval must be renewed at least every two years (Ohio Weight Control Program Exemption, 2025).
Applying the Law to Our Situation
The members' request has three features that place it inside the practice of dietetics:
1. It is individualized: each member wants a plan built for them.
2. It addresses a medical condition: high blood pressure is a diagnosed disease, often treated with medication.
3. It would rest on an assessment: to write the plan, our hire would need to consider each member's blood pressure, medications, current diet and other conditions.
Those features describe medical nutrition therapy, not general non-medical nutrition information. The general information exemption does not cover it, and the weight control rule does not either, since that rule excludes plans based on individual assessment and excludes medical nutrition therapy outright.
The line Ohio draws is not between good and bad advice but between information offered to anyone and care designed for one person's medical condition, and a meal plan written to lower a particular member's blood pressure falls on the licensed side of that line however sound it might be.
What She May Do
1. Teach general nutrition classes open to all members, such as reading sodium on labels or cooking with less salt, using information not tailored to any individual's condition.
2. Share public materials, such as the federal Dietary Guidelines' advice on sodium and potassium (U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020), with any member who asks.
3. Run a general weight control program if a licensed dietitian or physician approves it in writing and it is not based on individual assessment.
4. Refer members with high blood pressure to their physician or to a licensed dietitian for individualized care.
What She Should Not Do
1. Assess a member's blood pressure, medications or medical history to design a diet.
2. Write individualized meal plans for members with high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease or other medical conditions.
3. Use the title dietitian or any title suggesting a license.
Recommendation
I recommend that we contract with a licensed dietitian for a few hours a month to see members who want individualized plans, and that our new hire lead general classes and screen members for referral. This arrangement keeps the gym within Ohio law, gives members the care they are asking for and uses our hire's training appropriately.
Caveats
This memo summarizes the statute and rule as published and is not legal advice. The board's definitions may change, and recent amendments have adjusted what unlicensed practitioners may offer. Before acting, the gym should confirm the current text with the state board or an attorney.
References
Ohio Rev. Code § 4759.02 (2025). https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4759.02
Ohio Rev. Code § 4759.10 (2025). https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4759.10
Ohio Weight Control Program Exemption, Ohio Admin. Code 4759-5-06 (2025). https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-4759-5-06
U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (9th ed.). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov
NS106 Unit 3 instructions, in plain terms
The scope of practice memo asks students to answer a specific question about who may do certain nutrition work under a state's law. Prompts usually expect a memo format with a question, short answer, the relevant law, application to the facts, a recommendation and caveats. Use the state where you live or plan to work. Quote or closely summarize the statute and board rules, citing them directly rather than relying on summaries. Identify the features of the situation that place it inside or outside licensed practice, such as individualization and medical conditions. Explain any exemptions and their limits. Give practical options, not only a prohibition. Note that the memo is not legal advice. Two to three pages is common.
How this NS106 Unit 3 example is built
A heading block and the manager's question open the memo. The short answer states the conclusion and the permitted alternatives. The law section summarizes the licensure requirement, the exemption for general non-medical nutrition information and the weight control program rule with its approval and renewal conditions. The application section lists three features of the members' request that place it inside dietetics practice, and the highlighted sentence states where Ohio draws the line. Lists of what the hire may and should not do follow, then a recommendation to contract a licensed dietitian, and a caveats section notes recent amendments and the need to confirm current text.
NS106 Unit 3 rubric: what earns full points
NS106 scope memos tend to be scored on accurate reading of the law, correct application to the facts and practical usefulness. Points go to citing the statute and rules directly and to identifying the specific features that bring a situation within licensed practice. Explaining exemptions and their limits earns credit for depth. A recommendation that gives the employer workable options is scored under application. Memo format, plain language for a nonlawyer reader and appropriate caveats complete the rubric. Memos that rely on secondhand summaries of the law, or that answer with a flat yes or no and no reasoning, usually lose points on accuracy and analysis. Distinguishing general information from individualized care is usually the deciding criterion.
NS106 Unit 3 help: mistakes that cost points
Scope memos frequently cite a general article about licensure instead of the state's own statute and rules. Another weakness is treating every kind of nutrition talk as either fully permitted or fully forbidden, missing the distinction between general information and individualized care. Students sometimes overlook exemptions, such as approved weight control programs, or ignore their conditions. Recommendations are often missing, leaving the reader with only a prohibition. Caveats about changes in the law are rarely included. If your state's dietetics law is the subject, locate the statute and the board's rules first, and our writers can help you apply them to your question. A memo that names exactly which features of the request trigger licensure is far easier for a manager to act on.
Get an NS106 Unit 3 example written to your instructions
Tell us which state and which practice question Unit 3 puts to you, and attach the instructions and rubric. A first scope memo built on that state's statute arrives free within 24-48h, with section numbers bracketed wherever a current citation has to be confirmed on your end. Your own jurisdiction research always takes precedence. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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- NS106 Unit 6: Seminar Reflection
- NS106 Unit 7: Resume and Cover Letter
- NS106 Unit 8: Career Portfolio
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- NS106 Unit 10: Career Synthesis Paper
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NS106 Unit 3 questions, answered
Which state should the memo cover?
Usually the state where you live or plan to practice, unless the prompt assigns one. Using your own state makes the memo useful beyond the course, since the answer will shape what roles you can take. If you plan to move, some instructors accept a second state in a brief comparison paragraph, but the main analysis should stay with one.
What if my state does not regulate nutrition at all?
Then the memo says so and shows how you know: cite the absence of a licensing statute, check whether any title protection exists, and note related laws that may still apply, such as rules on practicing medicine. A finding of little regulation is still a finding. Instructors tend to reward the documentation more than the answer itself.
Do I need to cite the actual statute?
In most sections, yes. The statute and the board's rules are the primary sources, and a memo resting on summaries tends to lose accuracy points. State legislature websites publish the code, and most boards link their rules directly. Quote the definition you are relying on and give its section number so a reader could find it in a minute.
Where can I find a free NS106 Unit 3 sample paper?
This page holds a complete Unit 3 scope of practice memo applying Ohio's dietetics law to meal plans for gym members, with margin notes and references.
May an unlicensed nutrition graduate in Ohio give general nutrition advice?
Ohio's law allows people without a license to provide general non-medical nutrition information, as defined in the board's rules, if they do not present themselves as licensed. Individualized care for a medical condition requires a license.