Dietitian Duties & Responsibilities
The role and function of a Dietitian includes the following duties and responsibilities:
- Educating and advising a wide range of patients with diet-related disorders on the practical ways in which they can improve their health by adopting healthier eating habits;
- Delivering group sessions to a variety of audiences, including children and patient groups;
- Calculating patients’ nutritional requirements using standard equations based on assessments of blood chemistry, temperature, stress, mobility and other relevant factors;
- Preparing information packs, flyers and other promotional materials;
- Educating other healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, biochemists, social workers, care workers and community workers) about food and nutrition issues;
- Advising athletes and sportspersons on how diet can optimise performance and recovery from injury;
- Educating sportspersons to understand the physiology and biochemistry of different types of exercise and the role nutrition has in these processes;
- Writing reports and case notes and maintaining accurate records;carrying out visits to people’s homes, including nursing homes;
- Working as part of a multidisciplinary team in hospitals or in a community setting to gain patients’ cooperation in following recommended dietary treatments;
- Advising the food and pharmaceutical industry.
- Analysing the nutritional content of food (including new products, if you work in the food industry);
- Advising hospital catering departments about the specific dietary requirements of patients;
- Running clinics in hospital outpatients departments or general practitioners’ (GP) surgeries for patients who have been referred by hospital consultants, GPs or health visitors;
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Dietitian duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Dietitian roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.
