Dieticians use recognised methodologies to critically appraise the evidence base which includes all forms of evidence and research to inform their advice.
Some dieticians work with organisations that provide food to the public. They may develop recipes and menus or develop new products and services.
The registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) the national regulatory body that ensures high standards of training, professional skills and client safety.
Working life
Working as Dietician will mean that you’ll take part in a variety of different tasks during your working day. These can include:
- Creating a safe environment for each service user
- Work with both healthy and sick service users
- Design menu plans to support nutritional needs
- Provide advice and guidance on nutrition
- Working as part of a team and also working using your own initiative
Dieticians work with people of all ages and support those who are experiencing:
- Digestive problems
- Weight problems
- HIV
- Eating disorders
- Wanting to improve their sports performance
- Allergys
Dieticians work in a variety of settings including:
- Acute hospitals
- Social Care settings
- Private Practice
- Community settings
Dieticians can work with service users on a one to one basis, in small groups or in larger groups depending on the clients specific need.
Dieticians work alongside other Allied Health Professionals, medical staff and other healthcare staff to support the wellbeing of a service user.
Requirements
Becoming a Dietician requires an approved undergraduate degree in Dietetics before undertaking an approved full or part time Masters degree in Dietetics which allows full registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
To access an undergraduate degree in Dietetics, you will need:
- Two or three A levels, including chemistry, maths or biology, along with five GCSEs (grades A to C or 4 to 9), including English language and maths
or equivalent qualifications
- BTEC, HND or HNC which includes science subjects
- Relevant T level
- Relevant NVQ
- Science-based access course
- Equivalent level Scottish or Irish qualifications
To access a postgraduate course you will normally be expected to hold an undergraduate honours degree which contains an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry.
Working as a Dietician will provide further opportunities to develop your career through apprenticeships and internal training in the future.
Degree apprenticeship route
For those interested in becoming a Dietician through an apprenticeship route, there are level 6 and level 7 apprenticeship programmes available for Dietetics.
Opportunities to access these apprenticeships are currently limited and you will need to apply for an apprentice post at a healthcare employer willing to support the programme initially.
If you do not already hold an undergraduate degree, you are also able to use the Dietetics apprenticeship pathway to train as a Dietician. For this route, you would need to be employed as a therapy assistant with a dietician team first before being able to access this training.
Personal characteristics
To work successfully as a Dietician, you need to consider your own personal characteristics. You would need to have the following attributes or similar:
- Be resilient and open to new ways of working
- Be interested in food and nutrition
- Be able to work with a variety of different people from differing backgrounds and experiences
- Be creative and resourceful
- Have an interest in lifestyle choices and the influences on these
Skills required
To work successfully as a Dietician, you need to consider the skills that you have. You would need to demonstrate the following:
- Be well organised and able to plan your time
- Be able to communicate with a variety of people using different methods
- Be able to explain complex information in an understandable way
Training and development opportunities
Once qualified and registered as an Allied Health Professional Dietician, you can continue to develop your career over time.
You could specialise in working with a particular client group such as children, the elderly or those with underlying illnesses. You may prefer to specialise in a particular health issue such as diabetes or obesity.
Other development opportunities within Dietetics include becoming a senior or consultant Dietetic specialist who manages the work of a team of therapists.
Once you are qualified you are also eligible to enrol with the British Dietetic Association who offer further development opportunities, email updates and networking opportunities so that you can continue to learn from others who work in the same role as you.
Pay and benefits
Dieticians in the NHS usually work 37.5 hours a week however depending on the setting and the service users, you could be required to work evenings, weekends or flexibly over 7 days.
Dieticians are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and will typically start their career on AfC band 5 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Dieticians working for Social Care and community settings will be paid according to the employer they work for and the remuneration for the role should always be shown on their job advert. Other benefits of working as a Dietician include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as a Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.