Valerie Hawkins-King

Educational Background:

Volunteer State Community College -Associate of Science, Dietetic Tech/Food Service Management
Tennessee State University -Bachelor of Science
NHC, National HealthCorp-Dietetic Internship

Number of Years in Dietetics:

Too many years to mention! Practically all of my adult life. Starting out as a part time Dietary Aide at Vanderbilt Hospital while in High School to Foodservice Management to Clinical Dietitian/ Consultant and now Private Practice.

Current Position:

I am honored and privileged to work in several areas of practice. I work with people who are physically and mentally challenged and also involved in nutritional counseling with people infected with HIV and AIDS. Aside from this I am starting a new business venture with a local medical clinic in Donelson working in Private Practice. Whenever opportunity calls I enjoy writing newspaper articles and doing public talks on a variety of nutritional topics .

Describe Your Current Job Position(s) and Role:

Working as an inpatient Clinical RD I perform many of the traditional duties such as nutritional assessments, progress notes, attending meetings and the like. In doing outpatient and community work as a Consultant RD and private practitioner, sometimes it is necessary to take on non traditional roles. When working in a variety of positions, you take on such roles as business person, negotiator and marketer of your skills (just to name a few).

Most Challenging Aspects of Your Job(s):

There are many challenges in my jobs but each challenge has its own reward. Developing my own successful practice is probably my biggest challenge. Marketing my business is probably on the hardest things to do. Why? Because you not only have to target your clients but you must continually remind them on the benefits they receive by coming to you. Remember nutrition is big business and attracts many people into our field. The other big challenge is Third Party Reimbursement for Dietitians and marketing to Insurers.

Future of Dietitians:

The future and window of opportunities for Dietitians is wide open. Nutrition remains a hot topic and generates lots of money. This makes it very exciting for our profession! The other side of this however is that the nutrition market is saturated with information, much of which, is not being generated by us. Nevertheless, I believe that there is always a need for good sound nutritional advice from Dietitians. I like to think of myself as a "thermostat" who sets the temperature instead of a "thermometer" who measure it.

Fun Hobbies/Activities:

I like to have fun in almost everything I do, even in my work. Loving people and spending time with people brings me lots of joy. Developing creativity in my work and at home is also fulfilling to me. We were recently blessed with our first grandchild. I enjoy playing with him and watching him smile. For hobbies I enjoy reading, quiet walks with my husband and attending church. My faith is very important to me.

Valerie's Insight:

As we look to new career opportunities and challenges, I believe it is very important that Dietitians become and stay involved with our local and state Dietetic Associations. We need to support each other as much as possible. Sharing from each other and learning from others is extremely helpful. Working together can change things. I have personally been blessed by staying connected to other Dietitians and being involved within our organizations.