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.