But the care does not stop with assessing and identifying the patients who are at risk; what can we do practically to promote good nutrition especially to those who are most vulnerable? From ensuring that those who need assistance get assistance to promoting a good eating environment, ensuring that patients have the right equipment with which to eat and promoting the right calorie intake – how can nurses ensure that their patients are getting the right nutritional care?
Thanks goes to @KevinHamPlymUni for this discussion suggestion.
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Nutrition older people (2011) Nursing Standard
Summary by Teresa Chinn RN
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Post Chat Summary
This #NurChat was about "Assessing and maintaining nutrition in patients" The chat started by asking what can we do to identify those at risk of malnutrition? It was agreed that MUST is a great tool and it was reported to be widely used amoungst the nurses participating, however there were concerns raised about whether is was just paid "lip service" Must was described as just an assessment tool and it was recommended that this is always followed up with a care plan and implementation of care.
NurChatters then discussed what canbe done to tackle malnutrition in patients: suggestions ranged from allowing relatives to bring in food, more staff, identifying those malnourished patients before they get to hospital and provision of good quality food.
It was stressed that malnourishment alsoincludes overweight and obese patients - action to improve their malnourishment seemed to a lot less one trust merely gave out a leaflet. It was agreed though that the health and recovery implications for overweight and obese patients were just as great as for those who are underweight.
Concerns were raised over some pateints, particularly the elderly, being able to feed themsleves and their food being left. Ways identified of combatting this were red tray systems and protected mealtimes. Other suggestions were to encourage visitors to visit at mealtimes and the use of volunteers - this in trun seemed to have restrictions in some trusts due to choking risks.
A comment was made about a US hospital employing the use of a coloured nightwear sysytem to identify vulnerable patients - but this scheme did not sit well with the nurses participating in the chat.
The importance of oral hygeine was raised - and all agreed that this was often forgotten about but should not be.
"The good old days" were brought up and whether malnourishment was prevalent in the past - itwas shared that in the 1970s malnourishment was on a similar scale to what it is today. However onsite kitchens,fresh food and ward kitchens cooking food on demand was noted as being something that used to be the case but no longer is.
Training was debated at length - particularly experiencing what it is like to be a patient and be fed and student nurses and lecturers confirmed that these types of learning took place.
At the end of the conversation nurchatters agreed that is came back to fundemental care skills, culture and investment in quality and training.
Summary by Teresa Chinn RN
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Chat transcript (Via Storify)
Summary by Teresa Chinn RN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Chat Summary
This #NurChat was about "Assessing and maintaining nutrition in patients" The chat started by asking what can we do to identify those at risk of malnutrition? It was agreed that MUST is a great tool and it was reported to be widely used amoungst the nurses participating, however there were concerns raised about whether is was just paid "lip service" Must was described as just an assessment tool and it was recommended that this is always followed up with a care plan and implementation of care.
NurChatters then discussed what canbe done to tackle malnutrition in patients: suggestions ranged from allowing relatives to bring in food, more staff, identifying those malnourished patients before they get to hospital and provision of good quality food.
It was stressed that malnourishment alsoincludes overweight and obese patients - action to improve their malnourishment seemed to a lot less one trust merely gave out a leaflet. It was agreed though that the health and recovery implications for overweight and obese patients were just as great as for those who are underweight.
Concerns were raised over some pateints, particularly the elderly, being able to feed themsleves and their food being left. Ways identified of combatting this were red tray systems and protected mealtimes. Other suggestions were to encourage visitors to visit at mealtimes and the use of volunteers - this in trun seemed to have restrictions in some trusts due to choking risks.
A comment was made about a US hospital employing the use of a coloured nightwear sysytem to identify vulnerable patients - but this scheme did not sit well with the nurses participating in the chat.
The importance of oral hygeine was raised - and all agreed that this was often forgotten about but should not be.
"The good old days" were brought up and whether malnourishment was prevalent in the past - itwas shared that in the 1970s malnourishment was on a similar scale to what it is today. However onsite kitchens,fresh food and ward kitchens cooking food on demand was noted as being something that used to be the case but no longer is.
Training was debated at length - particularly experiencing what it is like to be a patient and be fed and student nurses and lecturers confirmed that these types of learning took place.
At the end of the conversation nurchatters agreed that is came back to fundemental care skills, culture and investment in quality and training.
Summary by Teresa Chinn RN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chat transcript (Via Storify)
If Storify isn't working for you download the PDF transcipt here
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