Careers: Paediatric dietitian

What qualifications are needed to become a paediatric dietitian?
Dietitians need to hold a Health and Care Professions Council-approved undergraduate degree, postgraduate diploma or master’s in dietetics. All courses are full-time and take three or four years (BSc) or two years (PgDip and MSc) to complete.

Most students looking to enrol on an undergraduate degree course will require at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, including maths and English, and A-levels, or the equivalent, in at least two science subjects, including chemistry or biology. For a postgraduate programme, students need to hold a degree that contains an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry learning. Once graduated, dietitians need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council in order to practice.

There are no specific qualifications required to work with children and young people, although the master’s degree does contain relevant modules such as neonatal work. Students may undertake placements with a paediatric slant during their degree course, but many undergo on-the-job training. Previous experience working in a school or children’s centre is useful.

Melanie Rendall, paediatric dietitian and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, says: “Most people start out working with adults then choose to specialise in children.”

Rendall recommends shadowing paediatric dietitians to gain background knowledge.

What children do dietitians work with?
Dietitians can be based in hospitals or in the community. In hospitals they may work with children and young people with a wide range of issues, from premature babies who need nutritional support to teenagers with severe eating disorders. They can also work with children with cancer, cystic fibrosis or those who are unable to eat because of trauma. Dietitians will work on wards and run outpatient clinics, perhaps as part of a specialist allergy team.

In community clinics, which may be based within GP surgeries or children’s centres, dietitians support children and young people with issues such as obesity, faltering growth, fussy eating, allergies and, increasingly, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. “Vitamin D deficiency is an issue that is coming up at the moment, and iron deficiency is a big one as well,” says Rendall.

Dietitians will assess a child’s diet and make recommendations after children are referred by professionals including doctors, health visitors and speech and language therapists.

What specific skills do paediatric dietitians need?
“Communication skills and the ability to build a rapport with children and their families are essential,” says Rendall. “As dietitians, our three core skills are genuineness, empathy and acceptance.”

Dietitians also need to establish good relations with other professionals as they will work closely with other health professionals and social workers. “It is important to be able to exchange information with other professionals,” says Rendall.

“By doing so, you might spot things that you wouldn’t otherwise.”

Rendall says dietitians also need a good knowledge base and the ability to expand that. “You are always going to come across something that you have not seen before – you have to know when to do more research before jumping in to something,” she explains.

What is the jobs market like?
The British Dietetic Association reports that job opportunities for dietitians are “good”. Dietitians are enjoying a higher profile than previously, says Rendall. Clinical guidelines now recommend the involvement of dietitians where relevant, for example in recent guidelines on obesity in mothers-to-be.

Initiatives such as Healthy Schools and Change4Life have also raised awareness of the issues that dietitians tackle.  “There are more opportunities, but they may be with the private sector rather than the NHS,” Rendall says. “In the NHS, there is the same struggle with cuts and funding as with other professions, but it is still a competitive sector. A lot of dietitians are starting to practice privately, perhaps working with food companies, or engaging in health promotion on a self-employed basis.”

What about the salary and hours?
Dietitians usually work Monday to Friday, on average 37.5 hours per week. They may be required to work shifts or weekends.

A newly qualified dietitian starting work in the NHS can expect a salary of £21,176 (NHS Band 5).


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