A Calorie Controlled Career - The Dietician
We all need food in order to live. And many of us, to achieve an acceptable quality of life, also need advice and help to ensure that we have food, at the right times and in the right amounts.
A combination of clinical and nutritional expertise enables the dietician to assess each patient's dietary needs. To this knowledge base, the successful dietician must add the skill of establishing an individual rapport with each patient to enable appropriate advice to be understood and accepted.
Dieticians may be based in clinical or community settings. Their patients and clients come from every age group and from all walks of life. While some dieticians choose to specialise in the treatment of, say children or people with renal disease, others continue to whose need for dietary advice may be vital, important or simply desirable.
Some very sick patients are unable to take food by mouth. Then the dietician's expertise is required to formulate an appropriate liquid feed, conditions, such as and the dietician continues to provide support and advice relevant to the patient's lifestyle. For other patients, pregnant women for example, the dietician may need to offer appropriate advice for a comparatively short time. You must be over 18 years of age (17 in Scotland). There are two routes to qualification as a dietician. You can either take a four-year degree course at a polytechnic or university offering the subject or, after a first degree in another, appropriate subject such as nutrition or biochemistry a two-year post-graduate course.
To start a degree course in dietetics, you will normally be expected to have obtained two A level passes, in chemistry and one other science or mathematics. Two AS level passes may be offered as an alternative to one A level. English and mathematics at GCSE.
Remember, however, that colleges and universities consider each applicant individually and other qualifications may be acceptable, such as the BTEC National Diploma in science with a pass in chemistry at level 3 or an Access course in science. There are many courses offered at institutions of higher education in the UK. You should write to the institutions of your choice for further information.
Personal Qualities
You should enjoy communicating with people from all walks of life. If you are able to explain complex things in a simple manner and can encourage people to take your advice, you could become an excellent dietician. You will need an understanding, non-judgemental approach. Patience and a sense of humour help you rise to the demands of the job. Good writing skills are also an advantage, as dieticians produce leaflets, articles and teaching packs as well as writing reports and letters. You should be committed to using scientific knowledge to improve the quality of people's lives. If you are interested in pursuing a career as a dietician, it might help you to speak to a local hospital dietetic department where you will be able to learn about the work of dieticians.
Training
Training is a mixture of theory and practice. Academic subjects studied include human nutrition and dietetics, food and catering studies, sociology and psychology, biochemistry physiology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and medicine. Just as important, you will acquire interviewing and communication skills, and study management to equip you for the responsibility you will have as a qualified dietician.
During training all students spend 31 weeks in a clinical practical placement in the NHS, applying their theory in a health care setting under the supervision of qualified staff. When you have qualified, in order to practise in the NHS as a State Registered Dietician, you must register with the Dieticians Board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.
Career Prospects
The NHS Nutrition and Dietetic Service offers a wide range of experience within hospital and community settings. You can expect to be given responsibility early in your career and the chances of promotion within two years are good. To gain further promotion you may have to be prepared to move around the country.
As you gain experience you may choose to remain in a general post offering a variety of work or to specialise in, for example, oncology or gastroenterology. Or you may choose to work within the community with elderly people, or with people with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
There is plenty of opportunity for continuing education. The specialist groups of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) offer a variety of BDA validated courses for dieticians who want to increase their knowledge of particular areas. Many dieticians are involved in training student dieticians and seek a job which will give them training responsibilities.
Promotion to chief dietician offers the responsibility of managing a team of dieticians and further progress to a more senior management post, following management training, involves controlling finances and planning a dietetic service. There is every opportunity for you to pursue the career best suited to your individual strengths and interest.
Further Information
Information on dieticians training courses and entry requirements are available from:
British Dietetic Association: www.bda.uk.com/
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