What Do Dietitians Do?

Dietitians are qualified health professionals who:

• assess nutrition needs for individuals and groups
• provide nutrition advice to help people prevent and treat diseases
• educate health professionals and the public
• conduct research on food and nutrition
• set standards for food manufacturing and nutrition labeling in Ontario
• manage food service systems
  

Dietitians work in many settings including:

• Hospitals
• Food Industries
• Public Health Units
• Community Health Centres
• Private Clinics
• Fitness Clinics
• Home Care Agencies
• Other Health Care Facilities
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Schools, Colleges and Universities

Dietitians working at TBRHSC include:

Clinical Dietitians

Identify nutritional problems, assess the nutrition status of patients, develop care plans together with the health care team and monitor the effectiveness of nutrition intervention.

Administrative Dietitians

Manage Food & Nutrition Service Departments to ensure the safe, sanitary and cost effective preparation and distribution of meals and snacks.

TBRHSC Clinical Dietitians provide nutrition consultation for the following services:

• Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Renal
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Intensive Care
• Oncology
• Maternal and Child (Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Neonatal Intensive Care)
• Outpatient Counseling

What Can You Expect From Your Dietitian?

Dietitians are trained to provide the appropriate nutrition care and services in a respectful and courteous manner.

By law, only individuals who are registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario can practise in the Province using the titles ‘dietitian’, ‘registered dietitian’, and the abbreviation ‘RD’. Registered dietitians in Ontario must adhere to the rules and regulations set by the College of Dietitians.

Other people may provide you with nutrition advice. However, only ‘dietitians’ are held accountable by the College for their conduct, their care and nutrition advice they provide. Registered dietitians must comply with the standards set by the College.

How Do You Become a Dietitian?

To practise as a registered dietitian (RD) in Ontario, the requirements are as follows:

• Complete an accredited undergraduate university program or the equivalent in food and nutrition.
• Complete an accredited practical training program or the equivalent (e.g. an internship program, a two-year practicum, or a graduate degree program).
• Pass a standardized examination set by the College of Dietitians.
• Register with the College of Dietitians of Ontario.
• The College Registrar and the Registration Committee carefully review all applicants’ qualifications to ensure that the above requirements are met before a certificate of registration is issued

To contact a Registered Dietitian:

You can find a Registered Dietitian:

• In local hospitals
• at the local health unit
• in private practice (check the yellow pages)
• in government agencies
• in many food companies
  

For Reliable Food and Nutrition Information - Consult a Registered Dietitian (RD)

If you have been diagnosed by your physician with a disease/condition such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Obesity, Cancer, Allergies etc., which requires a special diet for treatment, be sure to ask for a referral to a Dietitian. A Dietitian can plan a diet suited to your particular lifestyle and nutritional needs.

Web-Reference Links:

Dietitians of Canada

FDA Home Page

American Diabetic Association

Ask the Dietitian

National Institute of Health

The Food Allergy Network

Vegetarian Society Fact Sheet

Eating + Activity Tracker

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