Professionalism and Professional Obligations for Registered Dietitians

Professionalism for Registered Dietitians means having competence, honesty and fairness in their practice. Dietitians have a Code of Ethics, a Professional Misconduct Regulation, professional standards and competencies that set out practice requirements.

The fundamental legal duties of every dietitian include:

respecting the system of controlled acts;
respecting the legal restrictions for the dietitian title;
cooperating with the College in an investigation, inquiry or assessment conducted under the Regulated Health Professions Act;
participating in the College Quality Assurance Program;
not sexually abusing clients;
not mistreating clients;
reporting findings of offences and professional negligence;
mandatory reporting to the proper authority when certain events occur, such as sexual abuse of a client, child abuse, abuse of an elderly person in a nursing home, or unsafe and unethical practice of another dietitian;
Comply with the laws for health service providers such as the Consent to Treatment Act, 1996 and the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2005.

Registered Dietitians maintain good standing as registered health professionals in Ontario by:

remaining competent;
being fit to practice safely and competently;
practicing ethically according to the conduct and practice standards; and
renewing their annual registration.

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The College of Dietitians of Ontario belongs to a community of regulatory and other organizations working in the interest of the public.