The high impact actions for nursing and midwifery 1: keeping nourished--getting better

Approximately one in four patients in NIIS hospitals are either malnourished or at risk of malnurition and as much as 70% of malnutrition in acute hospital admission is unrecognised and unmanaged. Although most of those who are malnourished live in the community, malnutrition and dehydration are key challenges for NHS organisations. Well hydrated and nourished patients get better more quickly, have a shorter length of stay and a more positive experience of care. Ensuring patients receive all of the nutrients they need is vital to the delivery of good care. This article, the second in our series on the high impact actions for nursing and midwifery, looks at how nurses can reduce malnutrition in their patients.