This website has been designed to provide educational content for Healthcare Professionals and Allied Healthcare Professionals in Ireland and Northern Ireland only.
CELEBRATING
Dietitians Week
1-5 June 2026
More than just a job.
Ella Byrne, Clinical Nutrition Student and Martina Rea, Registered Dietitian and Enteral Nutrition Product Manager discuss How Dietitians in Ireland and Northern Ireland make nutrition plans work in the real world.
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Martina Rea
Registered Dietitian & Enteral Nutrition Product Manager
Ella Byrne
Clinical Nutrition Student
How Dietitians in Ireland and Northern Ireland make nutrition plans work in the real world
Every day dietitians across Ireland and Northern Ireland work within clear governance and regulatory frameworks. These include CORU registration and INDI statutory professional standards in the Republic of Ireland, and HCPC governance alongside British Dietetic Association guidance in Northern Ireland. Together, they set high expectations for clinical accountability, patient safety and evidence-based practice.
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Within these frameworks, dietitians adapt evidence-based nutrition care to patients’ real lives—so plans are clinically sound, person-centred and more likely to be followed.
Creativity grounded in evidence, not risk
In dietetics, innovation doesn’t mean stepping outside guidelines — it’s about how evidence is applied, communicated and embedded into real life.
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National nutrition guidelines, clinical pathways and standards provide the foundation for this. The creativity lies in translating these into plans that reflect patients’ lived realities: cultural food preferences, functional ability, appetite, social support, health literacy and access to services. A compliant nutrition prescription that a patient cannot follow delivers little value; dietitians recognise that adherence is as critical as accuracy.
Turning guidance into something patients can live with
Dietitians across Ireland and Northern Ireland excel at translating complex nutritional targets into practical, familiar and culturally relevant actions. Instead of focusing on nutrients alone, they frame plans around real foods, local shopping options and typical meal patterns—whether for people living independently, in long-term care, or managing complex clinical conditions.
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Tailored plans strengthen standards because they improve engagement and follow-through. By meeting patients where they are, dietitians support adherence while staying aligned with professional and governance expectations.
The aim is better long-term adherence without compromising clinical integrity or governance.
Behaviour change as a clinical tool
Supporting behaviour change is a core part of dietetic practice – helping patients make nutritional plans work in real life. Alongside clinical assessment and nutritional science, dietitians are trained to use structured communication, motivational interviewing and shared decision-making to help patients understand priorities and set realistic goals.
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This approach shifts the focus from “non-compliance” to understanding barriers—physical, cognitive, emotional or social—and breaking guidance into manageable steps. The aim is better long-term adherence without compromising clinical integrity or governance.
Innovation through service redesign, not rule-breaking
Across both jurisdictions, dietitians have demonstrated innovation through service redesign within governance, rather than outside it. Telehealth consultations, dietitian-led care pathways, quality improvement initiatives and enhanced multidisciplinary working have all expanded the reach and impact of nutrition services—particularly in community and primary care settings where resources are stretched.
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Crucially, these innovations are supported by clear documentation, professional oversight, defined scopes of practice and outcome evaluation. This ensures that patient safety and accountability remain central, even as new models of care emerge.
Dietetics is more than just a job – it’s balancing a scientific approach with real-world complexity
The power of multidisciplinary alignment
Nutrition plans are more likely to succeed when messaging is consistent across the wider healthcare team. Dietitians work closely with nursing colleagues, GPs, pharmacists, speech and language therapists and carers to ensure nutrition advice is reinforced—rather than contradicted—at every point of care.
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By equipping others with practical tools, clarity and education, dietitians extend the impact of their work far beyond individual consultations. This collaborative approach strengthens adherence while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
Why this balance matters now
Healthcare systems across Ireland and Northern Ireland face rising demand, ageing populations and increasing complexity of nutritional need—often with limited capacity. In this context, success does not come from rigidly applying guidelines in isolation, nor from abandoning governance in favour of short-term solutions.
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Dietitians bridge scientific rigour and human insight – delivering nutrition care that is safe, effective and workable in the real world.
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Dietetics is more than just a job – it’s balancing a scientific approach with real-world complexity.
Job code: IE-FK-NPR-2600087. Date of prep. May 2026
More than just a job.
Hear from some of our dietitians...
Olive Nolan
Registered Dietitian
Homecare Specialist
Caring for someone in their own home is a privilege. Compassion is at the heart of everything we do, and with the right support, patients and families can achieve what may initially feel impossible — being cared for safely at home while receiving parenteral nutrition.
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We are dedicated to supporting patients and families, nurturing independence, health, and quality of life. What can feel like a burden at the start of treatment often
becomes a lifeline, and we see patients and families who once felt unsure grow in
confidence and capability over time.
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There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. For someone living at home on HPN, that same principle applies — a network of support, including the wider
healthcare team and partners such as Fresenius Kabi, is essential to making care possible and sustainable.
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Dietetics is more than just a job — it’s enabling independence, confidence, and life at home.
Job code: IE-FK-NPR-2600086. Date of prep: May 2026
Natalie Livingstone
Registered Dietitian
As a Hospital Representative working in Clinical Nutrition at Fresenius Kabi, I support dietitians by acting as a trusted partner in delivering safe, effective, and evidence-based nutritional care.
My role focuses on ensuring that dietitians have access to the most up-to-date information, products, and resources to support their day to day clinical practice.
I provide tailored product and clinical support across parenteral and enteral nutrition, helping dietitians select appropriate solutions for complex patient needs. This includes sharing product updates, managing queries, and supporting the practical implementation of nutrition regimens within hospital settings.
Through building strong, long-term relationships with dietitians, I aim to deliver a high level of customer support, contribute to improved patient outcomes, and position Fresenius Kabi as a valued partner in clinical nutrition.
Job code: IE-FK-NPR-2600095. Date of prep: May 2026
Ellen Booth
Registered Dietitian
Hi, I am the Fresenius Kabi Dietitian covering our residential care homes.
One of the most challenging aspects of my role is building an accurate picture of an individual’s nutritional intake, especially when they have communication difficulties or are unable to recall.
In many ways, this means working as a clinical detective, gathering information from food and fluid charts, admission notes, mealtime assessments, conversations with family members, and working closely with nursing staff and healthcare assistants (HCAs) to build a picture from multiple perspectives.
Piecing this information together helps me develop a rounded view of each individual’s nutritional intake and identify how best to support them. This can involve establishing meals or snacks they enjoy, providing food fortification that aligns with their current intake, and trialling different nutritional supplements to find the option that works best for them.
It also means questioning what doesn’t make sense, noticing unopened supplements at the bedside, exploring unexpected changes in weight, and identifying discrepancies that may be linked to intake, documentation or even equipment such as weighing scales.
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It’s not always straightforward but this collaborative, problem solving approach is
key to providing person centred care.
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Dietetics is more than just a job – its problem solving in action, every day.
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Job code: IE-FK-NPR-2600087. Date of prep: May 2026
Date of preparation: May 2026. IE-FK-NPR-2600089