How Will Nutrition Play a Role in a Nursing Career?
The nurse plays a key role in patient care. She is often the closest professional to the patient, spending the most time with him. The nurse develops an understanding of the importance of nutrition during her training. She will use this knowledge throughout her career. The importance of diet and nutrition crosses into many areas in health care; it is inextricably bound up with the health and well-being of every patient group.
Other People Are Reading
-
Assessing Nutritional Needs
-
An assessment should be made of the patient's nutritional state. The nurse develops a care plan with the patient when she is first admitted. This includes a nutritional assessment, which is an important component of the overall picture of the patient. The patient should be weighed, and any problems with eating should be identified. These could include lack of appetite, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing, food allergies and intolerance and changes in eating or appetite. The patient might have an eating problem that is connected with her health--for example, a person waiting for a gallbladder operation may be intolerant of fat.
The Nurse's Role in Maintaining Nutrition in the Elderly
-
An elderly person may have problems with food. Elderly people become malnourished and dehydrated for many reasons. An elderly person may not be so mobile, and may no longer have the same appetite. Physical problems, like gastric reflux, may cause discomfort and a reluctance to eat. Elderly people may also have bowel problems, such as constipation, again affecting appetite. Sometimes, the problem is very obvious, but may still be missed. An example of this might be that the elderly person can no longer open cans, or cook for himself. The nurse plays a key role in detecting any of these problems, and in addressing them.
-
Psychological Problems
-
The nurse will play a part in assessing and planning for intervention in cases where there is a psychological problem related to eating. Most nurses will encounter eating disorders during their careers. The involvement of the nurse will depend on many factors, including the care setting. The nurse may be involved in the initial assessment and on-going management of such patients. All nurses will need an understanding of the causes and management of eating disorders.
Promoting Healthy Eating
-
Many nurses work in public and preventative health care. Much of their role will involve imparting correct dietary information to patients, and sometimes relatives. A nurse may give dietary advice to a patients who are obese, who are suffering from cardiovascular problems or who have diabetes. This means that the nurse should have a good knowledge of the food groups, and of what constitutes a balanced diet. The nurse also needs good communication skills, which allow him to advise and give information without being patronizing.
Role of Food in Healing
-
Nurses should be trained about the value of a correct diet in good recovery from surgery and illness. Protein plays a key role in the repair of cells, so the diet of a recovering patient should include adequate amounts of this. Nurses should oversee the patient's diet, even though they may not be directly involved in meal preparation or delivery.
-
References
- Photo Credit Food image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com tax form image by yang xiaofeng from Fotolia.com elderly woman image by Anna Chelnokova from Fotolia.com
