Definition
The role of a therapeutic dietitian is crucial to the importance of nutrition in helping physicians treat various diseases, particularly chronic conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity. Therefore, large hospitals strive to have a dietitian in every department.
Who Is A Therapeutic Dietitian?
They are responsible for assessing the patient’s nutritional status, planning a customised diet, and supervising its implementation.
The dietitian must be qualified in both theoretical and practical aspects; their role is essential alongside physicians in hospitals, clinics, and medical centres to assist in the treatment of illnesses.
Location of the Therapeutic Dietitian
As a therapeutic dietitian, you can work in various settings where your services are constantly needed, including:
- Hospitals, maternity wards and childcare centres, institutions for people with disabilities, nursing homes and boarding areas of schools and universities, restaurants, and food factories.
Relationship of the Dietitian with Physicians
Undoubtedly, the planned diet provided to the patient theatres a significant role in preventing chronic diseases. Therefore, physicians need to collaborate with a dietitian, especially in hospitals.
While the physician is primarily responsible for diagnosing and treating the patient’s condition, the specialist’s diet is essential to patient treatment, making it crucial for the physician to understand the specialist’s role and importance for both parties.
At the same time, the specialist should understand that the physician is the leader of the medical team for the patient’s treatment, including assistant physicians, nurses, dietitians, laboratory personnel, and radiologists, who follow the physician’s instructions and advice.
The physician’s part is to diagnose and treat the patient’s condition. The specialist collaborates with the physician to treat patients by developing appropriate nutritional programs tailored to each patient’s situation.
In other words, cooperation and coordination between the specialist and the physician govern their relationship. This benefits both the institution and the patient.
Functions of a Dietitian
Doctors and health officials, both in individual countries and in local and international organizations, have emphasised the need to standardise the job description of a therapeutic dietitian by defining their tasks, the most important of which are:
- Collaborating with physicians in hospitals, clinics, and medical centres.
- Preparing different diets according to the type, age, and weight of the patient.
- Supervising patient food services.
- Raising awareness about obesity, diabetes, and angina.
- Participating in scientific research.
- Analyzing foods and their components and identifying their risks and benefits.
- Providing dietary counseling.
- Educating the community, emphasising the role of therapeutic nutrition.
- Defining diets for patients undergoing hypnosis.
- Evaluating the patient’s nutritional status, including their medical and nutritional history, pathological signs, and laboratory tests.
Requirements for the Therapeutic Dietitian Position
After learning about the most important tasks of this specialist, you might think this position is simple and easy to perform. However, a dietitian must study this science both theoretically and practically, in addition to acquiring several skills, such as:
Exploring all aspects of science in a practical and theoretical manner.
Studying biochemistry and human physiology.
Being able to manage recent tests and data analysis.
The ability to address, in particular, patients’ psychological aspects.
An interest in critical and scientific research.
Teamwork skills.
Obtaining a science degree or certification.
Acquiring practical experience.
Training Courses
One of the requirements for a professional specialist is specialisation and practical experience to obtain the license that allows them to practice the profession.
Therefore, a student in fields such as medicine or agriculture may obtain a degree but lack practical experience, as most universities and higher education institutions do not provide practical training.
On the other hand, someone may be able to specialise, but they need both a degree and practical experience to obtain the license that allows them to practice in their field.
This is where the idea of scientific centres and educational academies originated. These institutions provide theoretical and practical training and enable their graduates to obtain accredited, documented certificates from international and governmental bodies, which facilitate their legal employment in the field at the largest hospitals and treatment centres.