Dietitian
Dietitians translate scientific information about nutrition into practical advice to help people make health-conscious decisions about food.
They also assess, diagnose and treat diet related problems and aim to raise awareness of the link between food and health to prevent future problems.
Many dietitians work in the National Health Service (NHS) (see NHS Careers ), where their role is varied. They may focus on specialist areas, such as diabetes or children's health, and may also work in community settings. Other dietitians work in the food industry, sport, the media, education and research.
Work activities vary widely between individual jobs and the areas of employment. For example, community dietitians and those working in public health may see a much wider range of patients in a variety of settings.
The activities a dietitian may be involved in include:
Dietitians must be registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) in order to practice. There are two ways to become registered:
There are currently 14 universities offering HPC approved degrees and eight universities offering the postgraduate diploma. Details of the institutions are available on the British Dietetic Association (BDA) website.
The approved degree is usually a full-time course that lasts four years, while the postgraduate diploma is two years long. Both routes include practical training in a hospital or community setting.
To be accepted on to the postgraduate diploma candidates must have a relevant degree that contains an adequate level of human physiology and biochemistry. Contact individual institutions to find out further detail about their entry requirements.
Entry without an approved degree or postgraduate diploma is only available at the level of a dietetic assistant. From here your employer may support you in studying for a degree or professional qualification to then become a dietitian.
An interest in and knowledge of the scientific aspects of food is only one part of dietetics. A desire to communicate healthy eating information to a wide range of audiences and promote healthy food choices is also important. Candidates will also need to show evidence of the following:
Try to visit a dietetic unit before applying for a course as this is expected by some universities. It will be helpful in giving you an idea of the what the work will be like before you start down that route.
It is also useful to try to get some voluntary or paid work experience in a related hospital setting to indicate your interest and understanding of the area. This may prove advantageous when applying for courses and later on for jobs.
NHS grants may be available for approved courses. Check NHS Student Bursaries for details. Bursary-funded places are limited so it is advisable to apply early. In Scotland, you should also contact the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) ; in Wales, NHS (Wales) Student Awards Unit ; and in Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) , as well as the institution to which you are applying, to check what funding you could claim. Contact course providers for further information on funding.
Competition is moderate: there is generally a good match between numbers applying and jobs available. It is not usually worth applying speculatively for jobs in the NHS, as most are advertised.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
It is essential that registered dietitians keep up to date with developments and research in their area. Dietitians are regulated by the Health Professions Council (HPC) and are also required by them to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) which needs to be evidenced.
Registered dietitians can become full members of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) , which runs regular post-registration training in a variety of subjects. Sessions are usually organised by special interest groups within the association and focus on areas of expertise. Food manufacturers also offer courses for dietitians about new products, and these are sometimes run via BDA branches.
The BDA also offers the Advanced Dietetic Practice Diploma, which is also available as a Masters, certificate or as individual modules. This is a post-registration qualification that meets the BDA’s requirements for work-based learning and research skills, as well as contributing towards CPD.
A Professional Development Award is also offered by the BDA, which is a five-year programme that provides dietitians with a way to evidence their CPD. See the BDA website for further details.
In conjunction with the Agenda for Change , there is a Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF), which sets out the minimum knowledge and skills required for dietitian (and other healthcare) roles and how these should develop. Career progression depends on your being able to provide evidence of meeting these standards.
In the NHS, there are clearly defined roles, starting with a basic grade dietitian at band 5, moving to the dietitian specialist role at band 6 and then the more advanced roles at band 7. The path you choose will depend on your career interests, e.g. working in a community-based role in patients’ homes or at a GP clinic. You may decide to specialise in a specific area such as gastroenterology or with a specific group, such as children.
Dietitians with experience may progress to a management level where they will have responsibility for a team, department and budget.
Dietitians in the food and drink industry can move into product development and marketing roles. Some dietitians take further training and move into teaching and research and there are also opportunities in sport, public relations, scientific research and journalism.
Dietitians can also become self-employed, which would give you the flexibility to choose how your career develops according to your interests. This might involve working for organisations such as the NHS on a freelance basis in combination with other activities, for example, writing for health publications.
The National Health Service (NHS) is the major employer of dietitians who work either in hospitals for acute NHS trusts or in the community for Primary Care Trusts. There are also increasing openings in the private health care sector.
Dietitians also work for:
Other opportunities exist in the voluntary sector and with international relief agencies. Additional qualifications may be necessary for working abroad, as British dietetic qualifications are not necessarily globally recognised.
Some dietitians work freelance and are listed on Dietitians Unlimited , which is run by the Freelance Dietitians specialist group of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) .
There are a number of recruitment agencies that recruit for dietitian posts. See the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) for specialist agencies.
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