Question

Conduct a search for evidence about what best practices are for the nursing care of patients with nutritional deficiencies.

Answer 1

Nutritional deficiencies nursing care:

Poor patient outcomes are mainly caused by disease related malnutrition and it leads to increased costs and higher readmission rate. So the nurses can and should participate in identifying, preventing, and treating malnutrition. Nowadays nurses are playing a vital role in nutritional care.

A.S.P.E.N Adult Nutrition Care Pathway six steps are

Step 1: Nutrition screening

Step 2: At-risk determination

Step 3: Nutrition assessment

Step 4: Malnutrition diagnosis

Step 5: Nutrition care plan

Step 6: Monitoring and transition-of-care planning

Nurses nutrition deficiencies best practices:

Vitamin B it causes the beri beri in order to prevent those deficiencies the nurse can advise to take green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C in order to prevent the nurse can advise to take vitamin rich foods like citrate items.

Administration of vitamin A capsules in order to prevent a vitamin A deficiency that is night blindness and xerophthamia.

Vitamin D deficiencies we can advise the patient to stand in front of the sun light before 8'o clock so it can prevent osteoporosis.

Vitamin K deficiencies we can advise them to take vitamin K injection in the new born.

Vitamin B12 deficiencies can cure with the green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, fish, iron rich food.

References:

Guenter P, DiMaria-Ghalli RA. Survey of nurses’ nutrition screening and assessment practices in hospitalized patients. MedSurg Matters. 2013;22(5):10-3.

Nightingale F. Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not. London: Harrison; 1860.

Snider JT, Linthicum MT, Wu Y, et al. Economic burden of community-based disease-associated malnutrition in the United States. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2014;38(2 Suppl):77S-85S.