Dietitians | Te Tai Tokerau (Northland)

Public Service, Allied Health, Dietitian

Description

What is a Dietitian?
Dietitians are registered health practitioners who evaluate scientific evidence about food and nutrition and translate it into practical strategies.

Dietitians use their dietetic knowledge, skills, and judgement in a variety of contexts, which includes promoting and protecting public health, directing and delivering medical nutrition therapy services, and managing food and health systems. They may perform a variety of functions, including direct clinical roles, policy development, leadership, management, research, education, and communication roles.

Dietitians are accountable for ensuring that their practice is consistent with the Dietitians Board’s competency requirements, Code of Ethics and Conduct, and relevant legislation. Dietitians with a prescribing endorsement are able to prescribe special foods and approved nutrition-related medicines.

Inpatient Dietitian Services

The primary focus of the hospital dietitians is to support the service requirements of hospital inpatients and their treatment while in hospital. Patients will be referred as appropriate to a dietitian for specialised input during their admission. The dietitian will assess and recommend nutritional treatment to support the medical management of the patient.

Outpatient Dietitian Services

Some people require nutrition assessment and monitoring in an outpatient setting. Clinic appointments or home visits (as required) may be appropriate. Outpatient clinics are offered at Whangārei Hospital and regionally around Northland.

Referral Expectations

Usually the dietitian will spend up to an hour with you on your first visit (and about 30 minutes for follow-up sessions). The dietitian can answer your nutrition related questions and concerns and provide you with information on how nutrition relates to your health conditions and what changes might improve your health. The dietitian will review your medical notes, blood results and talk with you about your usual meal habits, exercise and activity and what concerns you have. The dietitian will then work with you and your whānau to help you identify nutrition and lifestyle changes that will fit in with your life and support optimal health.

Work together with the dietitian by:

Letting the dietitian know what you would like to achieve and if you have any concerns
Telling us as much as you can about the foods and drinks you choose to have and how these fit in with your lifestyle
Telling us about how you are going with the changes and what is helping you, or making change harder
Asking about the things you don’t understand or are unsure of
Letting us know if you have difficulty understanding the written and/or spoken information