Registered Dietitian Exam Review: Comprehensive Vocabulary

Comprehensive practice vocabulary flashcards covering financial monitoring, administrative management theories, research design and statistics, clinical MNT, and food systems operations for Registered Dietitian exam preparation.

Operating Budget

A short-term financial plan created yearly that projects the activities of a company in buying, selling, and paying bills on an annual basis, showing revenues and expenses for the upcoming fiscal year.

Cash Budget

A budget set for at least one year (or any suitable timeframe) that projects the inflow and outflow of cash over time to determine cash availability when needed, show cash flow imbalances, and protect against seasonal swings.

Capital Budget

A long-term financial plan spanning $1\text{ to }3\,\text{years}$ used for major, cash-intensive projects—such as constructing new facilities, buying major equipment, or financing significant improvements—that affect the long-term assets section of the balance sheet.

Incremental Budget

A budgeting approach that uses the existing budget as a base and adds adjustments for inflation and expected cost increases.

Zero-Based Budget

A budgeting method that begins at $\$0$ and requires every single expense to be justified from scratch for the new period.

Flexible Budget

A budget designed to adjust and change based on fluctuations in sales volume or operational activity, involving the preparation of multiple budget scenarios.

Fixed Budget

A static budget that allocates a set amount of money regardless of changes in sales or volume, prepared as a single unalterable plan.

Performance Budget

A budget that outlines the specific costs necessary to execute a particular project or program (e.g., redoing office carpeting).

Indirect Costs

Fixed costs that are not affected by sales volume (e.g., rent, insurance, website fees, and Wi-Fi).

Direct Costs

Variable costs directly tied to sales volume and production (e.g., direct labor, takeout containers, materials, and repairs).

Semi-Variable Costs

Expenses that contain both fixed and variable cost components (e.g., an annual software platform fee plus a percentage charge on each sale).

Sunk Costs

Expenses that have already been incurred in the past and cannot be recovered by any future action.

Differential Costs

The difference in cost between two or more alternative business options or choices.

Cash Basis Accounting

An accounting method where revenue is recorded only when cash is received, expenses are recorded when cash is paid, and income is taxed only when cash is received.

Accrual Basis Accounting

An accounting method where revenue is recorded when earned and expenses are recorded when incurred, regardless of when cash changes hands.

General Ledger

A centralized financial record of a company's transactions, tracking its income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and owner's equity.

Profit and Loss Statement

Also called an income statement, a financial report that summarizes total revenues, total expenses, and net profit over a defined timeframe.

Liquidity Ratio

A financial metric comparing assets to liabilities to evaluate a company's capacity to settle its short-term debt obligations; a ratio of $1$ or less indicates difficulty paying obligations.

Solvency Ratio

A financial metric that measures whether a company's total assets cover commitments for future payments, evaluating its ability to satisfy long-term debt obligations.

Inventory Turnover Ratio

A measure of how frequently inventory is utilized and replaced, calculated as COGS divided by average inventory, with a target goal of $2\text{ to }4$. Ratios below $2$ indicate capital tied up in stock; high ratios warrant investigation for potential theft or shortages.

Gross Profit

The remaining profit calculated as total sales minus the cost of sales ($\text{Gross Profit} = \text{Total Sales} - \text{Cost of Sales}$).

Net Profit

The final profit remaining after deducting all operating expenses and deductions from gross profit ($\text{Net Profit} = \text{Gross Profit} - \text{Deductions}$).

Profit Margin

A financial ratio expressed as a percentage that evaluates profit earned relative to revenue, reflecting the profit generated per dollar of revenue.

Value Analysis

A standardized assessment procedure ($\text{Value} = \frac{\text{Function}}{\text{Cost}}$) that identifies the lowest-cost method to achieve product functions while ensuring maximum worth and performance.

Accounts Receivable

Money owed to an organization by customers or clients for products or services delivered that have not yet been paid for.

Owner's Equity

The monetary value of a business or property remaining after deducting all associated debts and liabilities.

Meal Equivalent

A financial conversion measure representing the average cost of one meal, used to determine the total number of meals served from overall sales revenue.

Systems Approach

A holistic, interdisciplinary framework that views organizations as collections of interconnected components (subsystems, inputs, transformations, outputs, and linking processes) to resolve complex operational problems.

Functions of Management

The core administrative activities comprising Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling.

Span of Control

The number of direct reports supervised by a manager, defining whether an organization is structured as a tall hierarchy (narrow span) or a flat hierarchy (wide span).

Nominal Group Technique

A structured problem-identification and decision-making technique where participants generate ideas individually, share and discuss them, and cast individual votes so that all opinions are considered.

Delphi Technique

An interactive, structured forecasting technique that gathers expert opinions and reaches consensus across sequential rounds of questionnaires without participants meeting face-to-face.

Degree of Authority

The specific level of power, influence, and decision-making control granted to a designated position within an organizational structure.

Queueing Theory

A mathematical management technique that evaluates customer flow to achieve an optimal balance between service line wait times and the cost required to prevent queuing.

Interpersonal Roles of Management

Managerial duties focused on interactions with others, characterized by roles as a figurehead, leader, or liaison.

Informational Roles of Management

Managerial duties focused on communication and data, wherein the manager acts as a monitor, disseminator, or spokesperson.

Decisional Roles of Management

Managerial responsibilities focused on strategic choices, wherein the manager acts as an entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, or negotiator.

Transformational Leadership

A leadership approach that inspires, motivates, and trusts trained employees to assume authority over decisions without micromanagement, promoting innovation and future-focused problem solving.

Transactional Leadership

A management approach founded on strict formal authority, defined controls, standardized processes, and transactional reward/punishment systems.

Scalar Principle

The management principle stating that organizational authority must be clearly defined and flow directly through an unbroken chain of command, one link at a time.

Motion Economy

The workplace practice of designing movements and workflows to maximize efficiency, eliminate unnecessary motion, and conserve physical energy while performing tasks.

Conceptual Skills

The cognitive capability to visualize the organization as a whole, grasp complex situations, and formulate comprehensive strategic plans.

Reward Power

The capacity to motivate employees by providing positive incentives or rewards for successful job completion.

Coercive Power

The ability to enforce compliance by threatening or applying disciplinary punishment when expectations are not met.

Referent Power

Influence derived from the respect, admiration, charisma, or personal identification that subordinates hold for a leader.

Position Power

Authority that originates strictly from an individual's official rank, job title, and formal status within an organization.

Expert Power

Influence that arises when a person possesses specialized skills, unique knowledge, or expertise that others lack.

Autocratic Leadership

A directive leadership style where the manager retains all decision-making power, commands subordinates directly, and does not incorporate employee input.

Democratic Leadership

A collaborative leadership style where decisions are made by the group and determined by majority consensus.

Participatory Leadership

A leadership approach in which the manager solicits employee advice and feedback and actively considers their input before making the final decision.

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory

A motivational theory differentiating Hygiene/Maintenance factors (supervision, salary, company policy, and working conditions, which prevent dissatisfaction but do not motivate) from Motivators (achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth, which actively drive job satisfaction).

McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y

A management theory contrasting Theory X (an authoritarian, repressive belief that workers inherently dislike work, require strict supervision, and avoid responsibility) with Theory Y (a developmental belief that employees find satisfaction in work, seek self-direction, and flourish when empowered).

Ouchi's Theory Z

A management philosophy blending Western management with Japanese practices, emphasizing employee loyalty, lifetime employment, participatory decision-making, and holistic employee well-being.

McClelland's Theory of Needs

A motivational model proposing that individuals possess varying levels of three basic needs: Need for Achievement ($\text{nACH}$), Need for Power ($\text{nPOW}$), and Need for Affiliation ($\text{nAFF}$).

Hawthorne Studies

Seminal workplace behavioral studies demonstrating that employee productivity increases when workers receive special managerial attention, experience open communication, and operate within cohesive informal social groups.

Vroom's Expectancy Theory

A motivation theory establishing that employee motivation depends on the sequential belief that effort leads to performance, performance yields a reward, and the offered reward is personally valued ($\text{Effort} \rightarrow \text{Performance} \rightarrow \text{Reward}$).

Management by Objectives

A collaborative management system (MBO) where leaders and employees mutually agree upon specific performance objectives and develop action plans to achieve them, aligning goals across the enterprise.

Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid

A leadership assessment framework plotting concern for people against concern for production across a scale from $1$ to $9$, characterizing styles including Impoverished ($1,1$), Country Club ($1,9$), Produce or Perish ($9,1$), Middle-of-the-Road ($5,5$), and Team Management ($9,9$).

Pareto Analysis

A decision-making tool based on the $80/20$ rule, asserting that approximately $80\%$ of outcomes or benefits originate from $20\%$ of inputs or activities.

Gantt Chart

A visual project scheduling tool that lists specific tasks on the vertical axis and plots scheduled duration, timelines, and milestones along the horizontal axis.

PERT Chart

A Program Evaluation Review Technique diagram showing task sequences, dependencies, milestones (nodes), and critical timelines required to execute a project.

SWOT Analysis

A strategic planning technique that analyzes internal Strengths and Weaknesses along with external Opportunities and Threats.

Halo Effect Error

A performance appraisal bias in which an evaluator's generalized impression of a single positive or prominent personality trait improperly inflates ratings across all areas of performance.

Central Tendency Error

An appraisal rating error where an evaluator rates all workers near the middle of the scale (e.g., rating everyone $2.5$ out of $5$), avoiding extremes.

Union Steward

An elected, unpaid employee representative who advocates for coworkers during grievance procedures and meetings with management, with dedicated work hours allocated for union business.

Agency Shop

A union security arrangement in which employees are not required to join the union, but non-members must still pay a service fee to cover collective bargaining representation costs.

Perpetual Inventory Reporting

An inventory management system that continuously updates balances in real time as stock items are added or withdrawn.

FADE Model

A four-step quality improvement cycle consisting of: Focus (select the process to improve), Act (collect and evaluate data), Develop (formulate an action plan), and Execute (implement the plan).

Sentinel Event

An unexpected healthcare event resulting in death or serious physical or psychological harm to a patient, unrelated to the natural progression of illness; classified as a "never event."

Family and Medical Leave Act

A federal law (FMLA) requiring covered private employers with at least $50$ employees to offer up to $12\,\text{weeks}$ of job-protected, unpaid leave annually for qualified medical and family events.

Campinha-Bacote Model of Cultural Competence

A conceptual model defining cultural competence in healthcare through five dynamic concepts: (1) cultural awareness, (2) cultural knowledge, (3) cultural skill, (4) cultural encounters, and (5) cultural desire.

Consent Agenda

A grouping of routine, non-controversial board meeting items that are approved collectively in a single motion without separate debate.

Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool

A clinical screening tool (MUST) that stratifies adult malnutrition risk based on three parameters: current BMI, percentage of unplanned weight loss over the past $3\text{ to }6\,\text{months}$, and the presence of acute disease resulting in zero nutrient intake for greater than $5\,\text{days}$.

International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative

A global standardized terminology framework (IDDSI) categorizing texture-modified foods (Levels $3\text{ to }7$) and thickened liquids (Levels $0\text{ to }4$) to ensure patient safety across healthcare settings.

Braden Scale

A clinical assessment tool used to predict pressure ulcer risk based on six criteria: sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction/shear.

Subjective Global Assessment

A validated nutrition assessment method (SGA) that assesses patient nutritional status based on medical history, dietary intake, gastrointestinal symptoms, functional capacity, physical exam findings, edema, and weight loss history.

Fried Criteria

A diagnostic framework for physical frailty requiring at least three of five signs: unintentional weight loss ($\ge 10\,\text{pounds}$ in $1\,\text{year}$), muscle weakness (lowest $20\%$ grip strength), self-reported exhaustion, slow walking speed (slowest $20\%$ in $15\,\text{feet}$ timed walk), and low physical activity.

Ranson's Criteria

Clinical parameters used to evaluate the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis on hospital admission: age $> 70\,\text{years}$, WBC $> 18{,}000\,\text{cells/cmm}$, blood glucose $> 220\,\text{mg/dL}$ ($> 12.2\,\text{mmol/L}$), serum AST $> 250\,\text{IU/L}$, and serum LDH $> 400\,\text{IU/L}$.

Prothrombin Time

A coagulation lab test (PT) measuring how quickly blood forms a clot; vitamin K intake shortens PT, whereas anticoagulant medications lengthen it.

Embolic Stroke

An ischemic cerebrovascular event caused when a blood clot formed elsewhere in the vascular system breaks loose, travels to the brain, and obstructs blood supply.

Prader-Willi Syndrome

A genetic condition caused by chromosome 15 deletion characterized by elevated ghrelin levels, uncontrollable hyperphagia, increased growth hormone secretion, and high risk of obesity.

Dawn Phenomenon

An early-morning rise in blood glucose levels occurring between $4\,\text{a.m.}$ and $8\,\text{a.m.}$ in individuals with diabetes, caused by nocturnal neuroendocrine hormone surges.

The 15:15 Rule

A hypoglycemia treatment protocol advising that if blood sugar drops below $70\,\text{mg/dL}$, consume $15\,\text{g}$ of simple carbohydrates and recheck levels in $15\,\text{minutes}$.

Cholecystokinin

A digestive peptide hormone (CCK) released by the small intestine that stimulates gallbladder bile contraction, prompts pancreatic enzyme secretion, slows gastric emptying, and induces satiety.

Hiatal Hernia

An anatomical defect where a portion of the stomach protrudes upward through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity.

Portal Hypertension

Abnormally high hydrostatic pressure within the portal venous system that shunts blood from the intestines and spleen to the liver, frequently causing ascites and esophageal varices.

Ascites

The pathological accumulation of protein-containing fluid within the peritoneal cavity, commonly resulting from portal hypertension, advanced liver cirrhosis, or abdominal malignancies.

Paracentesis

A medical procedure wherein a needle or catheter is inserted into the peritoneal space to aspirate ascitic fluid for diagnostic testing or therapeutic decompression.

Cachexia

A profound wasting syndrome associated with chronic systemic disease characterized by involuntary progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without fat depletion.

Ebb Phase

The immediate hypometabolic response following trauma or severe injury, marked by decreased oxygen consumption, reduced body temperature, suppressed insulin levels, hyperglycemia, and hyperactivation of stress hormones.

Bacterial Translocation

The passage of viable enteric bacteria from the intestinal tract lumen across damaged mucosal barriers into mesenteric lymph nodes, systemic circulation, and other organs.

Gastric Residual Volume

The quantity of fluid remaining in the stomach, measured intermittently during enteral tube feeding to monitor gastric emptying and tolerance.

Peritoneal Dialysis

A renal replacement modality where a sterile dialysate solution is instilled into the abdominal cavity, utilizing the vascular peritoneal membrane as a semipermeable filter to clear metabolic wastes and excess fluid.

Enteral Formula Osmolarity Guidelines

The solute concentration of medical liquid feeds relative to isotonic body fluids (~$300\,\text{mOsm/kg}$), where standard $1.0\,\text{kcal/mL}$ formulas provide $300\text{--}350\,\text{mOsm/kg}$, $1.2\,\text{kcal/mL}$ formulas range from $400\text{--}450\,\text{mOsm/kg}$, $1.5\,\text{kcal/mL}$ formulas range from $500\text{--}650\,\text{mOsm/kg}$, and concentrated $2.0\,\text{kcal/mL}$ formulas yield $700\text{--}800\,\text{mOsm/kg}$.

Rule of Nines

A clinical estimation method that divides the body into anatomical sections assigned multiples of $9\%$ to calculate total burned body surface area ($\text{TBSA}$) for fluid resuscitation.

National Provider Identifier

A permanent, unique 10-digit identification number (NPI) mandated by HIPAA for healthcare providers to process electronic billing, insurance claims, and provider credentialing.

Superbill

A comprehensive, itemized document issued after a clinical encounter containing provider practice data, client information, CPT procedure codes, and ICD-10 diagnostic codes for third-party insurance reimbursement.

Non-Entitlement Program

A public assistance program where participant enrollment is capped by finite budgetary funding rather than open eligibility (e.g., WIC).

Formative Evaluation

Assessment conducted while a program is in the design or pilot testing stages to verify its feasibility, instructional quality, and operational delivery prior to full implementation.

PRECEDE-PROCEED Model

A public health planning framework used to structure, implement, and evaluate community health interventions. PRECEDE addresses educational diagnosis (Predisposing, Reinforcing, Enabling Constructs); PROCEED addresses policy and environmental execution (Policy, Regulatory, Organizational Constructs).